Where to Start with Social Media Marketing?

What is Social Media Marketing? Where should we start? Are we sick of hearing about it but actually none the wiser?

I have been enlightened by a webinar from Richard Duffy from Duct tape Marketing; “Leveraging Social Media to generate business”. My own perception of what it is and how we should use it has been cemented.

John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing put it very succinctly when he described marketing itself as… “Getting People to Know, Like and Trust”.

I found his definition of marketing refreshing having come across many definitions of marketing throughout my University studies. It’s clear, simple, to the point and most importantly it makes immediate sense and can be more readily put in to practice than some of the more theory dense and frankly somewhat confusing descriptions.

He builds upon this definition and describes Social Media Marketing as a tool to support the accomplishment of these goals through the use of technology.

Social Media Marketing is ultimately about building your companies web presence, driving traffic to the company website which is seen to be the central hub of all your Social Media activity and supporting the your overall company message, building your brand, image and reputation.

The challenge for all of us is not to get overwhelmed. One step at a time is the advice being given. Get your website right and from there maybe start a blog, or open a twitter account. The key is not to do it all at once.

To fully utilise the world of Social Media as a marketing tool we need to research the market place, see what our competitors and customers are doing and how they are using it and try to get a better picture of what might be expected of us and how our presence might be of use to our target audience.

Objectives need to be set. What are we hoping to gain from Social Media Marketing? We all have different intentions and we to ensure that these underpin our Social Media activity.

We need to listen, interact and learn. We will then be more greatly informed and can feel more confident in the content we supply through the various channels.

Content was a key focus of the webinar, and the most crucial points where highlighted as being the following:

It Should be Useful
Address a Painpoint in your Target Market (A specific problem)
Speak your Target Markets Language
And it Should be Approachable; Accessible and Friendly!

I find it useful to draw a parallel with word of mouth communications, the value of which is potentially underestimated by all. Social Media Marketing is a way of harnessing word of mouth; a tool to utilise social interactions and influence the way your organisation is ultimately perceived.

Although some people may be sick of hearing about Social Media Marketing I think it is only the beginning of the phenomenon and that we are only touching the tip of the iceberg; we have so much more to learn and explore to fully utilise it as a marketing tool.

Marketing shouldn't be a Luxury; it's not just about New Sales

A topic very true to my own heart having recently acquired the post as Marketing Coordinator for IIS and with a well established fascination and interest in all things marketing, I truly appreciate and advocate SMEs investing in marketing continuously and recognise it as a way they can turn the downturn into new business opportunities.

Bill Gates famously said that, if he was down to his last dollar, he would spend it on marketing. But, with the UK still stuck in a deep economic crisis, many companies are setting aside strategies for growth altogether and are intent solely on survival.

Global consultancy McKinsey & Co found companies that remained or emerged in the top quartile of their sample overspent their less successful peers by almost 10 per cent during recessions, while other studies have found that companies that increase their marketing spend in a recession recover three times faster when economic conditions normalise.

Marketing is not solely concerned with supporting sales objectives, it's about building and maintaining relationships and ensuring that your company and brand message remains consistent.

According to CIM there are six key reasons why committing to a marketing plan pays off in a downturn.
1.The alternative of heavy discounting could damage your company or brand reputation

2.Customers don’t stop buying, they just contemplate their purchases more than they might have and just need a little extra reassurance

3.Communication is vital, “out of sight” is potentially “out of mind”

4.Innovation is key; in order to survive shifting circumstances businesses need to adapt

5.Empathy is valued; incentivise and create loyalty schemes that demonstrate your understanding or your customers positions

6.Why not utilise the internet and the many free services and social networking platforms that are continually seeing rapid growth in their membership; gain insight, interact and promote your business on a large scale

Though it is claimed we are coming out of the recession, this advice stands whatever the weather. For the time being make the most of the quietness, retain your position and potentially gain competitive advantage!

Could Social Networking Really Be Bad for Business?

Could Social Networking Really Be Bad for Business?

My initial reaction when I saw this title was one of panic. Having just entered into the world of social media, and still feeling very much a novice in the field though excited by the prospects and marketing opportunities that are forthcoming the thought that it could potentially be bad for business was disquieting!

The whitepaper was brought to my attention via Messagelabs.com. Having had a read my initial worries where settled. The issues being highlighted were around control, security, potential web risks and taking employees with you. Not too make light of the issues but I decided to view them more as principal factors that should be considered, advice and tips when entering in to the world of social media for businesses.

View the full whitepaper at www.messagelabs.co.uk

Issues can be overcome when given due consideration and my own opinion is that the benefits far out way the risks.
The business opportunities are unprecedented. The use of blogs, forums and media portals have become important business tools and businesses are continually investing in and making use of the various social media sites which now exist. Benefits have been reaped including more innovative products and services, more effective marketing, better access to knowledge, lower cost of doing business and higher revenues.

The challenge for businesses is how to embrace the new technologies while protecting their company’s reputation and defining a level of monitoring that fits in with the existing company ethos. Within an innovative, creative and flexible organisation, where core values and culture are deeply embedded and widely appreciated this really shouldn’t be an issue.

We need to be aware of the issues, as do all employees within the organisation. Advice and tips are continually being made available; we need to hasten and make use of it, or as much as we can assimilate!

Social Media is Not a Vocation

I think we all have become a bit wrapped up in the world of social media both within our personal and working lives, myself included. What is now becoming apparent is that some people are now completely dependent on it and have come to view "Social Media" as a vocation in itself. They appear to hold it the same esteem as "Marketing" in terms of it being a distinct occupation.

Although an outlook of my own it is obviously not exclusively my contemplation.

Social Media is Not a Vocation

Social Media as a tool continues to grow in importance. Not utilising it as a marketing tool suggests complacency, neglect and lack of foresight on the part of a business.
On a daily basis we are updated as consumers and those more closely interest in the exploitation of it. To ignore the teachings of the most insightful and practices of the world largest companies seems imprudent and frankly ludicrous.

Businesses need to assess their own needs and the relative opportunities, make use of the most pertinant tools in a distinctive manner whilst at the same time making a concerted effort not to become bogged down and consumed entirely by it.

Social Media is a now a fundamental element of the marketing mix though not to the detriment of the other components. It's developing and progressing at a rapid pace and businesses need to remain poised and ready for the the next wave of activity!