Social Advertising Best Practices Blog Feature

By: Digital Media Training on June 9th, 2014

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Social Advertising Best Practices

Digital Media Landscape | Sales Training | advertising | marketing strategy | advertising strategy | customer service | client relationship building

juggle_social_media_iconsIn today’s consumer-driven world, people flock to their mobile phones, or other electronic devices such as tablets or laptops to communicate with people, search for the latest products or services, and then purchase them with a click of a button in merely seconds. Shopping online isn’t just a phase; it’s a development that has gotten the world to depend on technology for basic necessities like checking the balance of their bank account, to grocery shopping. Yet what is most surprising when it comes to this technological advancement is the fact that people aren’t necessarily going to the store website to purchase these products or services. Rather, they are viewing and buying these products/services through advertisements promoted on social media networks. Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram and Vine are all social media networks you’ve probably already heard about and you may even be using these sites for your own purposes. But have you heard of the recently emerging social media marketing sites and services that companies are using to gain greater visibility into their target audience and make their marketing efforts seamless?
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Today, there are more than 60 different social media tools used to measure, search, analyze, provide feedback, stream, buffer, and share information across multiple platforms and accounts, all at once. Companies use these tools as a guide to track and analyze what’s working and what’s not working, this helps to truly target their customer niche. But how do they determine their target demographic in the first place?  Social media started out as a form of direct communication, and an easy and quick way for sharing pictures, whereabouts, and favorite things to do, but has become a “hot spot” for companies to “relate” with that user’s personal information and promote their services or advertise products that accommodate a person’s likes, interests, and lifestyle. As more social platforms emerge each year, it’s easy to get caught up in an abundance and overload of user information and content. However, using social media the right, most effective way means taking the time to understand and utilize social media advertising best practices. In order to comprehend social media and its’ growing advantages, companies must first recognize why they are using it, and how they are using the medium to reach their revenue goals.

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The number one best practice in social media advertising is developing relationships and is the key to any successful social media ad campaign.  Recent findings from the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) shows that digital marketers strengthen personal interactions online by connecting people to advertisements and content that interests them and engages their personalities. Social media advertising is an essential marketing medium and can provide valuable insight into how to reach the right audience, with the right message, at the right time.

                

share_button_keyboard-2However, one of the biggest disadvantages and issues of social media advertising today is privacy. According to the IAB, privacy is a top concern for most consumers. How much data is too much data? For instance, Facebook has changed their privacy settings so many times, there isn’t a clear way of blocking  off all of your personal data from users you don’t want to be bothered with, and that’s not including companies. Businesses can pay to look up your personal information, and track your newsfeeds and personal activity without you ever knowing. Furthermore, according to the IAB, almost every social media app on mobile buffers your personal information (which may be forwarded to third party vendors) before you can even download the app. As a company that advertises to consumers, it’s critical to make it clear how and why their data is being used as well as prominently displaying user controls so they have the option of adjusting their settings. More importantly, it is transparency and proactive communication that will help your business build credibility, authority and trust, which ultimately leads to long lasting customer relationships.

 

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If you want to get started on the right path to Social Advertising success, then check out these 5 steps and start scratching them off your “to-do” list.

 

1. Creative Components (Are you using a contest, prize giveaway, personalized survey, or photo gallery, or share personal testimonials of consumers to create a personal relationship with your target audience?)

 

2. Data Usage (Are you engaging in analyzing metrics and ad words with social media management tools on a consistent basis?)

 

3. Consumer Control (Are you tracking relevant content based on your consumer’s activities, choices, complaints, as well as measuring their behavior and providing top-notch feedback? Are you making relevant changes to service/products based on that feedback?)

 

4. Privacy Guidelines (Are you giving consumers a choice to protect and secure their privacy with different options and features for data? Are you giving away information to third parties and if so, are you informing your consumer of this act? Are you gaining the consumers trust and protecting their privacy by investing in the correct platform?)

 

5. Social Advertising (Are you keeping up with emerging digital media trends, and creating marketing campaigns based on best advertising practices?)

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