Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

The ways of vendors communicate with their customers changed dramatically since 2010. Starting from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, if vendors does not change their advertising methods, then their advertisements became ineffective.

 

Then what should you consider when you start new trending marketing, a.k.a. social marketing? I listed top seven rules that all vendors need to think about.

 

1. The Rule of Real Time

One of the biggest con of social media is a real time. Unlike current mass media, social media does not have any specific broadcasting time. Posting people and reading people have access to needed information whenever they want to.

Also, because social media is all real time, people can access to most current news and information faster than mass media.

 

2. The Rule of Fun, Tip, New

Fun, Tip, New are three keys of contents. Contents must be new and fun, just like a firework event. While mass media prefers serious and somewhat boring contents, social media is opposite of that. We consider mass media as ‘push media’ and social media as ‘pull media’. If you want to attract people, your contents must fun, tip, and new.

3. The Rule of Truth

There are many YouTube videos or posts that were made to gather more reader with provocative-false information. Incendiary remarks attracts more people. However, if you keep post only provocative posts that filled with false information, your social media will lose trust from readers, which can critically harm your social marketing image.

Therefore, you always need to keep everything true and honest to build trust with your customers.

 

4. The Rule of Media Mix

Carpenters choose which wood to use when they work. It is also same for media marketing. You need to choose which social media will works best for your business. Consider what do you want to post, who is the audience, and what is the purpose of your post. Depend on those, your social media will change: either blog, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

 

5. The Rule of Communication

Customers’ feed-backs are essential. Customers prefer businesses that pay attention to their voice, especially when you are using social media as marketing method. Since social media is double way communication, you should not only focus on advertising.

Consider that not all people can like your services. When your customers post negative posts on the social media, you need to pay attention to them and find a way to make that better. Criticism of customers are best guideline to make your business better. If you are the person who does not want to listen to someone’s criticism and negative comments, then you should reconsider about starting social marketing.

 

6. The Rule of Relationship

All vendors and companies need to form a somewhat friendship relationship with their customers. If you only run social media in business purpose, then customers either become a cherry picker or leave.

Just think like you are a farmer who is trying to take care of empty land. You need to care about the land if you want to gain some benefits from it. It is also same for business and client. If you want income and sales from your customers, then you need to care about them and be their friends.

 

7. The Rule of Spokesperson and Teamwork

If your social marketing does not go well as much as you expected. Please do not blame on the person who is in charge of social media. If you look at successful case of social media, all employees participated in social marketing by pressing like button or sharing.

Also, if your business get into negative issue, get a meeting and work all together to solve problem. Actively working together as a team is key to success.