Stop the Social Media Madness
Marketers have been expending an enormous amount of energy reporting on and discussing social media marketing. News outlets, forums, blogs and associations devote a huge amount of time and space to the topic – and there is no shortage of “solutions” being offered to help companies get the most out of social media marketing. But have you noticed the tone is starting to get a little desperate? Does it feel like we are using fear tactics to get the point across? I have to ask: Have we created mass hysteria over the subject of social media?
I speak to large and small companies on a daily basis and everyone seems to say the same thing: “We have to get in on social media marketing.” Some companies are taking the lead to do it themselves. They are establishing “social media” or “new media” or “digital media” departments that will head up the company’s social media initiatives. They are asking about tools that will monitor the social space and easy ways to distribute content. And of course, everyone wants to know about tracking and reporting. Some are going through a very rigorous exercise of shutting down renegade bloggers and using taskforces to establish guidelines and standards prior to foraying into the social space. And yes, there are still a small few who haven’t quite drunk the Kool-Aid®. For this article, I want to focus on the enthusiasts – companies that are eagerly entering the social media space.
To give you a sense of how many are doing just that, Facebook fan pages are being added at the rate of 24,000 per day. It’s clearly reached a critical mass, and most companies at this point are eager and enthusiastic to get going. Last year, companies exhibited a lack of urgency and interest in social media – this year, they are trying to more than make up for “lost time” and in some cases are forgetting their common marketing sense. For all the companies that are getting themselves “some of that social media,” I ask you to please take a deep breath and consider a few things before you drive yourselves – and your companies – down a wrong path.
First, do not establish a new silo in your company. If social media is leveraged correctly, it can influence and impact multiple organizational functions – not just marketing (advertising, direct, promotion and PR) but sales, operations, HR, customer service, product development and research. Social media should not be sanctioned to one department in a company.
Nor should it be the responsibility of just one individual. Do not think that hiring one social media specialist will answer all your needs. That’s like saying you need only one person to run the accounting office – they can do all the accounts payable, receivable, payroll, purchasing, employee benefits, etc. social media has moved beyond the lone-gun cowboy blogger.
Before you start tweeting, consider what you are trying to accomplish through social media. Social media can be employed for many different reasons. Decide how you want to use it and what you want to get from it. Is it to build your brand awareness and create thought leadership? How about brand preference and loyalty? Do you need to answer customer needs and enhance engagement? Are you looking to build traffic and new interest? Have you considered what it can do to help with gathering market intelligence and research? Do you want it for a recruitment tool? Do you expect it to drive sales? And don’t say “yes” to all – everyone says yes to all. What is realistic for your company? You may need to re-prioritize your expectations.
Once you have established your objectives, you need to sweep the landscape. Do a thorough vetting of what is being said and who is saying it. You should be able to capture information about keywords and themes relating directly to your company/brand/product; the opinions and perceptions of your customers, employees, partners and your competitors; and you should also be able to identify key influencers, what they are saying and where you can find them. Think of it like a social media messaging/media plan – you want to uncover where the conversations are happening, who is engaging and what they are talking about.
Now consider your company – are you conversation ready? Is your brand even in the conversation? Do you have something of value to share? Are you ready for a corporate-wide solution or is it better for you to focus on key markets or key products? Be very clear about what you can take on before you launch. Consider which social media platform will work for your needs. They are all different with varying benefits (go back to your objectives).
Don’t forget to consider roles and responsibilities, including internal hiring and outsourcing. There are a lot of tools, technologies and talent available to help monitor and manage social media. Do a thorough review of what is available before you start hiring staff.
And remember, just because you build a social media platform doesn’t mean people will come. You have to engage them and inspire them to participate. You have to have something of value that matters to them. Social media is a two-way conversation, a give and take. Do not just start tweeting out corporate news and expect people to follow you. Consider social media as part of your integrated approach to marketing, and leverage it for all it can do.
Social media gives real-time and immediate feedback – be realistic on what you want to measure (line it up with your objectives), and don’t get caught up in all the information that you don’t need. Use the data to help inform decisions, and don’t be afraid to test, learn and make adjustments as the tide of conversation changes. This is a whole new world, and a very exciting time in marketing – don’t panic, use common marketing sense and enjoy the ride.
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