Social Media Marketing Introduction Social Networks involve the technologies on the web and mobile that enable people to create, publish and share content as well as connect/communicate with others. Brand control is in the hands (minds really) of consumers, not companies. So marketing on the social web means informing, educating and even entertaining those communities of people that care about the issues, problems, wants and needs met by your company. When you’re new to any social situation, your best bet is to listen and learn about the dynamics of the community or group. Who are the influencers? What are the obvious rules and what are the hidden or unwritten rules? The key to effective, social media marketing is taking the insights you have about your customers, products or services, and implementing an appropriate course of action that will help you achieve objectives such as: • • • • •
Growing brand awareness. Creating a positive brand and brand experience. Business development with a broader customer reach. Direct enquiries from new customers, and new customer types. Increased website traffic and Search Engine Optimisation for your main website.
Remember, Social Media Marketing differs from most forms of marketing because it is permission based. It is Inbound marketing as opposed to traditional Outbound, meaning that instead of chasing leads, you position yourself to be found by those interested in what you offer.
Goals It’s important to consider both the goals of the company as well as the audience you’re trying to reach. Marketing on the social web is about giving to get. Knowing what your community wants is key to reaching your own organisation’s goals because you’re going to give it to them.
Goals may include: • • • • • • • • •
Increase customer base. Generate leads. Drive sales. Build awareness. Make money from your content. Establish thought leadership. Educate customers. Customer-source part of your product development. Reach new channels of customers. • Improve internal communication.
Audience Social Media is about people. Your customers, prospects and associates are connecting, sharing, and growing with each other; never forget this. Do it authentically, openly, and knowing that the world is watching. Prospects trust consumers more than you; now they are talking to each other using Social Media tools. Listen and understand your audience and how they communicate/interact on the social web. • • •
What types of social networks, media sharing and assets do they engage? What are their goals for doing so? Are your customers likely to actually be online?
Note that lots of people are online these days, but it might be that you have a product or service that isn’t as frequently purchased via the web. There’s no point investing time and money in reaching an audience that isn’t there.
Strategic Plan Once your goals and audience have been identified, a plan of action is needed to bring them together. What approach will you take to meet the needs and interests of your audience in order to meet your own? Will you engage influencers, will you energise brand advocates or will you create demand by offering non-branded resources?
What steps can you take to reach your goals? What are the key objectives you need to achieve in order to reach your goals? Steps may include: • • • •
Create Communities. Position Yourself as an Expert. Provoke Discussion. Encourage “champions”.
Goals may include: • • • • • • • • •
Increase customer base. Generate leads. Drive sales. Build brand awareness. Make money from your content. Establish thought leadership. Educate customers. Customer-source part of your product development. Reach new channels of customers. • Improve internal communication.
Implementation Social media provides you with the tools to implement your plan, but you need to identify those that can deliver. What social media marketing tactics and corresponding technologies will you use? Which sites are most appropriate for your needs, to efficiently monitor, communicate, create and promote social content? Examine your strategic plan and decide which areas of online Social Media will help you reach your objectives. The main areas of social media are listed below: Personal Publishing: Blogs, RSS Feeds, Podcasts, etc Micro-Messaging: SMS, Twitter, etc. Discussion Areas: Forums, Wikis, Chat rooms, etc.
Viral Marketing: Emails, videos, etc. Social Networks: facebook, Myspace, Bebo, Linkedin, etc.
Results As with all marketing, monitoring results is vital so that you’re not wasting your time and money. Results allow you to identify which campaigns are the most effective and which can be abandoned. Different sites provide different tools and making regular use of these can help you make the most of your investments. • • •
How will you measure success according to the objectives you’ve identified? What tools will you employ and at what point will you take benchmark measurements as well as interval measurements? Will there be success metrics that you can share with the community you’re engaging?