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 is clear out of every angle, except from view, that a lot of brands are overlooking the “social” facing the social media. This is exactly what sets social media apart from other types of media. To excel in social media, you start out with cultivating a social media mindset. Most haven’t understood what this platform offers.
All that people are currently doing is majorly titled toward social media abuse which is based 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’re unaware that the only method to survive in now is just a two-way communication media which embraces not merely the original but online media platform. As we all know, the present trend today is for brands to first learn about their brides-customers, manage to get thier attention through the usage of social media platforms like blogging, Youtube, Xing, Facebook, Del.ici.ous, Bookmarking, RSS, Podcasting, videocasting, Wikis among a number of other available online media.
The evolution of these new media has opened opportunity to get opinion, interact, court, date and offers irresistible proposal that’ll hook the bride. Today customers are no more buying one mode fits all offer by the original media. Some corporate brands here seem to hinge non-participation in online community building on such excuses that people are not yet online, neither exist recognized consumer fora which may have major convergence of consumers online. Also no regulatory authority here pays awareness of or gives any awareness of whatever they’ve to state can. They also claim that online forums here haven’t any impacts on corporate performance. Some also claim that social media is alien to us. My answer is that social media isn’t alien. The fact remains that numerous things have been part of us only that people don’t accurately labeled them until the westerners help us out.
The thought of social media, content marketing is rooted in cultural rituals in which 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 made he is thinking about a serous relationship and not flings. Without these background checks, no body officially allows the intending couple to begin dating. If this really is violated then, the bride to be could be disciplined.
Drawing a parallel in this ancient ritual, the customers want the brand today showing that what matters is her, not money making. The customers desire to be certain that out of arrays of suitors-products, services- your brand usually takes the initiative of starting a discussion, the client wants to make sure your brand is not just flirting, looking out for short flings but an actual relationship that’ll enhance her lifestyle. Brand through social media, content and social marketing set up a bate by loading the proper words in their contents to convince, educate, entertain the bride that they’re out to make her life better even before selling anything.
Customer wants to see simply how much of one’s intellectual property will soon be made available without charges. The client wants to find out you are a giver. Among their love languages is gift sharing. A giver without string attached always takes the show. Social media marketing, content marketing requires lots of commitment. It takes some time before social media and content marketing make huge impact. Any brand that will show higher level of commitment in social media will always carry the day.
Typical case studies of brands with efficient utilization of social media include Tony Hseih. Tony followers in Twitter today is over one forty million. Hseih is the managing Director of Zappos.com. Tony through his ‘tweet’ has course to meet up with customers at a club while many in his position will rather hide under the guise of busy schedule. Tony uses Twitter to build interaction with customers; he uses twitter to solve problems for clients. The strength 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’s used his twitter account to answer questions from angry customers along with virgin potentials. The virgin group also comes with an integrated website which allows news update, blog among others. Southwest Airlines has used social media to build strong connection that impacts on the brand’s offline interaction
An example of the usage of social media to spread messages and connection was recently demonstrated by Michael Jackson’s personal doctor. As we are all aware, it had been once insinuated he killed Michael Jackson through drug overdose. About a week ago, he used YouTube video to spread his the main case. This video spread across the web along with mainstream media. Popularity of virtual community has been soaring high with increased people focusing from academics and marketing communications practitioner discussing it ahead of time countries, yet Nigeria brands have assumed ‘I don’t care attitude’ ;.Nations and brands aren’t considered backward just for their location but predicated on attitudes, disposition to the usage of technology that’ll aid progress. Building emotional connection, loyalty with the brand is becoming an easy thing through social media.
Social media marketing has changed into a great platform to identify with, interact, communicate brand element. This often starts in online forum and result in offline beneficial relationship. Today, nearly three billion of the seven billion potentials are actually connected in social media platforms. Agreed the ratio continues to be slow here but the amount is increasing daily. Through social media brands can ignite confidence in the hearts of the bride, build thought leadership. Your brand competitors might have better product, services but will surely lose out for you if you’re able to build strong connection using them before you ask them to purchase through massive advertisement.
If your brand can share enough information, answers to concerns and prove that you’re on the verge of seriously neglecting your personal best interest, of tight schedules, to be able to serve these greedy, needy brides that desire your brands become more open, honest using them which is the essence of social media. Social media marketing don’t allow cover ups, unnecessary protection of corporate brand’s failures. I’m of the opinion when our banking industry’s Managing Directors have been active in social media, there is chance for gaining public sympathy instead of the anger, tantrum they’re now receiving from various angles. Their followers would have been able to guard them and take appropriate position which could have given them soft landing in this trying period.
Since our brands have concentrated on a single kind of media, mainstream, tell me why should their brides not block out their useless bragging through advertising? Tell me exactly why is it burdensome for brands n our environment to see handwriting on the wall that their brides now desire their authentic voices that are not coloured with jargons of self- serving moneybags? The brands’ brides are actually also afraid; skeptical of marketing. Why if the brides be loyal when the section of trust is shaking?
Having established that let us now examine proper means of participating in social media which is now being exchanged for web.2.0. For brands to actively participate in social media, brands need to observe, listen, find clients’ hibernating medium. In achieving this, brand should first define its social media strategy through careful evaluation of brand’s resources, analyze the market, 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 blog or perhaps to participate in other forums like Twitter, Facebook, discussion board, social media bookmarking, stumbleupon among others. Be sure you understand that such platforms are employed by your niche audience. Identify the top influencers of one’s 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, acheter des abonnés web links etc. These skills don’t demand a programmer’s knowledge and in actual fact, they’re employed by customer relations, brand, and Public relations experts. The only real requirement is passion that is backed with proven results. The said manger or consultant must also understands forum rules, reputation software, understand how to distribute contents without creating offense as this may be counter productive. Great ability to generate qualitative content for blogs, create profiles and claim such blogs in online directories can also be essential. Social media marketing, content marketing, management sometimes appears as number 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 so it must demonstrate your brand cares, is curious to find out what is the concern of the customers, contribute, ensure the content is worth their attention, clarify issues, build conversation that’ll result in strong relationship, make lots 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.
Allow me to conclude this piece by highlighting how brand can start participate in social media and content marketing. Content marketing is an art of understanding what your customers’ want, have to know and the science of delivering it for them in a helpful and compelling way. The content needs to be participating in a helpful and compelling way. To begin, the brand has to build trust and credibility. This really is huge work. This becomes easy if your brand can take time to pay attention to customers first. By that brand discovers their problems and the content is therefore tailored to provide solution.
Avoid talking too much about your brand or your expertise as much as I really do know the fact that your brand need to establish the line your brand is worth their attentions. This will make your brand’s efforts become suspect. Your web visitors want educational content without initial marketing spin. The content also needs to be compelling, entertaining to earn the scarcest entity on the wed- time/patience. Great content must guides, clarifies, enlightened and connect. The language of the content has to be in tune together with your industry. Contents that solve problems drive traffic and increases sale rate.