Social Media Basics

Latest statistics show 1.92 million online New Zealanders have looked to their fellow internet users for opinions and information about products, services and brands.   Research also shows the 3 biggest groups who are easiest to reach via social media are baby boomers (those in the 46-66 years age bracket), mums and teenagers and some of these groups will no doubt be in your target market - so it makes sense to start connecting and influencing these groups now. 

At the very least have a LinkedIn and Facebook business page
The four most widely known social media platforms are LinkedIn, FaceBook, You Tube and Twitter but we recommend most business start with LinkedIn and Facebook pages.  These two platforms have the power to help you grow your brand by influencing consumer behaviour so let’s take a brief look at these two platforms.

LinkedIn capitalises on the old saying “it’s not who you know but who knows you”.  It’s probably the best known and most widely used business networking site with more than 85 million users worldwide.  It’s easy to set up and you can use it to develop your personal brand, build credibility, network, make a sale, keep up to date with your industry, form a partnership or even get a job.  It can also help you connect with business prospects significantly faster than more traditional networking methods.

FaceBook, whilst definitely the more social site, still offers potential for your business growth.  Set up a Facebook business page and engage with your customers, generate brand awareness, profile new products and events, drive web traffic, seek new leads and build brand credibility.  The biggest growth area on FaceBook is females 55-65 and whilst it’s true many of these are using it to catch up with old friends, they’re also big consumers. 

The simple fact is this - you can spend a fortune on traditional medias and hope to ‘buy attention’ in the market place - or you can incorporate some strategically positioned, cost effective social media marketing, sit back and see what happens.  You never know you might just join the growing list of businesses across the world harnessing the power of social media marketing.

To find out more give us a call now or email call Sally Cooke – Tuskany Brand Strategist on sally@tuskany.co.nz