Is Social Media All I Need for Marketing?

Is Social Media All I Need for Marketing?

Many companies know that a certain amount of marketing is required as part of a long term business strategy. They may not understand the different layers of marketing, or how they piece together – but they do understand that they can’t get by without some piece of it. Many companies that come to us want to be online where their competition is – but they also want to know if they can just abandon other forms of marketing for social media. While every client and company is different, we thought we’d break down what each piece of marketing does for you.

Social Media Marketing – You know that people are online, that if your company isn’t on Facebook or Twitter you’re already behind the competition. The key about any marketing is about being where your demographic is – and social media allows you the chance to funnel your budget in to hitting your target audience with ads and posts. It’s a fast paced medium that requires regularly and consistent posting and engagement – and is the only marketing platform that allows you to not just speak at your audience but with them. This is unique to online marketing and is an expectation that consumers have when they purchase or consider using a company or service.

Print Marketing – There’s still a place for print marketing. Depending on the product/service you’re offering and the size of your company there’s always going to be a place for print. Magazine features, ads in newspapers, mailers – all of these are important in giving your audience something tangible to represent what you sell or offer. There’s also a lot to be said for physical coupons, we are in the age of extreme couponers who will test out a new product if they see it as an opportunity to save.

Trade Show Marketing – There’s a lot to be said for putting your face and your money right in front of the people who are looking to learn of a product or service they don’t have or haven’t heard of.  Being part of a trade show, becoming a sponsoring vendor at a conference, speaking at shows – these are all effective ways to leverage trade show marketing to have conversations face to face with people you would never have met otherwise. This can lead to massive word of mouth that can open up an entirely new market and audience.

Broadcast Marketing – Many people consider this one of the most traditional forms of marketing. This type of marketing encompasses radio, television, and film.  It’s commercials during tv shows, it’s radio spots, it’s having your product in filmed shots of what people are watching. This type of marketing will always exist and it’s usually going to remain a top-dollar form of getting your company in front of people.

Now that we have a solid understanding of a sampling of the different forms of marketing – let’s go back to the original question: Is social media all I need for marketing? The quick answer will almost always be – NO. It’s a piece of marketing – and it can be your first piece until you grow in to having more. But in order to have a solid and successful marketing strategy you need to layer different types of marketing and work them together to increase your audience, engage their interest, and increase your revenue.