Petfood professionals know that success requires an investment of time, money and effort. Social media has quickly become a cornerstone for branding, sales growth and public relations; yet its real value remains unclear (Figure 1). Your business must gain insights on how to establish and sustain a strong presence online using its various platforms.
Companies increasingly rely on at least one form of social media to market their brands, with most using at least one channel for promotion purposes. Adoption of multichannel strategies is on the rise as businesses recognize how one social media channel such as Twitter can promote engagement with another such as their company blog or OneUpWeb.com reports. Social media simply serves as a communications medium that facilitates interaction. This may involve sharing links, adding friends or joining groups/discussions and uploading photos/videos – which all constitute forms of interaction via various forms of media such as sharing links or friends/add/join/join/add/upload/upload/upload/uploads photos/ videos etc.
How does online engagement between businesses and customers influence your company and brand (Figure 2)? According to Society for New Communications Research, 75% of people make purchase decisions based on customer comments found online; yet we have yet to fully realize their full potential.
Implementing a social media strategy for your business requires skill in integrating multimedia and marketing, along with an allocated budget for tools that may or may not be free. Once your plan is set in motion, focus on what goals you wish to accomplish through this newly established online presence – Julie Lenzer Kirk of Path Forward International recommends these uses of social media:
Building Your Brand. Highlight Industry Information, Customer Testimonials and Community Events to personalize your company. Staying In Touch With Existing Customers by Sharing News, Offering Specials or Soliciting Feedback (along with Researching Market Information!
Monitor what people are saying about your company and products on social media. Answer any inquiries customers may have about them while keeping an eye out for any complaints that arise – using social media gives you the power to respond immediately!
Implementing a social media plan offers many potential advantages to your company, from the ability to influence purchasing decisions to driving new customers towards your website and engaging stakeholders in an open dialog. Social media is an extremely useful business tool so long as your team is properly trained in its use.
Don’t miss Julie Lenzer Kirk’s Virtual Petfood Forum presentation “Innovation in Marketing: Exploring Social and Online Media,” or OneUpWeb.com’s “The Bloody Truth About Social Media!” online presentations!