This is the 2nd of 3 posts from SES Chicago and the main trends taken from the conference. The previous one was about Landing Page Optimization.
Social media are primarily internet and mobile tools for consumer-generated discussions and the sharing of information. It can provide a way for you to be involved in the conversation about your product or service and influence the perception of your brand.
Various forms of social media include blogs, forums, Facebook and photo sharing. A recent example of success by means of social media is the Barak Obama Presidential Campaign’s use of all of the above to be involved in conversations in multiple demographics and get a read on voters’ needs, ultimately contributing to his presidential vote win.
When weighing up if social media is appropriate for your brand consider these points:
- You must research your audience
- You must have a strategy and take it seriously
- You cannot control the conversation, you can only contribute value
Due to the fact that social media is a conversation online, without the advantages of face-to-face communication, such as being able to determine body language, tone, appearance etc. it can take time to build trust. It is important to respect your customer and avoid being too contrived. If customers smell a rat, you can anticipate a negative backlash.
This being said, if you can harness negativity and use it to your advantage social media is like a free focus group, which can provide you with information to enhance your product or service.
Launching into the realm of social media is a long term commitment and requires the involvement of only the most passionate people in your organization who have enough information to represent your brand accurately.
The third and last post from SES Chicago 2008 will be about Marketing Integration.
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