Social media has become a part of our daily routine. 70% of Facebook and 60% of Instagram users access these sites at least once daily. Social media allows businesses to grow their brand and connect with current and potential customers. There’s a good chance that your business is already on social media. However, you may not be utilizing the platform to its full potential. How you use social media can have a significant impact on the success of your company. The goal of using social media for print businesses should be to establish a relationship and transfer that to a sale when the customer is ready to make a purchase.
It is not an effective strategy if you’re tweeting on a whim or posting on Facebook without much thought. At worst, you could damage your business’ appearance and rapport with customers. Even those businesses committed to using social media in innovative ways often get burned out using the same tactics repeatedly. Make the most of your efforts with these three tips for utilizing social media for print businesses.
What social media platforms should print businesses use?
YouTube and Facebook are the two most widely used online platforms, with their user base the most representative of the U.S. population. Other social media platforms, including Instagram, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Nextdoor, stand out for their specific demographic differences. Facebook and Reddit are the two platforms with the greatest percentage of growth. Depending on what you are promoting, LinkedIn is a top social media platform for B2B printing, Instagram is a place to engage with marketers and designers, and Facebook and YouTube are places to reach a broad audience for your print business.
#1: Establish Brand Awareness
Developing a strong brand awareness, or the ability for large numbers of customers to distinguish what differentiates your business from all the rest is essential to the success of any print business. Remember that brand awareness is more than just getting your name out there. It’s also about helping customers get to know your company. Develop a seamless look for your brand across your website, social media channels, product packaging, and physical signage.
You also want to ensure that you give customers a dependable experience across all your communication channels. Competition for customers is fierce. A consistent, desired experience builds brand trust, and that trust is the foundation for customer loyalty.
When it comes to social media, print businesses can measure the success of their brand awareness efforts by monitoring engagement and traffic to determine if more people are interacting with your print business and searching for your brand name.
#2: Follow Up With Leads
Lead generation is about bringing people into your sales funnel, getting to know what your audience is interested in, their pain points, and which products you could potentially sell. Once you’ve spent the time and effort getting people engaged with your social media, ensure you are harnessing all those leads. Social media leads are often different compared to other business leads, and you must get your follow-up processes in place now to reap the benefits in the future.
2 Ways to Follow Up With Social Media Leads:
- Pick up the phone – Social media leads can be further out in the buying or selling process, which is why calling on the phone is one of the best ways to help you understand why they chose to engage with you and how to best move forward. When you call social media leads, you will want to keep the tone casual. Quickly introduce yourself, let them know how you got their information, and then ask a question. The takeaway from your phone call should be learning just what the lead needs so you can continue nurturing them.
- Customize your email sequences – Keep your leads interested and coming back for more with value-filled follow-up emails. Consider including elements like a video that get higher engagement rates. Typical email threads could include:
- New products or services.
- Events your company will host or participate in.
- Relevant blog posts.
- Testimonials.
The focus should be on what you can offer to your lead, what value you can provide to them, and what pain points you can fix. Email sequences are also where you can continue to nurture brand loyalty.
You can never have enough social media leads, so once you start getting them, don’t stop posting, liking, communicating, and participating on social media. Continue your ads and lead generation efforts to keep your lead flow constant.
#3: Get More Print Sales
The ultimate goal of social media marketing should be to generate interactions with individuals who are ready to buy. Social media provides the avenue for building a relationship with potential customers who will be more likely to buy from you because of the connection established through social media interactions. If you’re not using social media, you’re missing out on increased sales, extended word-of-mouth, and business growth opportunities.
At DFS, print outsourcing can help businesses achieve maximum productivity and drive long-term business success. With an extensive breadth of products and services and print industry expertise, you can depend on DFS to help you transform the way you work. Contact us today to be matched with a DFS business advisor.
Key Takeaways
- Utilize social media for print businesses by establishing brand awareness, following up with leads, and getting more sales.
- The ultimate goal of social media marketing should be to generate interactions with individuals who are ready to buy.
- Develop a cohesive look for your brand across your website, social media channels, print marketing, and physical signage.
- Follow social media leads through phone calls and customized email sequences.
- Partnering with DFS can help print businesses achieve maximum productivity and long-term business success.
