In this week’s Content & Coffee with Brafton, Executive Communications Associate Ted Karczcewski speaks on social media trends that further prove the channel drives lead generation and conversion efforts for today’s top brands.
A recent Interactive Advertising Bureau study looked at social media marketing strategies from brands like Heinz, Kettle and Twinings. After implementing their campaigns, data shows an average sentiment uptick of 19 percent. The study also found that 4 out of 5 people are more likely to buy from brands frequently due to social media content.
It’s all well and good to read studies that exemplify the value of social marketing – most people already know they need active web presences, but they might not know what comprises a smart strategy. Does every audience react positively to visual media? Will every connection RT when asked? It’s doubtful, which is why social media monitoring must be factored into every social marketing equation.
This analytics process only becomes easier as networks introduce new functions to help marketers evaluate their competitors. A new functionality being tested on some Facebook members allows them to create a list of Pages to watch. The feature tracks the progress of any Page, showing how many Likes it receives and offering tips on how to keep up.
A lot of what makes social marketing successful is brands’ ability to think of new ways to engage before the competition. However, for up-and-coming startups, it pays to look at established companies to see what works and what doesn’t. Facebook’s theoretical “Pages to Watch” function can help, and marketers who focus more closely on enhancing their strategies increase their likelihood of seeing brand sentiment upticks as noted in the IAB report.
