There is no doubt that social media has changed the world. Every day, millions of people are using social media to:
- Gather information about products and services
- Read reviews and make purchases
- Share their opinions
- Keep up with trends in news and entertainment
- Find out about sales or new promotions
- Connect with communities for a variety of interests
- Stay in touch with brands they love.
Since its inception, social media has become a go-to method for communicating and sharing news and information. But for businesses, it’s not just about connecting with customers – it is also one of the most effective ways to promote your organization. We know how effective it is at The Gift Club because we only promote the products and services of our members on social media (rather than our own) with success stories of driving leads and business opportunities to them.
The effectiveness of social media has caused companies to shift their marketing strategies to promote themselves across all channels. In fact, socially-savvy businesses are spending anywhere from £4300/ $6,000 and £7500 / $10,500 a month on social media!
Reaching clients and customers is critical to long-term success in the gift card and loyalty industry. Yet so few are investing in a powerful social media marketing strategy!
Why Social Media?
The gift card, reward, and loyalty industry has only begun to scratch the surface of social media, but companies are starting to see its potential for both B2B and B2C channels.
Hundreds of millions of people learn about products and services on social media every day. Users are connecting on video-centric apps like TikTok and Instagram as well as networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn.
While over half the population is on social media, only about 75% of companies are using it regularly to connect with customers. This leaves 25% of the billions of users online unengaged – waiting for forward-thinking brands to take advantage of the opportunities- both B2B and B2C.
Social media takes time, thought, planning, and strategy for it to be successful. However, with the right tools and knowledge, your business can quickly increase its social presence.
Reap the Rewards of Social Media
As a member of the gift card, reward, and loyalty industry, there are numerous reasons why social media is an effective marketing tool for your business.
1. Social Media Helps Keep Brands Top of Mind
Social media is the perfect platform for keeping brands top of mind with their current and potential customers. How? By curating useful information that they can share amongst communities of interest.
And the more your business engages with people on social media, the more likely those people are to spread the word about your business – with nothing more than a click. On social media, you have the opportunity to build relationships with existing clients and potential clients and fast.
2. Social Media Creates Raving Fans
Social media is an affordable platform for businesses to interact with customers in real-time. In fact, customers expect companies to interact with them on social media instead of just broadcasting their message and that includes the B2B sector.
In addition to being a place where clients want to engage with brands, social media also provides a two-way street for building brand loyalty.
Social media allows you to communicate directly with your clients and potential clients about the types of products and services you offer, their benefits, and the quality your business strives for.
3. Social Media Enhances B2B Networking
Whether you’re trying to generate leads or experiment with new products, social media can be a great way for brands in the gift card, reward, and loyalty industry to stay on top of current trends and gain insights into their business.
B2B companies that don’t have a social media presence are missing out on a potentially powerful revenue stream.
Are There Risks with Social Media?
As great as social media can be for your company, there is never a risk-free option. Before you begin investing time and resources into social media, make sure you understand the pitfalls.
1. You Lose Control of Your Business’ Content on Social Media
It isn’t just your business’ content that’s being shared – it is also other people’s opinions about your brand. People can leave negative or positive feedback – and there isn’t much you can do about it.
If a client or customer writes a scathing review of your business on Facebook or LinkedIn, they might have hundreds of their colleagues or friends seeing the post because of the social interaction built into the platform. The more connections or friends a person has, the higher your business’s exposure can potentially be to a negative review.
2. Social Media Brings Competition to the Table
Never forget that people who post negative things about your business on social media can become your competitor overnight. People like to share their opinions with colleagues, friends and family, and if it’s a bad opinion of someone else’s brand, others might see these posts and go elsewhere too.
3. Social Media Takes Investment
For any business, social media marketing takes time. The average company will have to invest at least a few hours per week into their social media platforms for them to be effective – and that’s not including the time it takes just to create & design posts! Make sure you come to the table with a strategy in place.
4. Social Media Can Damage Your Reputation if Done Poorly
Just like you can benefit from social media, you can ruin your business’s reputation through it as well. The best advice for businesses is to think twice about the types of posts they share and monitor their activity with an eagle-eye on social media at all times.
Jump Start Your Social Media with The Gift Club
The best way to get your business into the fast-paced social media environment is to have a detailed strategy in place. At The Gift Club, our team has the insights and strategies you need to be a successful brand in today’s market. Plus they already have a foothold in and an understanding of the gift card, incentive, rewards and loyalty industry, so they know what you need.
Want to learn more about how social media can help your gift card, reward, or loyalty business? Head online and find out how we can help you and your business succeed and thrive with social media today!
Contact us at info@the-gift-club.com
