When you consider the amount of time people spend online, it is no surprise that in the last few years, we have seen the transformation of Social Media sites from a mere social platform into the most powerful marketing tool for business.
Whether you are a freelance voice talent or a voiceover managed by a huge agency, you can benefit from the cost-effective promotion and advertising that can be had when using different social media platforms.
Here are some Pros and Cons of Social Media Marketing that can help you make an intelligent decision before investing a little more time (and maybe money) in your social media campaign.
The Pros
Unlimited Reach Means Unlimited Leads
Social media can reach clients and prospects that traditional marketing misses. Your tweet, blog, post and video can be shared by your friends and in turn re-shared by those in their circles. The potential of reaching out to a very big audience that is totally unlimited in scope and reach is huge. The unlimited sharing possibilities of these platforms give you unlimited potential leads.
Brand Identity Can Lead to Brand Loyalty
The interaction you can have in social media makes it a powerful tool for building relationships with your clients and peers. It can be a platform for you to demonstrate your personality, and showcase your work and know-how. The more healthy interactions you have on social media the more it will boost your online reputation, and in the process develop brand loyalty. If your clients like what they see, the identity you have built will generate trust – which in turn breeds loyalty.
Information Highway
Use social media not just to share your work and industry knowledge but also be up to date by listening and participating in online industry conversations. Learn what is current and get information that can prove invaluable in growing your voiceover business.
Be Where the People Are
The best place to spread your name around is where your clients and audience are. Social media is not just for the teenagers but it also attracts all demographics and ages – it is where the buying Millennials and the growing 55 and over segments are can be found.
It Is Basically Free
Creating profiles and pages on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google + and others is quick, easy and free. Social media marketing is still cost-efficient compared with other marketing methods, even if you hire a person or a team for your social media needs.
The Cons
Time Consuming
Once you decide to use social media as your marketing tool, you have to consistently spend time in the effort or results will not be evident. Considered as an online conversation you will need to constantly “feed” your pages and profiles that will keep people interested. If not done correctly, efforts and the time spent on these will deliver useless results or traffic that will not convert into positive relationships or leads.
Not So Raving Fans
Social media attracts all sorts of people, even the not so raving fans, and the negative and malicious sots. These include scammers, spammers, spoilers, internet “trolls” and other individuals who can harm your online reputation. You always need to be vigilant in taking in what are true or valid feedback or comments from those who are just hell bent to spread negativity
Viral and Out of Control
Getting the likes, retweets, and shares can be beneficial for you in generating the results you want. The downside is that once you publish online, everything is available for everyone. And if not managed well you will lose all control. So you really have to mindful of what you put out there – as they say once it is online, it stays online (even if you have deleted it). Think before you click.
It Takes a While for ROI
Using social media as your strategy to get your name out can be a long haul. It could be months or even years before you start seeing your efforts translate to increased client visibility and projects.
Just like everything else, social media marketing is not perfect. It can deliver favourable results for your voiceover business when done right and when you stick to proven best practices. On the other hand, while there are considerable benefits with using social media, there are still effects that can have detrimental impact if you are unprepared and disorganized. Social media marketing may also not be suited to everyone, so plan your social media strategy well before testing the waters.
Do you use social media to market yourself in the VO industry? How has it been working for you so far?
