In order to reach today’s “always online” consumer, several businesses have turned to social media as a marketing strategy. However, there are certain peculiar difficulties connected with social media. We’ll explain three of them and how to work around them in your social media plan.
1. Creating an Environment of Honesty and Trust
For those who regularly use social media, 2018 was a particularly trying year. People’s trust in Facebook was shaken and they were skeptical of the site after the data leakOpens a new window to the political consulting company Cambridge Analytica, false news, and data manipulation were all revealed. Users are understandably wary about divulging personal details in the modern day. Current users need transparency regarding data usage.
Edelman found that “60% of people no longer trust social media companies” in their 2018 Trust Barometer ReportOpens in new window.
The biggest problem for marketers today is to rebuild trust with their customers by open and honest practices regarding:
- Acquiring and Using Information
- Promoted posts
- Strategies for monetizing your social media presence
Here’s what you can do:
- Customer data collection should only occur with their informed permission.
- Make use of word-of-mouth marketing to boost your company’s reputation and bring in new clients.
- In order to encourage your prospects and customers to open up to you, you must consistently provide them with valuable material during your interactions with them.
Privacy and customization must be weighed equally.
Significantly, in May of 2018, Europe enacted the EU General Data Protection RegulationOpens a new opportunity to protect the personal information of EU residents, standardize the region’s data privacy regulations, and enforce compliance across businesses.
There is now a Personalization vs. Privacy conundrum for marketers to solve.
Improving the customer service you provide requires you to tailor your social media posts and interactions to each individual and inspire genuine participation. However, marketers need to be mindful of their clients’ desire for personal space.
Here’s what you can do:
- Enhance customer agency over data collection and storage practices.
- Gather consumer permission by informing them of the data you plan to utilize to make decisions inside a campaign.
- Encourage them to freely provide information and then explain how doing so can help you tailor your customers’ experiences, make informed suggestions, and supply timely, relevant material.
- Don’t waste money on fake data; instead, invest in primary sources that will help you deliver excellent tailored experiences to your customers.
Expensive social media advertising
Oversaturated social feeds make it difficult for brands to stand out. Their problems have been compounded by clickbait URLs and ad blocking or filtering software. Paid advertising is struggling to generate a profit due to increased production costs and the short attention spans of online consumers.
Here’s what you can do:
- Strengthen the quality of organic content
- Spending on social ads should be matched by efforts in time, imagination, and specificity of target demographics.
- You can get the most out of your advertising budget by doing split tests on ad targeting platforms.
- Increase sales by doubling down on what has already been shown to work.
- Use ephemeral media such as Augmented Reality, short-lived films, narrative forms, and interactivity to attract users’ attention.
- Always keep an eye on your social media advertising initiatives and make adjustments as needed.
Final Thoughts
The ever-changing social media environment is crucial for reaching today’s hyperconnected audience. Keep your customers’ best interests, privacy, and trust at the center of your social strategy as a rule of thumb for overcoming any social media marketing obstacle.