Social media marketing is now mainstream and as someone said: every media becoming social. I always think some brands and their attitudes to social media, content marketing, management. It’s clear out of every angle, except from view, that a lot of brands are overlooking the “social” before the social media. This is what sets social media apart from other types of media. To excel in social media, you start out with cultivating a cultural media mindset. Most have not understood what this platform offers.
All that individuals are now doing is majorly titled toward social media abuse which is founded on advertising and shameless ego promotion. This affects corporate brands more though.
Most have concentrated mainly on mainstream traditional media. They’ve neglected or can we say they are unaware that the only way to survive in this time around is really a two-way communication media which embraces not merely the traditional but online media platform. As we all know, the present trend today is for brands to first understand their brides-customers, obtain attention through the usage of social media platforms like blogging, Youtube, Xing, Facebook, Del.ici.ous, Bookmarking, RSS, Podcasting, videocasting, Wikis among a great many other available online media.
The evolution of these new media has opened opportunity to get opinion, interact, court, date and offers irresistible proposal which will hook the bride. Today customers are no more buying one mode fits all offer by the traditional media. Some corporate brands here appear to hinge non-participation in online community building on such excuses that individuals are not even online, neither is there recognized consumer fora which may have major convergence of consumers online. Also no regulatory authority here pays focus on or gives any focus on whatever they have to state can. In addition they declare that online forums here don’t have any impacts on corporate performance. Some also declare that social media is alien to us. My answer is that social media isn’t alien. The fact remains that many things had been part people only that individuals do not accurately labeled them before westerners help us out.
The notion of social media, content marketing is rooted in cultural rituals the place where a couple gets engaged before they may start dating. The method require that suitor’s intention needs to be established through family contacts, integrity checked and a cogent promised is created he is thinking about a serous relationship and not flings. Without these background checks, no one officially allows the intending couple to start dating. If this really is violated then, the bride to be will be disciplined.
Drawing a simultaneous in this ancient ritual, the customers want the brand today showing that what matters is her, not money making. The customers wish to be certain that out of arrays of suitors-products, services- your brand will take the initiative of starting a discussion, the consumer wants to be sure your brand is not merely flirting, taking care of short flings but a genuine relationship which will enhance her lifestyle. Brand through social media, content and social marketing set up a bate by loading the best words within their contents to convince, educate, entertain the bride that they’re out to produce her life better even before selling anything.
Customer really wants to see how much of your intellectual property is going to be made available without charges. The consumer wants to learn you’re a giver. One of their love languages is gift sharing. A giver without string attached always takes the show. Social media marketing, content marketing requires plenty of commitment. It does take time before social media and content marketing make huge impact. Any brand that may show advanced level of commitment in social media will always carry the day.
Typical case studies of brands with efficient usage of social media include Tony Hseih. Tony followers in Twitter today has ended one forty million. Hseih may be the managing Director of Zappos.com. Tony through his ‘tweet’ has course to generally meet with customers at a club while many in his position will rather hide beneath the guise of busy schedule. Tony uses Twitter to build interaction with customers; he uses twitter to resolve problems for clients. The potency of Tony Hseih and Zappos communities has been used to strengthen relationships with Zappo’s brand offline. Zappos client freely gives their ideas on which they want. This aids, leads to co- creation of brands products, services.
As busy as Richard Branson of Virgin group is, he also maintains a twitter account. He has used his twitter account to answer questions from angry customers as well as virgin potentials. The virgin group also posseses an integrated website that allows news update, blog among others. Southwest Airlines has used social media to build strong connection that impacts on the brand’s offline interaction
A good example of the usage of social media to spread messages and connection was recently demonstrated by Michael Jackson’s personal doctor. As we’re all aware, it absolutely was once insinuated he killed Michael Jackson through drug overdose. About yesterday, he used YouTube video to spread his part of the case. This video spread across the internet as well as mainstream media. Popularity of virtual community has been soaring high with more people focusing from academics and marketing communications practitioner discussing it beforehand countries, yet Nigeria brands have assumed ‘I do not care attitude Twitter Reseller Panel‘ ;.Nations and brands are not considered backward just due to their location but predicated on attitudes, disposition to the usage of technology which will aid progress. Building emotional connection, loyalty with the brand is becoming a straightforward thing through social media.
Social media marketing has turned into a great platform to identify with, interact, communicate brand element. This often starts in online forum and cause offline beneficial relationship. Today, nearly three billion of the seven billion potentials are now connected in social media platforms. Agreed the ratio remains slow here but the quantity is increasing daily. Through social media brands can ignite confidence in the hearts of the bride, build thought leadership. Your brand competitors may have better product, services but will certainly lose out to you if you’re able to build strong connection with them when you question them to purchase through massive advertisement.
If your brand can hand out enough information, answers to concerns and prove that you are on the verge of seriously neglecting your personal best interest, of tight schedules, in order to serve these greedy, needy brides that desire your brands be much more open, honest with them which is the essence of social media. Social media marketing do not allow cover ups, unnecessary protection of corporate brand’s failures. I’m of the opinion that when our banking industry’s Managing Directors have been active in social media, there is likelihood of gaining public sympathy instead of this anger, tantrum they are now receiving from various angles. Their followers would have been able to protect them and take appropriate position which could have given them soft landing in this trying period.
Since our brands have concentrated on a single form of media, mainstream, tell me why should their brides not block out their useless bragging through advertising? Tell me why is it hard for brands n our environment to see handwriting on the wall that their brides now desire their authentic voices which are not coloured with jargons of self- serving moneybags? The brands’ brides are now also afraid; skeptical of marketing. Why should the brides be loyal when the section of trust is shaking?
Having established that let’s now examine proper means of participating in social media which is now being exchanged for web.2.0. For brands to actively be involved in social media, brands have to observe, listen, find clients’ hibernating medium. In doing this, brand should first define its social media strategy through careful evaluation of brand’s resources, analyze the audience, and identify objectives. Having done this, brand must carefully pick or access platforms that fit their goals. This may inform your decision to perform a weblog or just to be involved in other forums like Twitter, Facebook, discussion board, social media bookmarking, stumbleupon among others. Make sure you know that such platforms are used by your niche audience. Identify the most truly effective influencers of your industry online through recognitions given for their opinions, comments, awards etc.
To do this effectively, brand may consider creating the career of community or social media/knowledge management manager or hire consultant who has track records in skills like community management, online reputation management, monitoring, tracking, podcast, video cast, web links etc. These skills do not require a programmer’s knowledge and in actual fact, they are used by customer relations, brand, and Public relations experts. The sole requirement is passion that is backed with proven results. The said manger or consultant must also understands forum rules, reputation software, know how to distribute contents without creating offense as this can be counter productive. Great ability to produce qualitative content for blogs, create profiles and claim such blogs in online directories can also be essential. Social media marketing, content marketing, management is observed as collection of open-sourced, interactive and user- controlled online application used to expand the experiences, knowledge and market power of the users as participants running a business and social processes, the social media landscape is basically about conversation before any marketing campaign.
Brands must therefore consider Rajesh Setty’s suggestion that it must demonstrate your brand cares, is curious to learn what’s the concern of the customers, contribute, ensure the content may be worth their attention, clarify issues, build conversation which will cause strong relationship, bring in plenty of creativity, demonstrate the brand’s character and values cherished, build community, tribe, brings change, instill courage and be highly commitment to a cause its believe in.
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