For many small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs, social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn has seemingly created new channels and spawned a multiplicity of ways to connect for them to reach out to and connect their audience(s).? Unfortunately, the reality is easier said than done: Because social platforms are both cost-effective and readily accessible, the number of voices being transmitted in this digital milieu has increased exponentially.? Furthermore, the number of corporate brands that now actively use?and promote?their social media presence has increased significantly in the last 2-3 years, so that their messages and engagement initiatives tend to overshadow the voices of smaller, independent businesses, still-growing start-up companies, etc.
After all, how can locally-owned ?Mom & Pop Shop XYZ? amplify its internet voice or capture the attention of Facebook users when a majority of its audience is far more preoccupied by P&G?s latest product giveaway or ESPN?s newest fan contest?? I?ve watched many small businesses attempt to draw in new customers, or attempt to capture new market shares from their larger, better-known competitors, only to walk away disappointed, underwhelmed, or even worse, with a negative ROI on their social media campaign investment.? One of the most expensive tactics?and a favorite of many B2C brand giants?the social contest or giveaway model, has been especially ineffective for many of the small business owners and entrepreneurs that I?ve spoken with.? Many small companies and business owners pay thousands of dollars to partner with a third-party agency or fulfillment company to set-up these promotions, then struggle to attract Facebook users, improve their engagement metrics, and increase the recognition and visibility of their product or brand over the duration of the promotion.? Yet, much of this underperformance can be attributed to clogged communication channels, poor networking and ineffective word-of-mouth sharing (both on- and off-line).? While little can be done about the first issue (or at least, I don?t have any advice or methods for decreasing or silencing the non-stop chatter that abounds in the social realm), there are ways around the latter two.
Amplifying your social voice and online presence through a contest sponsorship or freebie giveaway should be easy, right?? Who doesn?t love free stuff, or experiencing the thrill of winning?the gambler?s joy of getting something for (supposedly) nothing?? And for businesses and/or sales teams, the lead captures from all those completed online entry forms ought to virtually guarantee a high ROI, right?? Wrong.? Among the small business owners, entrepreneurs, and start-up brands that I?ve spoken with on this subject, many of the leads captured through contest or freebie promotions were either unqualified leads, or they were existing customers who already knew about the product or business.? However, I won?t discuss the merits of the latter, or how to go about determining and understanding the value or ROI here, suffice it to say that this audience segment wasn?t the desired target audience that most of my colleagues or clients were seeking.? Clearly, their social media conversations, online promoting, and advertising methods weren?t doing enough to separate their voice from the rest of the crowd and didn?t capture the attention of social users unfamiliar with the business, brand, or product.? This is where the right networking tactics and leveraging your network connections can make the difference between a strike-out and a home run.
Tip 1: Reach out to the Blogosphere
Like any reasonable, financially prudent individual in this economy, I love a good bargain and am not above using a coupon (or eight) during a weekly grocery run, or doing online research before making a purchase to make sure I?m getting the best deal possible.? Though I?m barely a novice?at best?in the art of practiced frugality, I?ve stumbled upon some great money-saving, extreme-couponer and ?freebies? blogs over the years.? Snicker though you may, many of these penny-pinching fanatics have built up a devoted, equally thrifty readership capable of crashing even the best-built Facebook contest platform on any given day.
Prior to the start of your contest or sampling promotion, draft a press release or design an embeddable promo ad that can be sent electronically to bloggers.? Be sure to outline promo requirements, rules, and other pertinent info in a format that is both professional and straightforward.? Remember, all messages communicated on behalf of your business or product impact how your brand is perceived, including its overall legitimacy and integrity.? If your promotion is based on a free sample giveaway or grand prize drawing, include photo representations of sample product(s) or prizes.? Bloggers love to dangle the proverbial carrot in front of their readers? mouths and the more enticing, or lucrative an offer, the bigger the carrot.? Perhaps the only thing these bloggers like more than free swag is posting the best contests, deals, and freebies first.? Like businesses, they too are forced to stand apart from competing voices, and the best way to build and grow a loyal readership is to publish quality content.? Many bloggers also syndicate their content through Facebook pages, and will offer contest reminders or blog updates for their readers once an offer goes live or a promotion officially begins.
Building a relationship with reputable bloggers is a mutually symbiotic relationship if embarked upon properly.? Better yet, it doesn?t cost a cent (unless you?re paying someone to develop PR materials or design digital campaign collateral for you) and provides the basis for a solid brand experience foundation that will befit your brand?s influence and reputation in the future.? Another advantage of forging and leveraging such blog connections is the free word-of-mouth buzz and increased brand or business exposure that will increase internet traffic to your social media pages, website, and other online holdings.? Many bloggers will like to post backlinks to published content?s original source, or may be genuinely excited about what you?re offering that they voluntarily provide backlinks in their comments, posts, or forum discussions?all of which gets factored into your SEO rank and impacts how easily internet users can find your business or product page(s) in internet searches.
The bottom line?? While Unilever, P&G, Kroger and Co. may not have the time or interest in connecting online with random, average-Joe bloggers (and why would they, when they?ve already spent millions on multi-channel, multimedia, multi-market contest campaigns?), blogger engagement and networking should be an essential activity included as part of your next promotional giveaway or contest marketing campaign.? You may only be able to raise your voice so high, but you can certainly add other voices to harmonize with yours and focus some of that excess, non-relevant chatter.
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