Digital Marketing – Missed Opportunities 2

There has never been more ways for marketers to reach their customers.Beyond the traditional methods for marketing that are still thriving after all these years, there are the hundreds and thousands of digital methods available, with new opportunities opening up every hour of every day.Consumers can now be reached absolutely anywhere and at anytime.Marketing materials are available on our phones, in our cars, in public bathroom, at work, on the road and everywhere in between.Still, despite this pervasive nature of marketing, many companies are missing some easy opportunities to reach, engage and communicate with their audience.While there is always a risk of Social Media Marketing experts overreaching their grasp, it would be even more unfortunate if audiences who are seeking a product or who may be particularly receptive to a marketers offerings were never made aware of the particular product or service.In this second entry in an ongoing series of articles, we will examine some ways in which marketers can reach audiences by using methods they may not have considered.Twitter for Small Companies In our previous entry in this series, we discussed how Twitter can help large businesses to communicate and interact with their audience.For smaller companies, the use of Twitter changes a bit, but the general principles remain the same.However, with smaller companies there exists the opportunity for even more direct communications between brand and consumer.Lets say that a small bakery in a major city has just decided to start a Twitter presence.They add their Twitter ID to their packaging, hang a few signs in their shop, and before long they have built up a decent sized following.Unlike the staggered nature of Email Marketing, they can now immediately notify their customers of major news such as upcoming sales and new product lines through Tweets.However, Tweets containing minor news such as Just took a fresh batch of blueberry muffins out of the oven! or From now until closing, all bread is half off! can go a long way toward generating repeat business, and initiating Re-Tweets, which will result in brand new business. It can also be of use for the small business to monitor Twitter for mentions of their store.This can be easily accomplished by performing a short Twitter search every morning at the start of business, or if time is available, by searching repeatedly throughout the day.When the brand is mentioned, thank the customer for the mention and offer them a coupon or deal.If an unfavorable mention is spotted, try to make it right by offering a one-time deal.There is also the opportunity to communicate with those who mention a competitors brand.If they had a good experience with your competitor, try to provide them a better one.If their experience was negative, show them why they should make the switch to your brand.With small businesses, the use of Twitter depends a bit more on immediacy, but the reward can be more immediate as well.Tweets such as Buy 2 muffins get 1 free..for the next hour only! can inspire immediate business by local followers, and this immediate result is often exactly what the small business owner is seeking. While many small business owners tend to think that Social applications such as Twitter cannot help their business or brand, those who realize that the opposite is the truth will have a unique advantage that just may be the difference between a successful business owner, and a former business owner.