Email marketing no longer holds the advantage that it used to. Unfortunately, spammers have exploited it—sending emails to anyone they can get their hands on, no matter how they obtained the data.
Laws have been put in place that prevents this kind of marketing, such as the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 in the U.S., and CASL in Canada. If you violate these laws you can be hit with up to $16,000 per violation, per individual email sent. Don’t risk this.
There’s a better option. Start building a social media following on sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Periscope. Don’t focus on just one social media outlet. Some of the most successful companies in the world have active profiles on almost every social channel. The important thing to remember is how to maximize marketing on these sites, and use social outlets that best suit the services you provide.
Social Media Marketing is the “Next Big Thing.”
MSP businesses are likely to spend more money on social media marketing in the upcoming years because of the positive results many have experienced. With social media marketing, you can build strategies that have potential to connect to your target audience, give them a reason to trust your brand, and increase your income.
These 2017 statistics reveal the value of social media marketing:
(Source: https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics)
Social Media Usage:
- 97% of marketers currently use social media.
- 64% use it for six hours or more hours weekly, 41% for 11 or more hours weekly, and nearly 19% more than 20 hours each week.
Facebook:
- 74% of people say they use Facebook for professional purposes.
- 72% of adult internet users use Facebook.
- 70% log on daily, including 43% who do so several times a day.
- 63% of Facebook and Twitter users say each platform serves as a source for news about events and issues outside the realm of friends and family.
- In the past two years, content consumption on Facebook has increased 57%.
Instagram:
- 28% of adult internet users use Instagram.
- 59% of Instagram users are on the platform daily, including 35% who visit it several times a day.
- Over 95 million photos and videos are shared on Instagram every day.
LinkedIn:
- 25% of adult internet users use LinkedIn.
- 46% of online adults who have graduated from college are LinkedIn users, compared with just 9% of online adults with a high school diploma or less.
Pinterest:
- 31% of adult Internet users use Pinterest.
- “Pinners” are just as likely to purchase as users from other social channels, but spend 50% more on average compared to other social channels.
- They also spend 20% more than users referred from non-social channels, including search.
These numbers don’t include other popular sites such as Twitter and YouTube. When you take into consideration the sheer number of people that only use Facebook, you can begin to understand the importance of social media marketing to engage a target audience.
Your Online Reputation is Key.
Approximately three-quarters of prospects today will research your MSP business online before contacting you. An online reputation is where you’ll get the most impact from potential clients. Social engagement, customer reviews, and other aspects all increase your reach.
Your social profile also plays a key role on sites like Google. Your profile will appear in search results when prospects are looking for the services you provide. Developing a social presence improves your placement in these search results.
You can give your MSP brand its own personality on social networks. Communication is important for any business, but a positive connection with your client base can really lead to an improved reputation.
Marketing on Social Media is Cost Effective.
Because most profiles on these social media sites are free, engaging potential prospects costs you nothing but your time. It takes only minutes to respond to a request or to post content on your website.
Advertising on social media sites is probably more cost effective than methods you may be using. You can use pay-per-click ads in Facebook to target prospective businesses in your vicinity. This has the potential to increase your ROI, as only businesses in your area will click on it.
Increased Sales
One in every ten online purchases around the world originates from social media sites, and experts estimate that e-commerce will surpass the $1 trillion-dollar mark by 2019.
Many believe that social media sites are just as influential as television ads, if not more so. Depending on where you are, a simple Twitter post could connect you to hundreds or thousands of business that are interested in your services.
With each post that’s shared or interacted with, there’s potential to drive traffic to your MSP website. Whether you’re offering free information or webinars, the results can be substantial.
To Reach Your Audience You Must Create Engaging Material.
Focus on material that reveals the benefit of signing on to your MSP business. People on social networks are more receptive to posts that are more conversational in nature. Create a more personal message describing your services to attract more readers.
Using social media allows you to interact freely and quickly with your prospects. And, today, for many MSP businesses, a social profile is more important than their website.
Need help with your MSP Social Media Marketing? Contact the experts at Ulistic. We can do the work for you, so you can concentrate on your business. Call 716.799.1999 or email us at info@ulistic.com.
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