Our 2-cents on social media marketing (SMM)
It's
all the buzz. . . . Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. Should
you be there and if so how much time should you invest?
1. The stats are astounding:
There
is no doubt the popularity of social media and bookmarking sites is
significant and growing daily, but can these sites actually translate
into sales? We suggest you look at your existing and potential
clients.
- Are they seeking out, participating in and being influenced by social media?
- Do they have conversations about brands on these sites?
- Is your brand being mentioned on these sites?
An
answer of YES to any of these is a key indicator that SMM may be
effective for your biz. If NO, perhaps you can open some social
media channels and invest your time appropriately.
2.
Failing to plan is planning to fail: Don't jump into SMM without
first determining how it fits into your entire marketing picture. - What's your rationale for engaging social media?
- Which social media tactics are you going to use?
- How are you going to engage your fans, followers and contacts?
- How will messaging and imagery integrate with your traditional marketing?
- How will you determine whether it's actually working for you?
People
listen to the opinions of friends and family because they are more
likely to
be honest and share positive and negative experiences.The conversations
people are having online, the "word of web", is also influencing where
people shop, stay and play, what they buy and who they buy from.
If you've ever checked out tripadvisor.com you know what I'm talking about. Watch, listen and learn - don't jump on bandwagons - make informed decisions. Not sure where to start, you know who to contact. ;-D
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