According to a report issued earlier this year by Business2Community, social media accounts for only 16 percent of customer engagement today; however, that number is expected to jump to 57 percent within the next five years, making it the second-most used channel behind face-to-face interaction.
Recognizing how often consumers turn to social media for product advice, brand recommendations and more, approximately 90 percent of companies nationwide use social media marketing, yet many are left wondering where the dividing line between ?too much? and ?too little? interaction through social networking platforms stands.
?There is absolutely a point of no return?and it is very difficult to regain someone who you have lost through not-so-smart social media practices,? said?Trey Campbell, Director of Communications for?Southwestern Advantage. ?Any company, direct selling or other, has the capability to sabotage their outreach by not using social media wisely.
?The easiest trap to fall in is creating too much content and content that is not relevant, which is therefore seen as spam,? he continued. ?Once you have an audience member lose interest in what you have to say, you have become ineffective in garnering their attention for your intended message. This is social media death by a thousand posts. Don?t do it!?
With more than 34 percent of the world?s entire population now online according to a recent report, it?s no wonder companies see social networking platforms as an obvious mode for promoting their businesses. Aside from the fact that social media can reach a very broad audience with few incremental costs, platforms such as Facebook and Twitter provide consumers with candid insights and product reviews that stem from distributors and fellow shoppers in addition to the corporate voice.
?The elegance of social media platforms is that participants say, ?I want to be part of this community,?? said?Jay Rudman,?Paperly?s?Chief Executive Officer. ?For example, you must ?like? a Facebook page, ?follow? a Pinterest page or Twitter account and ?subscribe? to a YouTube channel. Because of that, Paperly believes social media is probably the least spam-y of all e-communications. Of course, we need to create and share compelling and targeted content to ensure the audience remains engaged.?
Once considered a platform for younger generations, social media is now embraced more fully by older demographics in astounding numbers. According to social media consultancy Convince & Convert, 56 percent of Americans have a profile on at least one social networking site?55 percent of those aged 45-54 have at least one social networking profile, and that number is steadily rising.
Perhaps most importantly, 60 percent of people who use three or more digital media means of research for product purchases admitted to learning about a specific brand or retailer from a social networking site, according to MediaPost.
?At Southwestern Advantage, we operate under the opinion that posting on social media does not have anything to do with age or demographics,? Trey said. ?In today?s world, you can reach all audiences. While we have an independent salesforce of university students who sell our products, our sister company,?Wildtree, has a more mature demographic who are also very responsive to social media.?
?Each of the social media channels is so unique, Paperly believes you need to target appropriate content to each,? Jay added. ?We believe the correct message posted to the correct social media channel works wonders! That being said, social media is much, much, much more than just posting. It?s about being ?social.? We need to engage in a social conversation in our community. Only then does social media truly work.?
In entering the free flow of conversations via social media, companies run the risk of encountering negative feedback or poor reviews of their products and brand. Knowing this, many direct selling businesses have faced the dilemma of choosing when it is appropriate to respond to negative feedback and when it is best to allow the conversations to occur online without commentary from the corporate office.
?In 95 percent of cases, I absolutely think companies should respond,? said?Kristen Jacobs, Web Content and Community Manager for?Creative Memories. ?While the occasional negative post won?t warrant a response, the rest are an opportunity to turn an unsatisfied customer into a happy fan of our brand. If you?re lucky, they?ll come right to your social channel to comment, giving you the opportunity to respond and resolve the situation. Either way, an unhappy customer is telling someone, somewhere. It may as well be where you can turn the situation around. And, what does it say about your brand if you ignore them or delete them??
?If we come across something negative or are made aware of it through a third party, we make every effort to reach out to that person,? Trey added. ?In fact, in addition to contacting them, we will post the direct line and email address of the Director of Communications to give the detractor a clear line of communication.?
While social media networks continue to draw more users at phenomenal rates?Pinterest even maintained a waiting list throughout the first several months of its launch?companies often make the assumption that social media poses the greatest opportunity for connecting with Gen Y.
With this in mind, direct selling companies that rely heavily on older generations of consumers and distributors often question the value of social media marketing.
Despite the fact that older demographics are increasingly turning to social media platforms, half of all social media users are between 25 and 44 years old, according to Pingdom, a website monitoring service. However, the company reports that age distribution varies widely across social networks. For instance, roughly half of all Reddit and Tumblr users are under 35 years old, while 55 percent of Twitter users are 35 or older. Meanwhile, 65 percent of Facebook users are over 35, and LinkedIn remains the ?oldest? network with 79 percent of users aged 35 and older.
Nevertheless, because Gen Yers represent such a tremendous opportunity for direct selling businesses to grow, it is important that companies remember to offer content that will not drive them away.
?One thing that is certain about the Millennial generation is they see through corporate messaging,? Trey said. ?They do not want to be sold or fed useless information. Companies should always ask two things. First, would someone in this generation take something away from this post? Second, why should they care? Companies risk driving Millennials away because they do not understand how they like to be communicated with and what information they are interested in. This is a ?now? generation. Make it quick, make it visual.
?Lots of people are constantly connected, whatever the age,? he added. ?The hard part is to figure the right mix when you have varying age demographics across the same platform.?
Recognizing this, many direct selling companies face the challenge of determining which platforms produce the greatest return on investment. More importantly, smaller companies in particular are left wondering whether or not it is more valuable to devote a great deal of time and effort to one or two platforms or to post content across a wide variety of channels.
?I believe we need to do a lot of connection, but with ?bite-sized? content,? said?Susan O?Brien Huneke, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of?Pink Papaya. ?Before this year?s DSA Communications & Marketing Conference, I felt like focus was important, now I believe it is important to expand to all channels with a cohesive strategy.?
?I think it really just depends on the company and where they can best reach their intended audiences,? Trey said. ?It?s only effective if it works. If the majority of the audience is only on Facebook and Twitter, use those channels. If you have a more diversified or tech-savvy field, then it makes good business sense to utilize other channels also.?
Source: Direct Selling Assocation
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