Sales Strategy
Advice From Experience: When To Use Instagram Or Facebook Or Twitter | September 14, 2016 (0 comments)
Miami, FL—All summer I have been dabbling outside of my comfort level with Social Media. I am an Instagram lover but I don’t have a Facebook page. My husband Joe is all over Facebook, proudly touting all his followers and likes, while my favorites are my blog, “Jewelry Chatter Box,” and SnapChat, along with the new Instagram Stories.
Preferred Jewelers is planning and promoting a Nationwide Jewelry Spa Weekend—all through social media (Facebook and Instagram). We have over 170 locations participating, and I mention this here because I will let you know the success of the venture in my next article. But today I wanted to talk to you about what I’ve learned about the benefits of using these great little promoters. Not so little, really! I am just amazed at how far you can reach using social media.
I started with wondering what would be the most effective for me: Facebook, Instagram or Twitter? We can see clearly that the social eco system is steadily growing. So now we must be even more strategic when engaging with consumers across all the different social media platforms. Here’s what I found out about social media, retailers, and mobile marketing: as consumers swing from Facebook to Twitter to Pinterest and Instagram, content is going to be digested differently from each site. Ultimately the network that will be most effective for your mobile marketing efforts depends largely on your audience, their interests, and the type of content at your disposal.
I had to understand this myself. Pinterest is highly visual to (so far) predominately females, while Twitter’s user base is much more diverse and text-oriented. So if you’re in the hospitality industry, it’s likely that your content is image heavy which is ideal for Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. Alternately, Twitter’s bite sized headlines and Facebook “content- friendly” interfaces are optimal for B2B companies to engage with customers and prospects. But remember that more than ever Facebook is way more addictive and widely used. (Even though I am not on there personally, I visit through my husband Joe’s page once in a while—don’t tell!)
So what does this mean for your mobile marketing strategy? In a nutshell, content, device, and audience is not one-size-fits-all. You must keep all this diversity in mind in your approach.
There are several paths to success when it comes to choosing a social network that can help ensure you are directing your mobile marketing energy and resources to the right networks. Here is how I see it so far:
Pinterest: This social media platform is experiencing rapid growth with mostly female users. It’s like coffee time with the ladies to exchange information and ideas, although I am told that guys are also going on Pinterest more and more to get ideas for remodeling, the newest tools, etc. They also love the highly visual content without having to read a lot of information. One of the largest benefits of Pinterest for mobile is that it is highly visual and outstanding for generating traffic, especially for retail. Think about that!
Twitter: I am not there yet but I am going to be. The micro-blogging site is an excellent real time engagement for consumers. On Twitter, marketers can share the latest news in a quick snapshot message allowing information to be shared instantly while offering thought-provoking conversations. Twitter’s simple interface is ideal for engagement “on the go” that can reach hundreds of thousands of followers immediately. Twitter is a little challenging. I think you need to be witty, to get people thinking and then get them to want to come and see your retail establishment. You must be current, catchy, comical, and interesting to get these followers. It also seems that everyone likes a good fight on Twitter, especially between celebrities!
So we all know that mobile commerce has exploded.
Facebook: It still offers the most substantial and diverse reach. They say 78% of Facebook’s daily users are on mobile devices, which presents countless opportunities for engagement. Facebook is well suited for rich content accompanied by images and or videos.
Instagram used to be known as the “new kid on the block,” but not any more. I like it, I see results, and I use it. Over 71% of the world’s largest brands are known to use Instagram. It truly is an excellent marketing channel.
We are heavily using Instagram for our Preferred Jewelry Spa Weekend, because over 170 Preferred locations are on Instagram. I can’t wait to give you all the results of this weekend campaign. Through customers’ hashtags, one customer will be randomly chosen to win a diamond pendant from Preferred 105. Instagram allows us to build the excitement and fun and anticipation! Check it out!
The latest news from Instagram is that you can now upload a 60-second video. This makes it an ideal compliment to Facebook mobile engagement. Since Facebook acquired Instagram in 2012, the integration has been seamless and you can connect all your accounts to post simultaneously on all platforms through your settings.
It’s all so new and exciting for me. I’m so glad I have my savvy girls to show me the way!
No matter what, social media is here to stay, so you might as well embrace it. I never wanted to, but now I admit I love it! I see my retailers using it for all kinds of trunk shows and getting great turnouts. I love getting messages from my retailers and suppliers through Instagram and of course my friends too. Now with Instagrams’ Boomerang and Snap Chat and Bitmoji you can some fun too!
Don’t get left out. Get those youngsters to teach you. Once you’re on, I promise you will love it too.
Please follow me @Esmeraldasays or subscribe to my blog www.jewelrychatterbox.com. Next stop for me? Paris Fashion Week. Follow me; I’ll show you what’s happening. It will be fun! --Andie
Andie Weinman, president and CEO of Preferred Jewelers International / Continental Buying Group Inc., was born with the “Jewelry Gene” working in the jewelry industry since she was only ten years old. Her first job was as a cashier in the opening of a catalog showroom doing a fantastic job even at that tender age. Andie holds a B.A. in musical theatre and a B.S. in marine biology from The University of Tampa. When she realized that seawater and marine biology were not good on her hair and she wasn’t quite good enough to make it on Broadway, the jewelry business beckoned. Andie has picked diamonds, sorted color stones, shot waxes and performed a multitude of jobs in the manufacturing of jewelry. Her negotiating experience and prowess has given her the reputation as being tough but fair in her dealings with vendors. In 2012 the Indian Diamond and Color Association awarded Andie the Prestigious Doyenne Award of the Year.