From the smallest local businesses to the largest worldwide brands everyone is on social media. What started as a simple photo posting sites or personal news feeds have turned into essential marketing and sales tools. We look at which is best for your business, as not all platforms are made equal.
We also spoke with Alex from the marketing team at www.QClothing.co.uk to give us some insights on how they manage their wholesale business online. QClothing has been trading wholesale clothing and textiles for more than 2 years and had to adapt to different times as online became their major store, reaching clients all over the world.
(Youtube video from hootsuite on social media for business)
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SjX3160MEPQ
Facebook is without doubt the top dog of social media. It has 1.19 billion users worldwide and of all the platforms it has the widest ranging demographic. It is an excellent way of communicating with your customers, so if there's just one form of media you're using, it's really got to be this one. There are also opportunities to boost your posts and advertise to get your business that extra coverage, but this of course costs. However, Facebook does have it's limitations. It's a good way of reaching the customers who have liked your business, and marketing your brand, but as a direct way of selling it's not the best. Facebook is an essential for pretty much any kind of business, but if you can, use another platform in conjunction with it.
The demographics of Twitter show that while it might be the most recognized platform after Facebook, in actual fact it is takes fourth place in usage. However, Twitters are a loyal lot it seems, so if you are engaged with your followers, they are more likely to use Twitter than other platforms. Another up side to Twitter is of the propensity of it's users to follow brands, statistics show that they are most drawn by offers, deals or competitions.
Twitter is about keeping up to date, fast news and being connected. So this is the platform for you if you have a large client base to keep in touch with, or if you're at a stage where pushing your name is top priority. One recent example of a company using Twitter for sales, was the introduction of a 'buy now' button at recent fashion weeks for top clothing brands.
So here's some interesting facts about Pinterest. In the past year alone it has soared to the third most used platform. That's huge, but here's what's different about it. The vast majority of its users are female! On top of that, of all the social media platforms, Pinterest seems to be top in sales, with each pin having a real world value. The majority of people use Pinterest for ideas on what to buy, meaning that if your business is reliant on online sales then this is the one for you. Everything from interior design ideas, to art, to fashion and clothing gets covered on Pinterest, and it is heavily used by many major brands for both exposure and sales. The brilliant thing about it is how far your pins can reach once they have been re-pinned. Pinterest is wholly image dominated, so is particularly effective for businesses and brands that can utilise this, fashion, clothing, jewellery, art and design are the winners of Pinterest.
Here's an example of an image pinned by their wholesale clothing department to one of their fashion boards. They pin images from all over that obviously reflect their style and also include boards made up of their own stock such as this wholesale dress which includes a price tag for quick sales. Many pins and pinners of Pinterest include a buying option like this, particularly clothing companies.
Instragram
The demographics of Instragram heavily favour users in their twenties. A youth platform but another one that is set to become a giant of the web. Like Pinterest, Instragram is all about the image. And like Pinterest, Instragram is an especially useful business tool for attracting attention to your brand. Good images are the key here, and the options to turn a social site into a one generating sales are endless. Just the same as Pinterest, Instragram will work best for companies that can work with images, food companies as well as restaurants, fashion as well as wholesale clothing, household and diy or design etc.
If you're still not convinced that social media is an essential business companion, take a look at this excellent article from the Guardian,http://www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2014/aug/20/social-media-strategy-small-business-james-caan
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