When you think about customer acquisition in the digital age, immediately social media marketing comes to mind. Social media marketing is the hottest trend today and the ability to target potential customers based on their age, interests, habits, and consumption patterns is unprecedented. Targeting ads in this way is unthinkable with analog media.
For example, Chevrolet has sent ads to the Facebook pages and Twitter feeds of people who have expressed an interest in, or signed up to test drive, a competitor’s vehicle. Such fine-tuned targeting means that the distinction between advertising and e-Commerce is becoming blurred.
The ability to target more precisely means that your advertising has to be both relevant and recent. People change their minds very quickly in the digital age and if you send an ad that was relevant yesterday to someone who has changed their mind today, you are likely to receive stinging backlash. These are the complexities facing businesses today where a dissatisfied customer or even a prospect can make their voice heard and potentially ruin your reputation.
It is seemingly more difficult for larger businesses to create an online personality. It comes off as deceitful and dishonest. Everyone knows that it’s just an employee of the company behind the keyboard trying to pass themselves off as the entire brand. In an age where authenticity is rewarded, it’s difficult for a large brand to have the flexibility to speak freely amongst their customers.
What most of these businesses are missing is the creation of a brand ambassador. Someone who can authentically speak for the company and is much more than just a keyboard jockey. Someone within the company who can make videos and speak with authority and clarity about the triumphs and the challenges of the business and brand.
Take a look at someone like Gary Vaynerchuk of VaynerMedia. Gary is the owner and the brand ambassador and he speaks his mind about everything from marketing to marriage. He is a force to be reckoned with and always speaks with authority and clarity. Each and every business that does not have someone like Gary out on the front lines speaking with fans, followers, and even foes is at a tremendous disadvantage.
A brand ambassador gives you the ability to make mistakes and speak about them openly. No longer are you at the mercy of people trolling your brands social media properties trying to ruin your reputation. No longer is your Social Media Manager fighting a war they have no chance of winning. People are much more forgiving of an actual person as opposed to someone sitting behind a keyboard trying to maintain political correctness.
To acquire customers in the Digital Age you need:
- Relevant ads targeted to specific demographics and psychographics
- Ad campaigns that generate goodwill and create enthusiasm
- Customized follow-up campaigns based on website visits, likes, comments, and shares
- A brand ambassador who creates videos regularly and speaks with authority and clarity to prospects and customers
The old ways of marketing are dying. Just like television replaced newspaper advertising, social media is doing the same to television. Today’s customers are sophisticated and driven by much more than dollars alone. As a business owner it is your responsibility to adapt to the market. customer acquisition strategies in the Digital Age require discipline, determination, and a dash of expertise.
If you need help acquiring customers in the Digital Age, let’s have a discussion.
Your Turn
How are your using social media marketing in your business?
Let me know in the comments.