If you follow the news, you might know that companies of all sizes now turn to social media as a way to reach more customers. While Facebook still ranks as the king of all social media, it now has some competitors nipping at its heels. Sites like YouTube and even Pinterest now give companies a new way to advertise services and products in the hopes of grabbing the public’s attention. The top social media sites for marketing now go well beyond Facebook.
Pinterest is a unique website that allows users to create their own virtual boards. Excitement surrounded the site because it initially only let select users try it during its beta phase. The site is now open to anyone who wants an account, and you can even link it to your Facebook account. Pinterest lets you create virtual bulletin boards filled with articles, photos and even videos that you pin from various sites. Using Pinterest lets you create boards based around all the services that your company offers. As you gain more followers, you’ll find that they pin from your boards, which can help you attract more business.
Nike and hundreds of other shoe and fashion companies use Instagram as a way to get people excited about their products. When you visit the Nike Instagram page, you’ll see images of the shoes and clothing the company makes as well as photos of people wearing those items in public. This does a good job of showing viewers how they can wear and use those same products. If you offer services to the general public, use Instagram to show viewers how those services can benefit them. Using the right hashtags will help others find you.
YouTube
Social media marketers like iCrossing might recommend using sites like YouTube to your benefit too. YouTube allows any registered member to post videos, create playlists and even launch their own channels. Other users can then like, share and comment on their favorite videos. Another thing iCrossing can do is help you to make videos that relate to your company and videos that provide useful information. A company that sells exercise equipment might post videos of people using those machines, while a business that does landscaping might share videos of their workers in action and some of the projects they completed.
If you use only one social media site for your business, make it Twitter. Twitter is one of the top social media sites and features millions of registered users from around the world. Your account can include links back to your main site as well as contact information for your head office. Each tweet that you send out should relate to your products or services. You can send out tweets about new items arriving in your store to get customers lined up around the block. Other tweets can provide users with discounts. Share a simple promo code that lets them buy items for your site at a discount. Some companies also posts contests and funny photos on Twitter.
Using social media to your advantage can really help your business succeed. If you still rely on Facebook to interact with your customer base, it’s time to take a look at other sites. Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and Instagram are some of the top social media sites your customers use every day.