To Market We Go | Touchpoints
Netflix And Worry
A few weeks ago I started watching the docu-drama on Netflix, The Social Dilemma. Two things happened. Just about anytime I watch t.v. in bed at night, I inevitably fall asleep. Per usual, I fell asleep, maybe a third of the way through it. Second, I woke up when Erik turned it off and began to worry. If you’ve watched this then you know how disturbing it is. Of course it took me a while to go back to my peaceful slumber as I started questioning what I do for a living. Am I part of the awful machine that wreaks havoc on our psyches? How am I ever going to let my kids have a cell phone and use any type of social media? Should I stuff it all and embark on another career, fulfill my secret dream of working at Trader Joe’s? You get the gist of my spiraling thoughts. What I watched in the documentary legit shook me up and gave me pause for several days.
Cooler Heads Prevailed
I did not apply to TJ’s and have continued on with my work. I decided to focus on the positives of social media and how it is a tool that we can use to truly connect with other human beings in a world that feels extra disconnected right now.
I just listened to my favorite podcast, The Science of Social Media. The opening line stated that, “As of July 2020 more than half of all the people on Earth use social media.” Its growth is moving in an upward trajectory. Numbers from DataReportal have found that an average of 1 million people a day have started to use social media for the first time since July 2019! When I get asked if social media is really necessary for one’s business, these are figures you can’t discount. You absolutely need to have a presence here to connect and build relationships with potential customers and keep returning customers coming back.
Be Top Of Mind
There are countless examples of businesses that are thriving on social media and succeed because of the sense of community they have built online. Think of the ones you return to in your feed again and again because they are giving you relevant content that you can trust and rely on. With the current state of affairs you want to be top of mind with customers. They are having conversations with others on social asking for recommendations about local businesses. Once they hear about you, they are most likely going to turn to your social pages to connect with you. The worst that can happen is that you aren’t there and you are missing out on serving them
Best case scenario, you are there and active and what you put on social is in sync with your business. If you aren’t it’s time to get motivated and do the work.
Touchpoints
Now is the time to review your touchpoints. People are just as likely to turn to your Instagram page as they are to Google to see if you are open or not. Look at all the social platforms you are on, where people can “touch” you and ensure your info is up to date. Is the About section fully filled out on your Facebook profile? Do you offer curbside pick-up, contactless delivery, etc.? Is your Instagram account up-to-date? Do you have your open hours listed, does your latest post communicate clearly what is consistently happening with your business? Do you have IG highlights that are fresh? If you go to Village Runner’s IG profile, pictured below, you get a clear snapshot of what’s going on with them in real-time.
Bonus tip! Yesterday, I posted an employee’s video on the Zensah Performance Face Masks that they carry to stories and tagged the product as they also sell these online. IG offered an automatic Shopping Highlight where customers can view the product and purchase if they so choose. Guess what else popped up when the product is clicked on? An opportunity to ask Village Runner a question via messages, which brings me to my next point.
Make sure to check your direct messages. I’m finding more and more that customers will send a dm as opposed to emailing you. They are reaching out here with specific questions and they are expecting answers on the double. This is a key place where I have been building relationships, on behalf of my clients, and adding an extra layer of positive customer experience.
Your Skin Is In The Game
Yes, social media can be used for evil and mess with our brains and take us to places mentally that we shouldn’t go. But, it can be a source of good and can help your business and connect and build community with people. If you’d like your business to thrive and grow, I highly recommend you stake your claim here. If not, someone else will.
Talk To Me
I’m really interested to hear and learn from you about how you’ve been using social to build community for your local business. Please share what you’ve been doing and what has worked for you.
Photo by Adam Solomon on Unsplash