Mastering Social Media Marketing: Engage Customers Across Generations

Mastering Social Media Marketing: Tailored Strategies for Engaging Every Generation

For any business, small, medium, or large, the most important reason why a business thrives is because of its customers, who have helped build your business to its present existence. These customers may have been acquired through traditional marketing methods or online marketing methods. If your business is catering to a niche area, the traditional marketing method will work well, but if your product line and services require a wider customer reach, then marketing your business brand through digital channels would be more effective.

Importance of social media marketing

Given the fast-paced environment of present-day society, people keep in touch by communicating through Social Media. It has become a critical part of their lives and statistics say that at least 71% of people in America are active on Social Media. Similarly (let us face it), Social Media has made an indelible indent, in business marketplaces, worldwide.

Most businesses today will have accounts on the social media platforms where they want to be present. Still, it may not necessarily be sufficient, as just posting pictures and content about your products and services will not reap the real and efficient usage of social media.

Tips to Competently Engage Your Customers on Social Media

Listen and respond: Engage your existing and potential customer on social media, by listening and responding to their problems. Take the time to tailor responses for every customer, rather than providing a standard robotic solution. Making your customer feel good after you provide your solution to solve their problem, will win you their appreciation and in many cases their loyalty to your brand.
Add a personal touch: People are still the key resources when it comes to the personal touch. Therefore, invest in people to tech, in the ratio of 2: 1, because people can help build solid relations that influence the consumers’ emotional and cognitive engagement. Using the personal touch when responding to a customer’s comments on Social Media platforms, helps mend broken fences and helps build strong bridges. Use this approach for both positive and negative comments.
Aim to convert negative reviews into positive ones: Your social media platforms should be open to receiving both negative and positive comments. When your customers voice their concerns, be receptive and acknowledge their complaints. This makes the customer feel valued. At the same time aim to solve their issues, which will go a long way in helping your business build that solid relationship, while forestalling any negative impact that could arise, if you were to avoid responding, especially since people are quick to share bad experiences they have had with products and services. Further, your company will earn the reputation of being receptive to issues and solving them, favorably. Net results – in the short term, this will augment client retention, and strengthen your brand image, and in the long term your company will be regarded as a reliable business. Converting a negative comment into a positive outcome, is a challenge, but it provides your business with good PR. Using your personal touch to respond to every comment posted on your social media platforms, being quick to solve issues, and keeping your customers happy, is a significant part of customer engagement on social media.
Rope in brand ambassadors: Create brand ambassadors by proactively engaging with your customers rather than reacting to posts on your social media platforms. Facebook alone has 2 billion users. Add other platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat, and Twitter to name a few, and right there you have an organic team of brand ambassadors. Interact with them, proactively, through digital media. Every positive experience you create with your interaction on social media will help your business expand its reach. In a competitive marketplace, where retaining customers with quality products and services alone, is not enough, adding that extra mile by proactively engaging with them on social media will provide rich results, such as they becoming your active brand ambassadors and helping you promote your business as they talk about your interactions with them, about your products or services and what a good experience they have had with you. All this will be shared with thousands of people within a short period.
Train your staff for customer engagement or outsource: Being productively interactive on social media means that you have to spend an inordinate part of your day, engaging with customers, and with a small business to run, time could be a luxury you cannot squander away, as there other aspects of your business where your presence is of paramount importance. Engaging your staff to help you with your social media interactions will require that they undergo adequate training. It doesn’t end with the training and getting them on the job. Employing a team or a staff member for the special purpose of interacting with your customers on social media, could eat into the productivity capacity of your employee, as your team/staff member could be otherwise utilized in other departments. Outsourcing the task of consistently interacting with your customers on social media, to professionals with digital marketing experience, will save you time, and effort in training staff, providing benefits, and will help you to focus on your main business.

For different generations

Social Media is equally popular with all age groups and generations of users. According to Pew Research, while social media adoption was just 5% of the population in 2005, it had risen to 72% by 2018 and continues to rise through the years.

However, it’s interesting to note that social media behavior varies across the different generations of users. How Baby Boomers perceive Social media is different from that of Generation X or Millennials. Understanding this difference is important for marketing personnel to ensure the right approach is adopted for the right generation. Right from the content of the message to the frequency in which it is delivered to follow-up mechanisms, the Marketing strategy should be cognizant of these differences.

Marketing for Baby Boomers (born between 1944 and 1964)

The generation that witnessed the birth of computers is often dismissed by most people as ‘retired’ or ‘old economy’ folks. Surprisingly, this generation is very active on Social Media. The generation that has been used to face-to-face interactions is delighted with the ease of connecting with friends and family, online. That is why Facebook is the single most popular channel for this generation.

Although this generation has produced legendary copywriters and landmark advertising, they still prefer straightforward messages. Hints and teasing are not for them. They are also cautious and do not click on any links or ads unless they have heard their friends do so. If you want more conversions from this generation, keep the message and call to action simple.

Marketing for Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980)

The Generation that witnessed the birth of the Internet has built virtually everything that is online today. Including social media! They are working folks, decision-makers, and business leaders, so their spending power is high. They are tech-savvy and being the crossover generation, they can understand both Baby Boomers and Millennials well.

From a Marketer’s perspective, Gen X is thorough in their approach to every aspect of their lives including Social Media or Internet usage. This generation researches online reviews, believes in brand loyalty, and appreciates good customer service. They read emails and participate in surveys. They are active on Facebook, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, and Twitter and less on the other channels. They also like a little creativity in the messages.

This makes it easy for Marketers to devise a marketing campaign that factors these 4 channels and adds several follow-up components to the campaign. The call to action can be more intense and incentivized with discounts and offers.

Also Read: What should small businesses post on social media

Marketing for Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996)

The Generation that witnessed the birth of Social Media is naturally inclined to use it extensively. Being a tech-savvy and impatient generation, they use multiple modes and channels for quick communication. They help make content go viral by liking, following, and sharing information that is useful to their generation.

However, marketing to this generation can be tricky. Millennials are more active on Instagram, Twitter, and WhatsApp and less on Facebook. They are also open to spending time on other channels. This generation likes brands that talk to them personally. Brands that engage them in a conversation directly on social media channels are popular with them. Marketers who like, comment, or share their posts and follow them are perceived positively. They are perceived as being responsive and as a brand that cares.

While they like a little creativity in their messages, they do not have the time or the patience for an intense call to action or follow-up procedures. So marketers must ensure quick and personalized interactions and ease of use at every step.

Marketing for Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012)

This is the generation that are true digital natives since social media has existed since their birth. For brands targeting this digital-savvy generation, traditional marketing won’t cut it. About 70% of Gen Z believe that the brands they associate with should help them achieve their goals and personal aspirations. Marketing to Gen Z is about the brand values that resonate deeply with their personality.

Incorporating themes of sustainability, social justice, and personal empowerment can create a magnetic pull for this audience. Instead of simply promoting a product, aim to create an authentic storytelling narrative that aligns with the passions and concerns of Gen Z.

Create visually captivating posts, behind-the-scenes stories, and influencer partnerships that feel genuine, not staged. Try communicating with them through quizzes, polls, and challenges that will help voice their opinions and shape the conversation.

What Digital Marketing Firms Will Bring to the Table?

Digital Marketing Firms carry separate teams of social media content specialists, who have already been trained and have the necessary skills and art of responding to different types of customers. These specialists will also be up-to-date when working on a social media platform and will be aware of what are the latest developments and methods to use while working on a social media page. The team will further be able to exclusively focus on engaging your customers, be proactive, and simultaneously help build your brand image, improve your business reach, and help you retain happy customers who feel valued.

Even more significantly, there will be no downside or worries, when digital marketing specialists engage with customers through the social media avenues available. The fact remains that these specialists will use a professional approach and will do the job correctly, leaving an impression with your customers that you genuinely care and value their input. Consequently, this leads to an increase in sales, and a positive awareness of your brand and can turn around any negative public relations into positive experiences.

Bottom line

Social media is a constantly evolving space but being aware of usage trends and habits can make a huge difference in how a brand is perceived here. Stay tuned to these differences and you can turn your brand into a winner.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why is social media marketing important for businesses?

Social media marketing allows businesses to reach a wider audience, engage with customers directly, and build brand awareness in a fast-paced digital environment.

2. How can I effectively engage customers on social media?

Listen and respond to customer concerns, add a personal touch, convert negative reviews into positive outcomes, engage proactively, and consider outsourcing if necessary.

3. How does social media behavior differ across generations?

Different generations interact with social media in unique ways. For example, Baby Boomers prefer straightforward messages on Facebook, while Millennials favor personalized interactions on Instagram and Twitter.

4. Why should I consider hiring a digital marketing firm for social media?

Digital marketing firms have trained specialists who stay updated with the latest trends and can focus on building your brand image, engaging customers, and increasing sales through social media.

5. How can I handle negative reviews on social media?

Acknowledge customer complaints, respond promptly with a solution, and aim to convert negative experiences into positive ones to build customer loyalty and improve your brand’s reputation.