At AUMW, we’re passionately “data-driven.” So, when we saw a recent article on SocialMediaExaminer.com showcasing “new social media research,” we dove in to see what value that research could offer our clients.
The article included interesting information and useful tips on:
- The value of Facebook as a social login option.
- Using Twitter to provide customer service.
- Millennials continued use of Facebook.
- The Instagram phenomenon.
Here’s a quick summary of each of these four key findings:
1) If you have a website that requires users to “sign-in,” giving people the option to use their social profiles (especially Facebook) to sign in to your website will generate more logins.
Understand that consumers are suffering from password fatigue. One survey showed that more than 90% of visitors will abandon a website if they can’t remember their password. And Facebook is by far the most popular social login option for customers, followed by Google+, Twitter, and Yahoo.
As part of AUMW’s ongoing effort to provide and disseminate useful, valuable information about Content Marketing, we publish reviews of articles that have stimulated our thinking.
This post reviews an article by Patricia Redsicker on SocialMediaExaminer.com: New Social Media Research That Could Change Your Strategy.
Even better, a Facebook login option will disclose information about customers’ likes and interests, providing the opportunity to create a more personalized experience, especially if you:
- Show products and services they’ve shown interest in or “liked.”
- Make an extra effort to provide them with content they’ll want to share; because they’re already logged in to Facebook, it’s a snap to share.
- Offer exclusive content, message boards, or other premiums accessible only to logged-in users.
2) Customers increasingly rely on social media to access customer service, and Twitter is the clear favorite (nearly 60%).
- Respond to all complaints or questions within an hour.
- Personalize your responses (i.e., sign your Tweets).
- Don’t just monitor mentions, use the information to determine your customers’ sentiments.
- Practice restraint — not all conversations require your input.
3) Millennials still use Facebook, but — increasingly — they’re engaging other social networks as well.
To capture the attention of those desirable-but-illusive Millennials:
- Follow them by distributing your content across more platforms.
- Attract them by incorporating images and videos liberally into your content.
- Show them how their peers are interacting with you — they care about their friends’ opinions and they respond to them.
- Focus on what they can gain from interacting with you.
- Make sure all your content is mobile-friendly.
4) Instagram use is skyrocketing.
- Share your Instagram followers on your Facebook page.
- Create short, compelling, informative videos — Instagram now allows 15-second videos.
- Partner with other companies to showcase one another’s photos.
- Ask questions that motivate your community to document their experience with your organization through photos, videos, etc.
Final Thoughts
If your website has logins (for e-commerce, subscriptions, etc.), consider integrating with Facebook, Google+, and Twitter to allow visitors to sign in through their existing social media accounts.
Are your customers using your Facebook or Twitter pages to request customer service? If so, spend time getting to know Twitter and make sure you’re providing quality customer service on both social networks.
If your audience includes teens and Millennials, make sure you have a presence on the social networks they frequent. But don’t forget Facebook — it’s still very popular with these groups.
Take a serious look at adding Instagram to your social network profiles. It may require some modifications to the type of content you’re producing, but it could be well worth the investment.
