3 Quick Tips on Marketing to Your First Followers

Gaining first mover advantage does not only apply to being the first mover on a product launch, it also applies to being the first mover on marketing platforms.  In traditional product releases, when a company or product is the first to market, it gains significant advantage in the share of the voice of a product.  Within social platforms, being a pioneer user yields a significant advantage and “share of voice” over others on the platform.

 

In 2008, YouTube was still an emerging platform at the age of just three years old. Blendtec, an innovative blender company selling high end blenders, decided to create a series of YouTube videos called “Will it Blend” in which they put real items into a blender to see if the powerful Blendtec blender could tear it to shreds.  Being relatively new to the platform with relevant content they quickly increased sales over 700%. Now, the show is a cult hit, blending everything from bricks to the latest tech gadgets.

 

Similarly, companies can use new form micro blogging - such as Snapchat, Vine, or Meerkat - to help attract a new customer base through digital strategies.

 

Gain Early Attention of Users Before Advertisements Take Over

When a new social platforms launches there is a fight to both grab users and grab the attention of those users.  The platforms’ team is often working and paying for these users to be on the platform through the form of advertising dollars.  The early goals of a platform are typically growth and engagement saving advertisers from competing advertisements.  Becoming an early adapter of a platform, you gain early attention of the users that enter the platform prior to your arrival.  These users are looking for other users to enhance their experience and by putting out good quality content companies can gain a high share of voice.  If you are a brand that was optimistic on a platform like Instagram in the early years for example, you would have had the potential to gain followers for free by being there first.

 

Be an Early Adapter of a Platforms Feature

Even looking at emerging features on more stable platforms is a great way to gain an early edge in marketing share of voice.  Facebook has been investing heavily in video and recently changed its algorithm to favor video advertisements.  Being an early adapter of the feature will give an early edge on video advertising, lower CPM and a set of content that can modified and pushed on other platforms like Instagram, Vine, Snapchat, and YouTube.

 

Emerging Platforms Have “Free” Audiences

Emerging platforms are the best place to look for “free” or under marketed audiences.  Snapchat, Meerkat, Periscope, and Cyberdust are all platforms that marketers have not yet flooded with advertisements. I began using Cyberdust before it became a paid product, giving me an advantage in gaining an engaged following on the chatting app.

Try the same approach to branding on Facebook today and you would have no differentiation and your posts would only be seen by 5-10% of followers.

 

Emerging platforms can be easily discovered through the Apple App Store or Google Play under the social networking sections of the stores. Look for apps that are increasing in ranking with great reviews to find the largest emerging viewership for your brand.

 

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About the Writer

David Feinman is CEO at Viral Idea Marketing, a digital marketing agency.  He worked on his first company at the age of 17 and has since then has developed a passion for starting companies and marketing. Connect | Website | Email

 

 

This was written by a SG contributor.  


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