Promoboxx conducted a survey to find out what advertising channels local retailers prefer to utilize. From the results of our survey, we learned that most retailers prefer websites, paid advertising, and email marketing to social media marketing on sites like Facebook and Twitter. In fact, many retailers labeled social media sites as “ineffective” marketing channels.
With the popularity of social media websites among consumers, they seem like the perfect vehicle for advertising, so why don’t retailers want to use them?
Average Age of Retailers
Social media is a relatively recent marketing tool. Facebook launched only 8 years ago, and most of the other major social media websites emerged sometime afterward. These platforms were first designed for younger users, and none of them were utilized for marketing purposes until long after their debut. If your retailers aren’t a part of the social media generation, they may not know much about these websites or their features. As we have said before, marketing tools that are confusing or inconvenient for retailers are likely to be neglected.
Established Channels
Because social media marketing is so new, most retailers have already invested their resources in other channels, such as a company website, before social media was widely adopted. With these funds already invested, it’s difficult for retailers to justify focusing on a different channel. Retailers don’t want their efforts to
go to waste. They are already comfortable with the channels they have developed, and they are often unwilling to venture into uncharted territory. Furthermore, some retailers may lack the resources or time necessary to develop a solid social media presence.
Lack of Faith
Even retailers who already know how to use social media websites may avoid marketing on them if they don’t believe it is effective. If a retailer has tried to use
social media in the past and failed, he may not be willing to try again. In such cases, the only way to revive the channel is to convince the retailer that the campaign will be worth his time.
The Bottom Line
Co-marketing works best when retailers are firmly on board with the brand’s campaign. If your retailers aren’t yet comfortable with social media, then it’s your job to encourage them along by helping them market the campaign via website and email, as well as on their growing social channels (IE: Facebook, Twitter).
To help retailers take advantage of social media marketing opportunities, you may need to make a greater effort to educate retailers about social media and help them figure out how to best utilize it as an effective marketing tool. More on that soon. Feel free to leave comments below!
