Social media is now widespread in its adoption and usage. If you’ve been hesitant to dip your toes into social waters, now is the time to prepare for the plunge. Social media is here and it’s not going away anytime soon.
We’ve seen more and more New Zealand businesses want to learn more about marketing through social channels.
Why?
Here are five of the most common and compelling reasons:
1 Your Customers are on Social Media
According to Nielsen Online research, 88% of Kiwis now use social media, with 3.8 million regular monthly users.
And they’re not just occasional visitors, either. The biannual World Internet Project NZ data reveals that two-thirds of us (in this instance, “us” means Kiwi Internet users) visit Social Media networks at least daily.
And yeah, we’ve been known to spend quite a little bit of time pottering on Facebook et al.
2 Your Competitors are Hard at Work in Social Media
As you might expect, wherever there are people, there are companies trying to sell to them. According to Brandwatch, there are over 60 million active Facebook business pages around the world. In New Zealand, we track more than 20,000 local business pages. That’s an awful lot of competition for your customers’ eyeballs. Is your business represented there?
3 There’s Money to be Made
Localist research tells us that Kiwis use Social Media for purchase recommendations. 85% of buying decisions are made by researching the web for recommendations and information.
Research by SUMO Heavy indicates that more than half of global consumers say that social media influences their purchasing decisions. The most important social media channels to drive buying behaviour are Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
4 Social Media is Important for Your Brand
Social media is now considered more important than traditional print advertising in [industries such as] the food and beverage industry, according to the Grant Thornton International Food and Beverage report.
And, according to recent research cited by Lyfe Marketing, Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) believe that social efforts drive a measurable impact on important marketing KPIs such as sales, brand loyalty and brand awareness.
5 Social Media Marketing is Highly Measurable
There is a wealth of data available to determine exactly who you are reaching, and who is interacting and engaging with you, especially through Facebook and Instagram. In traditional media, you can see the performance of the medium but there are limitations to the information you can gather about your own activity. In social media, you can track both exposure and engagement for your own page and for your advertising activity.
Have we made our case about the strategic importance of Social Media Marketing? Then may we recommend that you take a look at our online training courses.
How the courses work: on the first day of each course, we send you login and password details, at which point you are able to access all lessons. Then twice a week over the next several weeks we send you Course Notes for each Lesson.
Please note that you are able to access the course anytime 24/7, and can proceed at your own pace through the course — the course remains online for you to access when convenient.
Here are the course details (click through for more information):
The Principles & Practice of Social Media Marketing
This is a thirteen-part eCourse providing a comprehensive introduction to Social Media Marketing, from the Basics to detailed instructions on how to build and run a Social Media Marketing programme.
For more details of the Social Media Marketing online course, please click here.
Executive Briefing Course: Facebook & Instagram
This video-based course is intended to provide a high-level overview of social media (and of Facebook and Instagram in particular), for time-poor executives who need to understand the possibilities (and the pitfalls) of the medium, without getting lost in the detail.
For more details of the Executive Briefing online course, please click here.
Facebook Accelerator Programme
So you have a few hundred (or a few thousand) followers on Facebook but now you want to know how to get to the next level? Our Facebook Accelerator seven-part online course will lead you through the steps necessary to supercharge your Facebook presence and get Kiwi consumers engaging with you and your brands.
For more details of the Facebook Accelerator programme, please click here.
The Complete Facebook Marketing Course
For those who wish to master Facebook Marketing in its entirety, we’ve created a ten-week online training programme which will take you from absolute beginner on Facebook to highly effective Facebook communicator.
For more details of the Complete Facebook Marketing programme, please click here.
Mastering Facebook Advertising
This is a nine-part eCourse providing a comprehensive introduction to paid Facebook Advertising.
For more details of the Mastering Facebook Ads online training course, please click here.
Instagram Marketing course
If your target audience is Under 35, Instagram absolutely must be one of your marketing options. This course will give you a solid introduction to this fast-growing social medium.
You’ll find out the details of this Instagram Marketing seven-part online training course by clicking here.
Influencer Marketing course
Our Influencer Marketing online training course is a nine-part course which covers the importance of Influencer Marketing, helps you to determine the smartest and most effective strategies — and to explore how to identify effective Kiwi micro-influencers who will be good ambassadors for your brand.
For more information about our Influencer Marketing course, please click here.
How to Prepare an Effective Social Media Brief
Even if you don’t intend to become directly involved in social media yourself, you may still need to understand the principles, practices and opportunities of social media — for example, if you need to brief someone about running a social media campaign. This programme is designed to provide you with the insights necessary to prepare an effective brief.
For more details of the How to Prepare an Effective Social Media Brief programme, please click here.
Online Video is no longer an “up-and-coming” marketing tactic — it’s here, and it’s a powerful way to communicate your brand story, explain your value proposition, and build relationships with your customers and prospects.
It’s well past time for you to upskill yourself in online video marketing, with our seven week course on Online Video Marketing. For more details, please click here.
