The Crafty Way to Use Social Media
There was a time when a new social media platform would simply replace its predecessor, but at present there are numerous sites all sharing the same user base. This would lead many businesses to believe that they need to be visible on all of them in order to maximise the impressions they leave on their target market. The question is should a business use their resources to achieve this blanket coverage or are there certain sites that are far more suited to certain industries?
Social Media Sites
Facebook and Twitter might be two of the most recognisable sites for the masses but the popularity of Pinterest is undeniable. With around 75 million accounts it’s in the top 5 in terms of size and has achieved its success despite not focusing on the mass audience.
It uses a scrapbook format that imitates the real world process of collecting images and ideas, storing them in various categories on your profile to draw inspiration for projects and to reflect personal tastes. By storing these images you are allowing others to view and ‘Pin’ images they like, storing them on their own profile.
Statistics gathered by DMR show that Pinterest’s key demographics are women, dominating male users 5:1. There is also evidence showing that it is a more popular social platform than twitter and Instagram amongst people aged 18+ and that unlike previously stated, Pinterest is a far more independent site with users less likely to have a presence on other social networks. The other important factor is that their users are wealthier with a higher percentage categorised in the top earning bracket. The merits of all of these factors make the site extremely appealing from a marketing perspective.
Exploiting your Niche
This is why it’s essential to know what social networking sites have to offer instead of simply setting up an account because apparently that’s what an organisation should do. Industries such as women’s fashion, Beauty and home décor can all benefit significantly from a site that accommodates these kinds of audience niches.
For example, Country Baskets, a leader in floristry supplies and craft materials believe that Pinterest is perfect for their customers. The intuitive nature of the site is extremely similar to the real world process undertaken by those who enjoy arts and crafts, a feature that hadn’t gone unnoticed when the company developed its social media strategy.
“We knew that in order to maintain social awareness it was essential to maximise our social presence. The way we’ve adopted the different sites is to utilise them for different purposes. Twitter is great for interacting with customers and Facebook allows us to promote events, products and content. However, our industry is extremely visually orientated and we felt there were better alternatives when it came to highlighting our brands identity to our audience. Pinterest allows us to maximise our users interactive engagement because they believe there is value in our knowledge of the arts and crafts industry, taking inspiration from the content we have on our profile.”
Country baskets haven’t abandoned the more prominent social networks as they do still have a purpose for the brand but they understand where they can prosper in a social media environment saturated with content. What shouldn’t be underestimated is the time it can take to build an audience and if a site isn’t offering value to users it can be extremely difficult to cultivate growth. By all means companies should be willing to try to build their social media presence but if it feels unnatural they should also not be afraid to abandon their efforts and focus on those that are resulting in interactions.
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