How successful was Social Media for you in 2014? And what have you planned for 2015?
We can all safely say that social media has played a big part in marketing during 2014 and this has really gone from strength to strength as the year has progressed. We can not now go a day without seeing social media in something we are engaged with (unless of course you are lucky enough to be deep sea diving in Barbados on holiday).
For some businesses, they have really managed to improve their brand awareness via social media and others lay claim that their sales have increased thanks to adopting social media marketing within their business plans. In 2015, the major social media platforms will make things easier for businesses to sell their products and services where we’ll be in a new trend where, just like we can easily purchase from Ebay, we can read a Tweet or view a Pin on Pinterest and spontaneously make a direct purchase. So, if social media is moving on towards becoming a sales channel too – Can you really afford to not get involved in 2015?
Within the world of estate agency, the beginning of 2015 could see a big shake up in how property is marketed online with possible ground breaking changes from the likes of OnTheMarket, PurpleBricks and Houser.co.uk promising positive changes and justified rivalry to the Rightmove and Zoopla monopoly on UK property portals. If the market is to become slightly more saturated, then will this leave the door open for more ‘social media’ themed platforms to grab a position in the market and bring nearer the day where people will purchase property from seeing listings on their social media timelines?
We may be a few months / years off where estate agents and consumers can confidently say ‘I sold my house on Facebook’ or ‘I found my new home via a Tweet I read’, but surely that day is creeping nearer? Maybe a social media platform will be created from one of the two big names, ie Rightmove or Zoopla, if not then it’s sure to happen from another bright spark of a company who if they are able to build a dedicated platform that lists nothing but property information and make in engaging enough to attract consumers, then we’ll be seeing a new shift in traffic and industry confidence in social media in the world of Estate Agency?
For all businesses, your own destiny is in your own hands… I still believe that the internet is still very much in it’s infancy, there are many holes to explore and you can still make a very strong name for yourself and your business in a very quick period of time. Things are still evolving, social media most definitely, that if you act quickly enough you can steal a march on your competitors and make your brand more approachable and attractive to your target audience. If you position your brand correctly and offer a USP, then a new business entering the scene and using social media wisely, can quickly catch up with and overtake an established business within their sector.
I do speak now from experience having used social media to both establish my brands and also to create new concepts and businesses and see them go from nothing to a nationally recognised name that turns over an income in a very short period of time.
Marketme, with some 50,000 + businesses following us, is a great example of social media success helping to build a brand. If you’d like to do similar and have social media work for you, then I’d be happy to offer training and consultancy in 2015. Please speak to our office on 01206 700888 or [email protected] and request a call back from myself.
Wishing all our readers and followers a happy and successful New Year for 2015!
Christopher Walkey.
Twitter: @ChrisWalkey