Small Businesses Have a Say Too
Social media marketing is playing a much larger role during the 2012 Summer Olympics compared to 2008. According to Mashable, since the 2008 Summer Olympics Facebook has grown from 100 million users to 900 million while "the number of posts per day by Twitter users worldwide has exploded from about 300,000 to 400 million." Watching the Olympics is a whole different outlook than four years ago. While watching they tell you what to use as a hashtag for Twitter and who you should follow for the latest. They even set rules and regulations for the athletes on what they can post while they are there. Interestingly, this means that it is a perfect time to promote your own business during the Olympics. I don't mean for you to spend millions of dollars on advertising like the big companies but all you have to do is continue to use social media for your company and include the Olympics in it. Here's what I mean...
Comment & Like On Facebook
With social media marketing taking over the Olympics, Facebook is a major contributor. As of right now there are two major Olympic pages, Olympic Games and U.S Olympic Team, creating 5.7 million fans combined. My advice to you is to engage yourself on those pages. I know it is a lot of fans but someone may see a comment that you wrote and decide to check out your Facebook page to find out more about you. They may be interested in what you have to say, so say it. Whether you want to comment on a picture they posted or an article that you found interesting, you never know what can work. Make a connection to your company while commenting on a post. Tell them how you feel about an article and lead them "to future information...." with a blog you wrote on that topic. If you want them to check out your website or your Facebook page, leave them wanting more information with a link or a way for them to get it. The Olympics are a worldwide event letting you get your name out to those you normally can't.
Talk About The Olympics
While scrolling through your newsfeed and timeline I'm sure you'll notice that everyone, and I mean everyone, is talking about the Olympics. If someone posts a news article or an opinion of theirs about the Olympics, let them know what you think. Respond back and start a conversation. This could direct you to a new lead whether it is them or one of their fans. Also, take the talking to your own page. Talk about your favorite moments from last nights program or share a link that others might find interesting. If athletes or broadcasters like NBC are going through some trouble, write a blog about how your company would get through that difficulty if it were you. Give advice or a "How To" blog relating to your business so you can share with those interested in the Olympics. The Olympics are only two weeks long so everyone is going to be talking about it for those two weeks. Take this time and show others another side of you that they may be able to connect with.
#Olympics
The most talked about for Twitter is hashtagging. This is a way to start a category so people can see what everyone is saying about it. It is especially popular for events such as the Olympics. On Friday I tweeted for us saying, "Are you watching the #OpeningCeremomy? What do you think of it?". Once you tweet this it will be added to the trend of #OpeningCeremony where everyone can see it. If viewers want to see what others think about the opening ceremony they will check there. This is a perfect opportunity for you to get new customers because they will see what you say about it and possibly click on your name to see what else you have to say.
Want proof that hashtags actually work? If you've been listening to the news lately you'll hear about the most popular one right now, #NBCFail. This hashtag is used for tweeters to complain about NBC for their bad streaming experiences, editorial mistakes and especially, NBC’s preference for airing tape-delayed footage of major Olympic events. According to Mashable, this hashtag is the most talked about bringing it from 212 tweets on July 27th for the Opening Ceremony to 6,000 the next day and then 20,000 July 29th.
This is a perfect opportunity for your business to release a blog related to the Olympics and use the hashtag trending on Twitter. As I mentioned before, if you wrote a blog about how your company would get through a problem that NBC is going through, you can share it on Twitter using #NBCFail. Especially since many people probably check out that trend for a good laugh they will see your tweet and check out what you have to say about it.
Why You Should Get Involved In The Olympics
Overall, even if your company does not relate to the Olympics they can still help you with social media marketing. These two weeks are different than any other two weeks out of the year. It opens up your audience to the world and those that normally wouldn't look into your company. By starting up conversations with new and different people, sharing with those that have never heard of you before, and showing others how your company has a voice too, your social media marketing can go beyond what it has before. When there is something new and changing out there you need to hop on and see where it will take you. It's all about representing your company and by being involved in the most popular event in the world it could definitely help you.
Check out our Facebook and Twitter page to see what we have to say about the Olympics!
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