Why Companies Need to be Prepared for Online Criticism

According to web development services Cyprus experts at a recent conference, social media has empowered businesses of all shapes and sizes across almost every industry to raise brand awareness, engage a global audience, boost traffic  and drive sales – when used the right way.

But it’s all about engagement and having a conversation. Social networking by definition implies a two-way relationship and people buy from people, brands need to be prepared to manage the bad with the good. No business model is perfect, and companies make mistakes. Are you ready to deal with the criticism?

Perhaps surprisingly, a recent survey revealed that just 29 percent of companies have a social media strategy in place, and two in five (40 percent) rated themselves as unprepared for online criticism.

Are you?

Category: Marketing, Sales, Social Media, Strategy | No Comments »

Selling through Social Media [Infographic]

InsideView‘s new infographic shows how effective social media marketing has become for B2B. I would have liked to have seen some statistics for Pinterest , YouTube and  Google+

The bottom line shows that companies that are using social and blogging platforms are generating more leads and more sales. Here are just a few of amazing stats:

B2B Social Media Tweetable Stats

  • 67%  more leads per month for companies with an active blog.
  • IBM reported a 400% increase in sales tied to social selling.
  • 90% of B2B companies reported using Facebook.
  • 53% of B2B companies reported using Twitter.
  • 47% of B2B companies reported using LinkedIn.
  • 33% of B2B companies reported using a blog.

 

Where has Social Media worked for you? Share your experiences in the comments below

Category: Marketing, Sales, Social Media | No Comments »

What Social Consumers Want From Brands (And What They Actually Get From Marketers) [INFOGRAPHIC]

Did you know that while more than three-quarters (76 percent) of marketers feel that they know what their consumers want, only about one-third (34 percent) have actually asked?

This divide, coined as the perception gap by industry analyst Brian Solis, naturally presents a problem for brands looking to maximize user engagement and conversion rates on platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. For optimum results, marketers need to put their egos to one side and reach out directly to their audience – or suffer the consequences.

Last fall, research from the Pivot Conference, set to take place this year between October 15-16 in New York, revealed a clearer picture of the disconnect between what consumers want and what they actually receive from brands they follow within social channels.

What Consumers Want From Social Brands

  • Deals and promotions (83 percent)
  • Rewards programs (70 percent)
  • Exclusive content (58 percent)
  • Feedback on new products (55 percent)

What Marketers Think Consumers Want From Social Brands

  • Insights for buying decisions (59 percent)
  • Customer service (58 percent)
  • Feedback on new products (53 percent)
  • Deals and promotions (53 percent)

Given how many fans want deals and how relatively few marketers are likely to be offering them, at least consistently, there must be an awful lot of disappointed social media users out there.

Pivot Conference have underlined their findings with this infographic, which takes a closer look at the perception gap between social consumers and social marketers

(Source: Pivot Conference. Marketing image via Shutterstock.)

Why do you follow a brand?

Category: Marketing, Social Media | 1 Comment »