Social media marketing, Part 3

Outline a strategy and an objective

In our first post in this series, we discussed the underlying basics of social media marketing.  And in the second post, we covered the avenues you should use when executing a social media marketing strategy.  In this, our third and final post in this series, let’s go through a couple of examples to help spark some more ideas. What follows is a few sample business types with a list of items for them to tweet, post, blog and provide guides and tools about, while also encouraging community comments, photos and participation.

As you’ll see from the examples below, it would be easy to apply these suggestion to virtually any business (particularly any consumer-oriented business), so use your imagination and insert your own company into the examples that follow:

Real Estate Social Marketing

Be the spot people come to to find a home, sell a home, improve a home, conduct a move and get and stay involved in a local community.

Regularly Celebrate Your Wins

- Notification of Your Sales and Purchases

- Photos, Videos of home offerings – let the community help you market it – providing what they like best about it

Complementary Information

- Comparison grids of current homes for sale

- Mortgage rates

- Home owner incentives and tax rebate information

- Home owner guides to local resources and specials from local businesses – carpet cleaners, window cleaners, furnace maintenance, etc.

- Relocation information – where to stay, moving companies, packing and planning lists, become an online concierge for move coordination

- Reviews of local moving companies

- House remodeling contractors, contractor reviews, remodeling investment guides about where to spend money, post photos of clients before and afters

Industry Information

- Local Housing Trends

- Tips on things including selecting a realtor, buying a house, staging a house, selling  a house, buying  a foreclosure, making your home green, etc.

Community Information

- Local area events, annual festivals, attractions and activities – include calendar, updates, summaries, photos, and videos; Map on your website as a local guide

- Community involvement opportunities

- Community organizations to join

Participatory Forums

- Yelp, Yahoo Answers, Craigslist, City Data, ActiveRain, Real Estate Forum, Agents Online, etc.

Restaurant Social Marketing

Be the spot they come to to find out information about your restaurant, about the cuisine you serve, about fresh local ingredients and shopping, and about local area entertainment and logistics

Regularly Feature Your Differentiators

- Dinner specials, Happy Hour specials, games playing, restaurant events

- Photos of new menu items and specials

- Video tour of your restaurant

- Promotional rates to fans and followers

- Polls on favorite menu items; surveys for new menu additions

- Drink additions – have weekly cocktail specials including suggestions from community postings

- Welcome to groups who will be dining with you

- Photos of restaurant events and group parties

Complementary Product Information

- Nightlife guide – map, photos, reviews of all the close-by nightlife, new nightlife events

- Walking area map surrounding the restaurant – what else should they check out while they are with you?

- Parking guide and information

- Where to buy fresh local ingredients common to the type of cuisine you serve

- Information about the cuisine you serve – history, culture, health benefits, inspirations

Local Information

- Local area events (races), annual festivals, attractions and activities – include calendar, updates, summaries, photos, and videos; Map on your website as a local guide

Participatory Forums

- Yelp, Yahoo answers, Chowhound, City Data, Epicurious Restaurant Forum, Craigslist, Zagat discussion boards, Fodors Forums, local newspaper sites

- Reservations management via OpenTable.com

- Monitor and respond to negative reviews on local search sites

Wedding Planner Social Marketing

Be that one-stop shop for resources and information any couple might need when planning that special event.

Your Business Information

- Notification of upcoming weddings, wedding successes

- Photos, Videos of recent weddings

- Any specials on the services you offer

- Planning guides and checklists – be specific here – destination weddings, weddings with divorced parents, etc..

- Planning guide iPhone calendar app

- Tips on how to set the date, choose a location, get others involved, get prenuptials, amuse his mother, etc.

- Encourage recent newly weds and those currently planning to send in their own photos and videos

Complementary Product Information

- Current specials by wedding vendors – flowers, cakes, reception sites, hotel room blocks, etc.

- Comparison grids of wedding vendors by category – flowers, cakes, reception sites, officiants, rental companies, catering companies, hotels, limo companies, tux rentals, bridal shops, hair dressers,  registry stores, stationary shops, calligraphy artists, etc. – include your own client reviews here

Industry Information

- Trends in wedding ceremonies, wedding attire, etc.
- Links to feature articles, photo spreads or other material by mainstream media or bloggers in the field.

Community Information

- Any news pertaining to local wedding vendors or local wedding trends

- Events in your local area such as wedding expos or trunk shows at your local department stores

Participatory Forums

- Yelp, Yahoo Answers, Brides.com Forum, SuperWeddings forum, Top Wedding Questions, OneWed, Wedding Channel Forum, The Knot Message Boards, etc.

Social media marketing — like all marketing — is only as good as the planning, thought and commitment you bring to the effort.  By following much of the advice from this series of post, you should be off to a great start with your own program.  Good luck!