Social Media Amplification (Infographic)

social media amplification top

Long gone are the days when retailers wondered if being online was a good idea, similarly the days of assuming Twitter and Facebook were for teens are also history. In fact retailers and franchise owners have a new challenge how to support local branch stores or franchisee effectively through social media. A local shop owner meeting customers face to face might not have the time to be active on Twitter and Facebook or may not have the skill set either. Anyone serious about social and retail needs to consider social media amplification.
 

How Social Media Amplification accelerates the consumer buying cycle

 
The Social Media Amplification Infographic below, takes a cute look at what is a real business issue for retailers at a central level and for the man/woman on the ground who really brings the brand to life and often it is he or she who the customer really trusts and wants to buy from. For the retailer or franchise holder it’s a constant challenge to support to ‘people in the field’ and there is always a tension between the central brand, Twitter account, Facebook page and the customers who follow it that will interact at a local level.
Social media amplification is a solution to the central/local dilemma as a local store or franchisee can plug into the central offices’ social media activity to complement its own efforts and given that often the person on the ground is busy serving the customer having ‘central support’ can make a big difference to how successful the business can be.
But what of the value of social media amplification? CPC figures from a purechannelapps customer, Mountain Hardwear make interesting reading. During a six month period it was able to reach 555,000 new consumers, where it matters; at the local level. Other benefits included an average of 350 clicks and download per individual post created, as well as a Cost-Per-Click (CPC) for the tool of just $0.15, 86% less than the standard CPC figure of $1.11 for search engine marketing in the retail industry.
The example of bike shop in the infographic lends itself to the local nature of buying a product which could be bought online but the value of a local store with a resident expert guiding you through the purchase will resonate with many as this is really where online and offline marketing meet. The other issue that is easily overlooked is that local branches can pick and choose from content created centrally and provide a ‘local’ or ‘personalised flavour’ to tweets or posts which is essential given the personal nature of social communications.
In effect social media amplification is a technological answer to meet the challenge of one to one marketing, as it enables people at a local level to provide relevant and timely information to customers. This in turn strengthens brand loyalty and ensures that the retailers or franchises get a greater return on investment from the content that has been created and is shared across social platforms. As social apps such as Instagram, Snapchat, Vimeo and Vine increase in popularity the need for brands to serve content across all of these apps will only grow making social media amplification a tool that any socially savvy retailer just can’t ignore.
 
See also: 5 Smart Ways Retailers Are Using Pinterest Online and Offline
 

social media amplification infographic