What Is Social Media Marketing (SMM)

The term social media marketing (SMM) refers to the use of social media and social networks to market a company’s products and services. Social media marketing provides companies with a way to engage with existing customers and reach new ones while allowing them to promote their desired culture, mission, or tone. Social media marketing has purpose-built data analytics tools that allow marketers to track the success of their efforts.

How Social Media Marketing (SMM) Works

Social media has changed the way we function as a society, including the way we connect with one another. As platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram took off, businesses also took notice. They began to use these sites to further their interests through social media marketing. That's because these sites are able to change consumer behavior.

Social media websites allow marketers to employ a broad range of tactics and strategies to promote content and have people engage with it. Many social networks allow users to provide detailed geographical, demographic, and personal information, which enables marketers to tailor their messages to what is most likely to resonate with users.

According to Buffer, there are five key pillars of social media marketing:

• Strategy: This step involves determining goals, the social media channels to be used, and the type of content that will be shared.
• Planning and Publishing: Businesses should draft plans of what their content will look like (i.e. will there be videos? Photos? How much script?) and decide when it will be put out on the platform.
• Listening and Engagement: Monitoring what users, customers, and others are saying about the posts, brands, and any other business assets. This may require the adoption of a social media engagement tool.
• Analytics and Reporting: Part of being on social media is knowing how far posts are going, so reports of engagement and reach are very important
• Advertising: Purchasing ads on social media is a great way to promote and further develop a brand. 

Because audiences can be better segmented than more traditional marketing channels, companies can ensure they focus their resources on the audience that they want to target using social media marketing. Some of the metrics used to measure the success of social media marketing (which is also known as digital marketing and e-marketing) include:

• Website reports, such as Google Analytics
• Return on investment (ROI)
• Customer response rates or the number of times customers post about a company
• A campaign's reach and/or virality or how much customers share content 

Source: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/social-media-marketing-smm.asp

The New Normal

COVID-19 pandemic has not ended yet.  Until there is an effective vaccine or treatment, everyone remains at risk.  We all need to work together to protect ourselves and others.

• Avoid the three Cs
• Fight against COVID-19 is far from over
• Continue to practice protective measures
• Continue to protect ourselves and others
• Cover your coughs and sneezes with your flexed elbow to help prevent spread of virus
• Wash your hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub
• Clean your hands before and after you touch your face

Malaysian exporters have been hit hard by COVID-19 because they are not able to travel overseas either to participate in trade shows or conduct face-to-face meetings with potential customers. However, they still have access to trade enquiries from foreign importers via MATRADE’s MyExport, which is a subscription-based online market intelligence platform. Outcome of the survey conducted by MATRADE in February this year has shown that 53 per cent of the respondents have generated export sales through trade leads published in MyExport. Besides trade leads, MyExport provides subscribers with access to current trade information such as Market Alerts, Product Market Studies, Trade Statistics and International Tender Notices.

According to MATRADE’s Chief Executive Officer, Dato’ Wan Latiff Wan Musa, Malaysian exporters need to leverage on digital channels to ensure that engagement with customers is sustained despite COVID-19. Online trade leads posted on MyExport serve as an opportunity for Malaysian exporters to provide business offers according to customers’ request. This trade intelligence is updated on a daily basis by 46 MATRADE Trade Commissioners across the globe.

“Leveraging on the digital platforms has become a new normal for businesses not only to survive but also to stay visible in the export market. To complement the trade leads, MyExport provides updated market information to ensure that Malaysian exporters are kept abreast on the latest international business trends and export opportunities. I believe in the present situation, online platform is vital for Malaysian exporters to get connected with potential foreign buyers which might translate into real business deals,” Wan Latiff said.

In 2019, MyExport published 4,157 trade leads from importers in 112 countries wanting to source products and services from Malaysia. Meanwhile as of June 2020, a total of 1,158 leads were posted in MyExport. Among the products that are highly sought after by foreign companies include prepared food, building and construction materials, chemicals, furniture as well as automotive parts and components. During this pandemic, medical products including medical gloves, face masks, hospital gowns and sanitisers topped the list. These enquiries are received from all over the world including USA, Europe, India, Africa, Latin America, besides countries in ASEAN.

Source: http://www.matrade.gov.my/en/about-matrade/media/press-releases/5122-matrade-s-myexport-provides-export-opportunity-during-covid-19