Facebook ‘likes’ are not sales, they are ‘likes’ – here’s how to convert

I don’t believe that we at Rosen Retail are alone in using social media to market our wares and ourselves. We post, promote, connect, and interconnect with people that are interested in what we do and what we say. We use it all, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, and more; just like you do. But, there is a shift happening in social media that can impact your business and really change the way we communicate with our end user. It will change how we communicate brand changes, label changes, and new products.

It used to be that there were some basic rules that applied to the networks.

• Linked In was your company story
• Facebook was your brand story
• Instagram was your story with images
• Twitter was your story at this exact moment
• Pinterest was your story with high res pictures

We believe that has changed!

Think about this. Our shopping and buying demographic, the Millennial, wants short, smart, bursts of info. There is no attention span and the loyalty to our brands is limited.

The collective industry has an opportunity now, like never before, to speak directly to the end user. We can sell them, market to them, and create an emotional connection with them. We used to use the three-tier system or distributors to tell our brand story, but now, more and more, we can do it ourselves.

Our industry has a long legacy of being slow to change, but the world is changing around our marketing teams. The Millennial demographic, the biggest in recorded history, receives 84% of their info electronically. That same demographic receives 64% of that info on a mobile device.

These are the new rules of the game, and if you are reading this piece you do want to learn the new rules of engagement and how you can benefit. Facebook does not offer the same bang for its marketing dollar it once did. Twitter is the way to drive immediate guttural and visceral response with your core demographic.

If you watch TV at all, and the news specifically, you can notice the shift there. It used to be that the reporters had their Facebook info on the telecast, now reporters have their Twitter handle on the scroll. That is what we call a tell. They are telling us how they want to be contacted.

Delivering our brand message is key. Delivering the brand message in the format that our core demographic wants to receive it is critical.

The social media circus is ever changing and evolving. Facebook friends and likes are not buyers, and no one has yet figured out how to convert a “like” into a sale.

The key as three tier players is to be vigilant in our education of how our core demographic is communicating, and when they change, change along, and brand loyalty will ensure. That loyalty can be cashed in for sales.