“Property” is among those witty words in the world of marketing. It suggests that there’s a right way to do things and a wrong way — a straightforward strategy to follow, but anyone who’s worked in the trenches will tell you it’s not the case. It’s more important to know if your decisions are in line with the stage of your business and the clients you’re trying to connect with.
For instance, if you’re an expert Analytics 4 consultant at Google, an an Analytics 4 consultant, Social media could be an effective means to reach the attention of companies that are already seeking your skills.
The social media industry is a topic that gets swept up in this discussion since it is the most obvious solution. In the end, all people are using social media to a certain degree, so why not promote your business on the platform? However, treating social as the primary “proper” platform is the place where many companies make mistakes.
The true “property” method is to make conscious choices and not settle for the easiest option or the most well-known.
Reach matters, but context decides.
For brands in the early stages the time is a limited resource. It is common for a child to follow the attention of others, but it’s not always. One of the mistakes I see most often is investing too much in platforms that do not have the resources to produce results. Teams work for hours on images, launching giveaways,, and chasing engagement only for them to think about why revenues aren’t moving.
Sometimes, the problem isn’t so much the content. What’s at issue is your channel. Reaching 400 people who weren’t your clients in the first place isn’t really a strategy; it’s a tactic disguised as progress.
It doesn’t mean social media isn’t effective. It is certainly possible; however, one channel shouldn’t be the only strategy. It is important to diversify your strategy and fully understand the functions of each in order to make better educated decisions regarding strategy.
Be wary of “listening to the customers”
There’s a saying, “The customer is always right.” While this is true in some ways but it’s not the complete story. In the end, it is essential to take note of the opinions of your customers; however, don’t take all the things they say seriously.
It’s common for people to speak about things that sound nice at the time, but they don’t translate into actual purchasing behavior. For example, even if someone claims, “I’d buy this in another color,” it doesn’t mean you need to develop a brand-new product.
Needs drive purchases and timing, perception, and emotions. If a person isn’t pulling out their wallet, then you haven’t hit one of these yet. Social media can assist in these areas however, likes and comments aren’t enough, and they’re not the best measure of engagement with customers.
It’s essential to understand the distinction between noise and signals. Every brand is bombarded by feedback, requests, and suggestions that are merely casual; however, most aren’t genuine in their intentions. The best option is to verify the patterns of feedback over time by monitoring the way feedback is correlated with actual sales data before making any changes to the strategic plan.
Conversion versus scale isn’t the most effective option.
There’s a widespread belief that the best way to maintain a smaller and highly engaged audience is rather as opposed to chasing growth. It’s a nice idea in theory, but the long-term growth doesn’t always work like that. There aren’t a lot of instances of small businesses becoming household names due to certain articles going viral.
The truth is that local successes don’t always translate into larger markets. A small, enthusiastic group of customers may last for a time, but the research does not support the notion that this alone can build lasting companies.
Growth is based on discovering ways to replicate conversions across a variety of groups of people. Social media can play a part in this regard, however, only if it’s used as a test platform that helps inform bigger decisions and not the only method to expand and grow.
In reality, you need to have both meaningful engagement and an audience that keeps your products in front of the correct people. Conversions from a tiny number of users are not uncommon; however, the fact that you’re always small means that you’re stifling growth.
Beware of the absolutes.
Guru marketers love absolutes. It is common to hear that you should stick to one particular social media platform, or to avoid the other, but neither is 100% correct. The most effective strategy is to strike a balance between immediate response and long-term brand building.
Adidas discovered this lesson the hard way time ago, when it admitted it had gone too far with strategies that were short-term to the detriment of brand value. The same principle applies even today. Social media is a powerful tool; however, the ROI is determined by measuring what’s important, not some arbitrary metrics.
This is the reason why this “best platform” discussion isn’t really the right one. There’s no single ideal solution, but only what’s appropriate in your area, and also how that can be integrated into growing strategies and timeframe. It’s all about timing, as what works today for this generation might not work in the future with the next.
Certain platforms might provide rapid growth, while others provide solid brand equity. The trick is to combine the two in a manner that doesn’t use up your resources or make you blind to where your customers are spending their time.
The short and long of it.
I would love to give you a concise tutorial on how you can “properly” promote your product via social media. Plug-and-play steps. A tidy checklist. It wouldn’t, however.
Marketing is contingent on where you’re located where you are, who you’re talking to and what you’re selling, and how it will be received in reality. The only way to go will actually benefit your business. Social media may be the biggest win in your marketing, or used as a complement to a different marketing strategy. Whatever the case, it’s an instrument, not the concept of “proper.”
That’s why it’s important to stay away from the temptation to be certain. Social media will not magically fix your marketing plan, nor will any one method. What is effective is to put in the time to consider and test your assumptions and then commit to a variety and strategies which reflect the immediate and longer-term development.
Also, “property” to you isn’t necessarily what is “property” to the next business leader. “Property” refers to whatever your company needs to continue expanding.