Marketers are quickly discovering the best way of advertising is by not advertising at all and simply creating content that is actually engaging.
Today’s consumers are subjected to promotional messages everywhere they go – on the radio and television, in print magazines and across the web. As a result, they have become acutely aware of when they are being advertised to and when they aren’t.
You can respond to this by creating promotional content that is also valuable to consumers and prospective clients. This is a common occurrence in the business-to-business sector, with a service provider or product maker releasing free whitepapers and research studies designed for their target audiences. This content provides valuable information for leads, keeping them informed of industry trends and potential solutions to the problems they face, while also positioning your business as a thought leader and potential problem solver.
Social media works particularly well if you are engaging prospects in this manner. By publishing content in a social space, you can present yourself as a conversation starter. If people find value in your content, they will then disseminate that content among all of their friends and social acquaintances. It’s a win-win situation – you’re providing valuable information to consumers while also establishing your brand.
Brands Invest More Money into ‘Native’ Social Media Experience
For marketers, social media has two ways to engage prospects. The first is paid advertisements, such as the display ads shown on the side of Facebook. The second is organic content that is published on profiles and then shared with followers. The latter approach is gaining popularity, particularly given how effective it is at developing brands without being intrusive to the social experience.
BIA/Kelsey defines this marketing approach as “native” social advertising and expects marketers to devote more resources to this engagement strategy over the next four years. As a recent report from the company notes, approximately $3 billion has been spent on native social advertising this year. This figure is expected to nearly double to $5.4 billion in 2016.
“The year 2012 can be viewed as social advertising’s ‘coming of age,’” said Jed Williams, program director of social local media at BIA/Kelsey. He expects the use of engaging social content to increase as a result of marketers learning the in’s and out’s of social media.
Establishing a brand through social media can be done effectively by simply providing relevant and valuable information to the consumers and prospects who are most likely to need it. By leveraging this approach, you can essentially promote your company without seeming self-serving and develop meaningful relationships with your target audience.