Back in the "good old days", social media marketing would NEVER have taken off, because the old-hand MDs and company founders enjoyed traditional marketing.
That is, putting £Xk against a TV advert or billboard message and waiting for the business to roll in. Yes, that's how this stuff used to work!
Now, you have to persuade your boss that social media marketing (and other amazing, techy marketing methods) are worth the time, money and resource. Although, we'd hope your boss has evolved since the "good old days" and is open to new methods, we know they are probably still wary.
Companies have always been used to being shut off, even with their marketing, rather than out in the open, sharing their business successes and using virtually any method, other than perhaps a press release, to reveal information about themselves.
With that in mind, we have come up with some legitimate arguments that will help you get sign off on your social media marketing efforts.
Get in the Mindset of Your Boss
First things first, anticipate the questions that your boss will have about social media for your business:
- How much time will social media take up?
- How is having social media going to help us?
- How do we stand out from the crowd?
Answer your boss' questions before they have to ask them. That will strengthen your presentation and help you to get your boss on board!
Remember, whenever you think of social media what connotations come into your head? These things - cat videos, selfies and petty Facebook arguments - are all going to be in your boss' head too!
Facts, Statistics and Research to Impress Your Boss
Use facts, statistics and research that show how social media is helping businesses interact with their potential and existing customers, build brand awareness and in some cases helping businesses make sales or generate new leads.
MDs love hard evidence for absolutely any case, so it's always good to present your boss with something that is going to reassure them, like they're so used to. This is very much a pitch!
Some facts, stats and research we love on social media are:
- 54% of B2B marketers said they have generated leads from social media. (CMO)
- 80% of brands advertised on social media sites in 2014. (DashBurst)
- 82% of hyper growth SMBs say social media is effective for generating new leads. (Business 2 Community)
- 75 of the top 100 brands have a presence on Google+. (Social Media Slant)
- 60% of all social media traffic to business to business websites come from Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. (SteamFeed)
Show Your Boss Competitors #1, #2 and #3 on Social Media
Strengthen your presentation by showing your boss examples of other businesses - including especially successful competitors - using social media to help gain awareness of a new product or service launch.
Display examples of businesses interacting with their target audience via social media. Then show examples of messages or ideas you have created for your business and how they would be used to implement your social media strategy.
When it comes to showing them competitors, bosses are probably going to be taken in on vanity metrics like follower numbers, but you should be upfront and explain that those numbers don't mean anything. However, if they look to have strong engagement and lots of successful PR stories being shared, these are definitely things you want to emphasise the importance of.
- No competitors on social media? Make a case for being ahead of the curve in your industry, or at least of those in your local area.
What Next?
We know that bosses don't always open their door as easily as you'd like to new concepts, so take time to prepare your argument and watch out for a new blog post from us later this month on Ways To Succesfully Pitch Ideas To Your Boss! It will help you pitch even more of your well-thought-out plans for marketing, brand, budget and hiring!
