How many followers do you have?

Maybe it's due to the cold and rainy weather, but I feel like I'm in the mood for something heavier today. The thing I wanted to talk about this time, is the importance of social media as a marketing strategy.

I was inspired to write this post by two things. The first one is this vid I found on the Tumblr of DKNY PRGirl (which is defenitely a must-follow for anyone who's interested in the fashion scene). The video tells about the shift that companies need to make from traditional advertisment-based marketing to a marketing strategy in which social media have a key role.

The second one is a tweet I received from the Kiehls twitter account. This is the story; I got an email from Kiehls about the free-shipping action. So I looked at their online shop and found some products I wanted to buy, but then I found out they don't do shipping to Belgium. So I took to my twitter and uttered my complaints.  Some  moments later, I received a tweet back from the official Kiehls twitter account in which they said they were sorry and also that they would be happy to help me find a solution. It struck me how fast they came up with this, because I didn't even '@'-ed their twittername.

Kiehls and DKNY are two examples of companies that really know how to use social networks in their advance. Over the past few months they've really gained my respect.

It doesn't matter if you want to boost your career, blog, company or event, social media has to be your tool. Recent studies have shown that only 12% of people believe what adds say, while 90% admits to trust costumer reviews and comments.

Some tips: 

Be omni-present

It's not enough to have only a twitter account or a facebook page. These two are the bare minimum. Also try to have a website and a blog and maybe even LinkdIn and Tumblr. But be aware, do not post the same things on every account. Try to differentiate the content on every channel.

Try to bond

Give the people an inside scoop in your life. Share photo's of your everyday activities, post links to websites and articles you like,.. It's important that people think they really know you so they can identificate with you. Use the social media as a way to show your audience who you truly are. Don't waste it by only posting business-kinda stuff.

ALWAYS answer, be accessible

This might be a hard one, but it's oh-so important! I hate it when people say in their bio ''Don't be afraid to tweet me'' or ''Email me if you have a question'' and they don't mean it. If you don't respect your audience, you will get nowhere because it's your audience that makes you famous.

This is a good opportunity to list my accounts;

My facebook page: Yunes

My twitter account: jonasdeweer

My tumblr: jonasdeweer

If you liked this post, please follow the blog and/or comment. 

Thank you! x