At CrayFish Media, we aim to offer the latest and most effective explanation of social media marketing and the shifts taking place in social media marketing. We have worked to translate technical jargon into plain English and covered the most common questions with comprehensive answers.

What is social media marketing all about?
Basically, social media marketing is the process of gaining attention or web traffic by way of social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Ultimately, the goal is to market your products and services, and build your business’ brand on the Internet and make social connections with your customers. Other terms used for social media marketing include online marketing, e-marketing, web marketing and social media engagement.

Why does my business need social media marketing?
Social media marketing is not only the way marketing will be done in the future, but it will also become the foundation of successful businesses now. Increasing numbers of businesses are turning into social businesses, because of social networking sites. When you take your brand to where people are, you no longer have to struggle to search for potential clients; you just need to learn how to connect with them.

Social sites are growing at alarming rates. Currently, Facebook has over one billion users, and 15% of online users use Twitter and Google, with over 400 million users in just one year. Some of these users can only be accessed online. By going social, you stand to benefit from this huge potential client base.

Do small businesses really benefit from social media marketing?
Yes. Social media can be used to showcase your small business’ products and services and keep users updated on what you have to offer. Social media updates help users stay current on what your business is doing, even with all of the businesses out there.

Taking the time to connect with your clients on social sites also shows that you care and value them, and helps you develop powerful bonds. Small businesses will likely derive the greatest benefit from such relationships when done on a local level.

Which social media sites are most effective?
We aim to look at all social sites when developing your social media strategy. Some industries seem to do well on Facebook, while others have found a home on Twitter. Still others have continued to ride much older sites, like MySpace, successfully. Some relatively new sites, like Pinterest, have worked well for visual industries like culinary sites and clothing stores. We look far and wide when determining which sites fit your industry and what will offer you the best ROI.

How do you guarantee my company’s results if I should hire you?
Many social media marketing agencies claim that there is no guarantee to online marketing, however we guarantee your company’s results with specific parameters and a real ROI. We offer other guarantees beyond brand marketing, which include keeping your business and brand information confidential where necessary, and our commitment to working per the agreed terms.

How frequently should I post on social networks and what duration?
There is no right or wrong way when it comes to posting. There are, however, best practices to consider. Posting when fans are on requires some research and experimenting to ensure your posts are seen on newsfeeds. Twitter lends itself to posting as often as you like, while Facebook requires an experimental approach with fewer updates to avoid coming across as spammy.

A minimum of five days per week is recommended to create engagement. We suggest seven days a week to take advantage of the “weekend fan base.” While there are no hard and fast rules for posting, our experience in different industry verticals has proven invaluable in striking a balance as to how frequent and at what duration we schedule posts for our clients.

I am afraid of something negative being said about my brand on social sites. Is my fear justifiable?
This is precisely why YOU NEED to be on social sites. You can never make everyone happy, but you can use negative comments to clear up misunderstandings. The power of social media is the ability to address a situation in front of your audience, which will most likely build confidence in your existing client base.

How does social media marketing affect my organic search results on Google?
Search engines like Google have started to take note of social signals, and their significance in search engine results are clearly evident. Google is able to retrieve your Facebook, Twitter and Google+ posts and display them on search results. When logged in, Google will display even more targeted results. What all this means is that your social media efforts have a direct influence on your search engine rankings.

We help you develop an effective and personalized social media marketing strategy customized to your business needs. Contact us here and discover how you can stand out from your industry and competitors with us.