Follow the Leaders: Large Companies Using Social Media Marketing to Reach Customers
There was a recent story in USA Today that showcased our Michigan neighbor Ford Motor Company’s use of social media to reach customers.
According to USA Today, “Ford tapped 100 top bloggers and gave them a Fiesta for six months. The catch: Once a month, they’re required to upload a video on YouTube about the car, and they’re encouraged to talk — no holds barred — about the Fiesta on their blogs, Facebook and Twitter.”
Why would Ford do a thing like that? Because that’s where the customers are.
According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, the percentage of Americans 18 and over online who use a social-networking service is experiencing tremendous growth, up from 8% in 2005 to 35% in 2008.
That percentage is are only going to get bigger, as smartphones, netbooks and other new technologies make connecting via social media, “the 21st century version of knitting,” with users killing time by comparison shopping, banking, communicating, etc.
If you’re a small business who isn’t using social media, don’t think for a minute that this type of marketing is out of your financial reach.
Many of the technologies you could be using in your business are free.
And … like so many things in life, “It’s easy once you know how.”
Give Excel Performance Marketing a call today if you’d like us to help you learn how to use social media to increase profits and slash your advertising budget.
