The Key to Your Social Media Strategy? Keep Them Talking! (Part 1 of 2)

Everyone is doing social media. But for most companies that means putting up a Facebook and Twitter page and repeatedly pushing out promotional offers. Unfortunately, that doesn't work!

What does work is a plan that entails getting to really know your audience, where they hang out (Facebook, You Tube, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.) and developing a solid strategy to deliver engaging content that interests them and causes them to interact and share it with a friend.

By doing so, you start ... and cultivate ... a meaningful relationship with your consumers and your professional network.  And if you continue to deliver great content and build trust, when it comes time for the consumer to purchase a product, chances are he or she will purchase from you.

1.) Social Listening & Monitoring Reviews

If someone has a good experience he or she tells a friend. And if someone has a bad experience, this incident is told to 10 friends. The same is true in social media. We use tools such as Radian6 and Social Mention to "listen" to conversations about our clients' products, and chime in to those conversations when necessary. If someone has a bad experience with a product, we want to know about it and respond appropriately. Also, if someone is posting inaccurate statements about a product, well respond by referring that individual (and those who read the comment/post) to a clinical study or accurate product information.

By actively engaging, people really appreciate feedback; they feel as though they are receiving direct attention and also realize that there are indeed "real people" at the company. A response goes a long way for a brand.

2.) Customer Testimonials

We all know that testimonials are marketing gold. Nothing is better than a satisfied customer spreading the word about a great experience with a product. Weve designed several successful campaigns for Pharmachems Phase 2 White Kidney Bean Extract brand, for example, offering a reward, such as a free supply of products, if a consumer shares his or her experience with us. We start by casting the net for testimonials on all of our social sites as well as in our email newsletter. We direct them to a landing page where they enter their response. After we receive the responses, we qualify the testimonials and contact the people to obtain their permission to use their stories. Now we have a nice --and authentic--selection of customer testimonials to use in our social media efforts, presentations, and marketing materials.

3.) Differentiating Your Brand

Just like you do with traditional marketing, you need to show what makes your brand unique. Whether its a characteristicsuch as the quality of an ingredient or the research that backs your productits important this is communicated in all of your social media.

For example, with Pharmachems Phase2 product, there was a time when generics were rapidly hitting the marketplace and popping up all over the Internet. Knowing these generics could conceivably cause tremendous confusion, notably when consumers wrongly ascribe the unique properties of Phase 2 to a generic, we instantly responded by developing a new website and marketing campaign for Phase2: whitekidneybeanextract.com.  This was designed to educate the consumer about the distinctions of the ingredient and listing the dozens of studies. Then we optimized that website and the Phase2 website for all related terms a consumer would search for. We instantly saw results in consumer response and sales.

This strategy is something we highly recommend to all ingredient suppliers with proprietary ingredients that have heavily invested in research demonstrating its safety and efficacy. It helps protect your brand and your investment in the place where consumers congregate to swap anecdotes and learn more: social media.

4.) Contests

Giving away a little something is a surefire way to generate buzz, get people engaged, and increase your consumer network. And since your fans are already hanging out on social media sites, filling out a short contest form really isnt a big deal. Best of all, contests are a great way to capture data, including emails and physical addresses for re-marketing.

Make sure to mention your contest in your ad. An example: Like us on Facebook for a chance to win a $50 Gift Card. Just be sure to be very clear on the rules such as how many winners there and how they are chosen, etc. And ask the winner to post a photo with his or her prize, so consumers see this is a real and credible contest. This will help build credibility for your next promotion.

Ill have points five through eight tomorrow.