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Take The Cake

GDA Staff -- Gifts and Dec, 6/17/2011 4:52:47 AM

CHRISTI TULLIS is a retailer turned social branding expert.From Engagement to Marriage: 8 Mistakes Companies Make with Online Marketing.
     Much like the royal wedding of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, you can create a royal relationship with your consumers. Whether you're a manufacturer selling to retailers or a retailer selling to consumers, everyone wants an engagement to walk the aisle to marriage.
     As long as humans are involved, the concept is rather simple... keep socializing! Being social is rather easy, whether you're on Facebook or at the royal reception. Certainly, you wouldn't run to the party handing out catalogs, talking about your latest products or preaching unrelated topics to satisfy your own bank account. Casual conversation, asking questions, and sharing takes the cake; it's the same for social media.
     Here are some massive, yet small, mistakes that keep brands from taking the cake with online marketing:
     1 Set Up Google Analytics. No relationship survives without proven interaction. Reports are the only way to get a true ROI (Return On Investment) from Web activity. You can track what's coming from where; otherwise it's all a guess. Know what's creating relationships and generating sales.
     2 Links That Lead. Sending your guest on a hunt isn't cool and causes frustration; if they don't give up first. Be sure all icons and addresses are clickable (AKA linked or coded) to the address of reference.
     3 Correspondence 411. Every correspondence, whether printed, online or by email, should include: a company logo, Web address, phone number, email address and Facebook and Twitter addresses. (Brick and mortar retailers should add their physical address as well.)
     4 Integrate Website with Facebook. Imagine the gifts you'll receive when you allow buyers to share products from your website directly onto Facebook. Adding the new "Send" button plug-in (single line of code) gives consumers the ability to link products to Facebook.
     5 Picture Postmaster. On Facebook, photographs should be sorted in an album with a promotion or give-away attached. Posting catalog images alone won't create interaction and appears you only care about what you're doing. It's best to have products cataloged on your website.
     6 Engage With Fans. Asking questions of your Facebook fans creates participation, and makes them feel important and wanted. All successful relationships have interaction, and every good friend loves to give their opinion. Facebook is no different.
     7 Respond. No space is reserved without a response. When your fans and followers participate in a post or wall discussion, re-tweet or email you, respond in a timely manner. Using auto-response software is invaluable to your online image.
     8 Stay In Touch With New Technology. Social media evolves faster than saying "I do"! Don't be left standing at the altar - keep abreast of the latest technology. Ask questions and receive extended answers geared specifically for manufacturers and retailers in the gift and home industry on: http:// www.giftsanddec.com/blog/Social_ Matters and www.Facebook.com/ PuTTinOuT.
     Cheers to royally increasing profits!

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