We received a request from a large music venue to help them gain better traction in their market via social media. The venue owners were admittedly in the dark about how social media works but they recognized its importance and wanted expert guidance.
Almost all venue owners have a preliminary plan of how their operations need to shift to drive new customers to their business. Where things get murky is how best to present the venue into the social space, what metrics to track, and how to budget for it.
With all the players in place, including data, we were able to provide them with a social media strategy that delivered the right message, reached the right people at the right time, and exceeded their goals.
As social media becomes even more complicated, and as skeptical consumers have growing disinterest in run-of-the-mill concert and event posts and offers, the need for social media strategy gets more intense.
If you don’t have the expertise in-house to determine actionable goals and integrate a social media strategy that works for you, contact us to help remove the guesswork and establish the best course of action.
If you do have someone in house that is helping or leading with the social strategy but does have a lot of experience or does not understand how to incorporate all of the marketing aspects of your venue story to drive sales. Contact us and we can teach them through our consultation services.
Here are 6 common business challenges that can be solved with social media strategy.
1. Challenge: Weak Brand Awareness
Social media is ideal for reaching a broader audience, however, why you post is central to success. Every post, update, and tweet creates an impression in users minds.
Social media strategy to solve this challenge: Steps must be taken to identify what makes the venue and its products valuable. You must define why people choose you rather than your competitor.
Refrain from promotional sales content when the challenge is strengthening brand awareness. Approach as though you’re meeting these customers in person for the first time. No one likes to be greeted with a sales pitch so focus on more meaningful content that personifies why customers choose you.
2. Challenge: Declining Customer Retention
It costs 5 to 8 times more to acquire a new customer than it does to keep an existing one. Social media is excellent for staying in touch with current customers.
Social media strategy to solve this challenge: Treat your social channels as communities where like-minded people come to hang out. The right team can engage with them and support those communities by listening and being responsive to questions, needs and concerns.
A good social media relationship with customers improves perceptions and offline relationships.
3. Challenge: Poor Online Reputation
Reviews are insanely influential.
90% of consumers read online reviews.
88% trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
86% will hesitate to purchase from a business that has negative reviews.
Customers are likely to spend 31% more with a business that has positive reviews.
92% will use a local business if it has at least a 4-star rating.
Don’t give online ratings sites the power to control your business. If what’s being said about you doesn’t mirror the true customer experience delivered, take action now to turn things around.
Social media strategy to solve this challenge: Remove the obstacles that stymie reviews.
Create a review funnel. Systematically drive customers to one conversion funnel that routes them to the review sites you care about (Google, Facebook, Yelp, Etc)
Automatically ask, remind and guide happy customers through the funnel.
Recover unhappy customers before they vent online.
4. Challenge: Declining or Nonexistent Connection with Customers
We’ve been witnessing a massive shift in what it means to be effective on social media over the last few years. One challenge that venues face in this new era of social media marketing is connecting with customers on an individual and personal level. Most venues make the massive mistake of talking at their customers rather than speaking with them.
Connecting with customers in meaningful ways humanizes your venue and builds genuine relationships.
Social media strategy to solve this challenge: Monitor all social media channels and respond authentically (aka: like a human!). Ask questions, provide insights, or offer help with problems.
Engage with Facebook users’ comments.
Respond to every single mention on Twitter and Instagram.
5. Challenge: Low Search Visibility
Nearly every customer starts her or his purchase journey online. Your website is the virtual storefront of your business and not being found in search means fewer customers and decreased revenue.
On Google, and now Facebook, it’s super important to be visible when people are searching for what you sell...things to do...places to go.
Social media strategy to solve this challenge: To improve search visibility on Google, focus tactics on publishing links to content that go directly to your website. These “social signals” are a ranking factor and over time, will increase a site’s authority.
To improve search visibility on Facebook, promote those links to your helpful content using Facebook ads. Pages with high engagement show up in search more prominently. This positions your company as a trusted resource.
6. Challenge: Slow Sales
Social advertising is one of the most powerful tools to increase sales. By publishing engaging content you lay the groundwork for further engagement. The next natural step is to target would-be or past customers buyers with offers.
Social media strategy to solve this challenge: Facebook ads identify and reach ideal customers. Strategic ad design is crucial – ads must compel buyers to click. Use landing pages with lead forms to drive conversions.
Time is now to take massive action with social media strategy.
Today’s challenges need to be met with today’s solutions. Venues must develop a strong foundational social media strategy to meet those challenges.
Everywhere you look it appears brands and companies have social media all figured out. This can leave you wondering, “What are we not doing right on social media?” It’s time to take the guesswork out of social media with social media strategy and team.