Through a review of the already existing international literature, but also an analysis of the primary results obtained through researchin Greek companies, a proposed model emerged, the "10 commandments" for the correct use of Social Media Marketing.
1. Create a page that is friendly and attention-grabbing. This is the beginning of success. Then the consumers themselves will be the ones who will generate and transmit advertising messages, comment, rate and recommend products and services they were satisfied with.
2. Determine the strategy you will follow and implement it faithfully. Although an increasing number of businesses are following new market trends and entering Social Media, more than half programs Social Media Marketing Fails (Gartner, 2008) . Businesses should, after first carrying out market research and evaluation of the collected data, with the aim of understanding the environment, customers and competition, then be guided to the targeting and preparation of the strategy, which must act as a guide for each action performed.
3. It has a methodical presence. It is necessary to produce new material at regular intervals, at least sometimes a week for small businesses and daily, if it is a big business. It is extremely important for Social Networking sites to be active in order to create a continuous debate with the public, to encourage participation and to promote long-term relationships.
4. Φρόντισε το περιεχόμενό σου να είναι ενδιαφέρον και ελκυστικό.Δεν αρκεί μόνο η σωστή συχνότητα των δημοσιεύσεων αλλά και η ποιότητα αυτών. Πέραν ενεργειών, νέων productτων και στοιχείων σχετικά με την εκάστοτε εταιρία, οι επιχειρήσεις θα πρέπει να φροντίσουν το περιεχόμενό τους να είναι επίκαιρο, ελκυστικό και σχετικό με τα ενδιαφέροντα του κοινού στο οποίο απευθύνεται.
5. Keep a balance in the frequency of publication and the relevance of the content. The best way to maintain a customer is to offer him / her balanced what he / she wants. Without a mechanical presence, the consumer will be silently lost to competition, while on the contrary, beyond the permissible presence, feelings of pressure and ultimately aversion will be created. Still, the content should be interesting and attractive, but always within the permissible context of the relevance of the object of the business.
6. He builds a personal relationship with the consumer. When the consumer feels he can express himself, his complaint, his or her opinion sounds, he feels he is actively involved in shaping the products of the business and stays loyal, developing long-lasting relationships of trust.
7. Always speak honestly. Never make promises you can't keep. Research has shown that consumers are receptive to not providing a request when it is documented by the company and with an indication of interest. On the contrary, there are many examples of the creation of negative "noise" and bad reactions when promises made by companies are revealed to be untrue and misleading.
8. It offered immediate response and consistency. When there should be no indifference and delay in response. Surveys have shown that 68% of consumers who stopped interacting with an enterprise were doing it because they felt the business was not interested in them.
9. He replied to all the comments even to the negatives. The study by Bambuer, Sachse and Mangold (2012) has shown that people tend to create and read negative product ratings, which reduces the value of the brand. Businesses should follow the negative comments, rank them with some priority, assess the potential risks and take the necessary precautions.
10. Stay up to date with developments and adjust to change. In such a competitive and growing environment, businesses can only be informed on a daily basis about environmental developments. Then their goals and strategy will have to be adapted and harmonized with the circumstances.
Social Media Networks is a new, powerful reality. With the proper implementation of Social Media Marketing, businesses have an opportunity to improve and develop their relationships with consumers. An opportunity that should not be lost.
* George I. Avlonitis is Professor of Marketing and Vice President of the Board of the Athens University of Economics and Business. Athena Tachou is a Graduate of the Postgraduate Program "Marketing & Communication with New Technologies" of the Athens University of Economics and Business.
