Our question is since when did that become the focus?
Who decided it's important to buy fans and followers (who literally could care less about your business) because that will trick your true prospects into becoming fans as well?
How many shares did your last post for your business get on Facebook? It seems like Facebook, along with all of the social media platforms, are constantly changing their algorithms.
It is not easy to stay ahead of the game.
Well, guess what? Vanity metrics ARE just a game. How many retweets or favorites your most recent Twitter post garnered does not determine how successful your business or brand is.
We all know the name of the game is staying in the black and not buying into vanity social media metrics.
Literally.
Seriously, when did marketing turn solely into a competition on social media applications?
And who determined that in order for your business or brand to be profitable that you had to have a HUGE social media presence?
Why is gaining this so-called success on social media platforms seemingly so easy for some people, but difficult, costly, and time-consuming for others?
You Still Need Social Media Marketing...But That's NOT All
Still, although vanity metrics are not important to your bottom line, digital marketing (including social media), has now become a necessity for businesses to survive online.
There is a difference between vanity metrics and social proof. Social proof is extremely important. Social proof is simply having a consistent and valuable presence on social media.
Social proof is offering valuable content to prospects and customers.
Social proof is where the rubber meets the road in digital marketing.
Even though the industry is in flux, 2021 is an exciting year to be a marketer.
This is going to be the year to get back to thinking beyond social media and ads.
With a digital marketing plan, not just social media and ads, you have the opportunity to reach the people you really can help with your products or services.
But your digital marketing efforts certainly need to be a part of a larger plan than just a Facebook fan page and some Google ads.
Here's why.
The Challenge to Build Your Business In a Post Covid, Dark Data World
Let's back up for a second.
In June of last year at the Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple announced policy changes.
If you aren't in the loop on these data changes, we need to talk ASAP.
These data changes are really going to shake up the social media marketing and advertising world.
The policy changes coming from Apple will not only impact your business online but also data sharing across iOS impacting all the helpful little apps that you use on your phone, iPad, MacBook, and other Apple products.
How Do Policy Changes Affect Your Marketing Efforts?
If you know just a little bit about marketing, know this. Personalized ads (like on social media and Google) are what allow businesses to effectively reach, understand, and engage with customers and people across the web.
Facebook seems to agree and believe that personalized ads and privacy can coexist.
With the iOS changes to data sharing, the advantages of personalized ads will be limited.
Apple, on the other hand, feels differently.
The way your business advertises online will be completely different and you will need a strategy that will work to find your prospects and help them find you.
These changes aren't a new thing. And we don't think Apple will be the only company to strike this pose.
Companies like Facebook and Instagram are also making changes that affect your ability to reach your audience every day. Have you noticed that hashtags aren't "working", and when memes and other posts are being flagged by "fact"-checkers.
There are business owners, small and large, all over the USA who are working against these types of policy changes...and they don't even know they are being impacted.
At Shane Shirley Media (SSM) we see so many business owners who just keep doing the same things they have done over the last decade and THAT JUST ISN'T GOING TO WORK ANYMORE.
What Can You Do?
The best thing a business can do right now is to stay up to date with what is going on in our industry and be prepared for the worst.
OK, This "be prepared for the worst" thing may sound more serious than it really is, but it's definitely not something to be taken lightly.
You must ensure your marketing efforts online and off are diversified and utilize the best tools available.
We are by no means saying delete these apps, switch to Microsoft, and call it a day because you won't get anywhere that way either.
Now is NOT the time to dump social media marketing and advertising.
But we are saying there are many other ways to gain that competitive advantage you were looking for in your industry, via social media and ads.
We Have The Tools You Need
Whether your business is a small start-up or a decades-old business with an in-house marketing team, we have the proprietary tools, technologies, and services to help you stay in business.
For our smaller brands, we have a roadmap of exactly what you should be doing right now. And we offer it to you FREE! If you want more help, we have options starting at $75 a month that can push your brand further in these tumultuous but opportunity-filled times.
For our larger brands, we like to set up a discovery call to uncover how our team can best help you.
No matter the size of your business, you will have access to our team of marketing pros from across the globe.
They have helped brands like American Express, COX Media, and LPGA along with more hair salons, mom and pop restaurants, doctors (ask us about how our team helped a urologist's office hit 1 million visitors in 2020), attorneys, and so many more.
Let us help you succeed.
Let's start with a free 15-minute discovery call.
Reach out to
Shane Shirley Media and ask for a FREE 15-minute call to help your brand succeed in 2021...no matter what comes your way.
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