Social Media sites provide an easy online source to "unify individuals with common interests". Communities exist in a multitude of sizes and purposes, and the people within each community are talking among themselves. Social media marketing involves listening and establishing relationships with the various personalities within these social networks. Constant engagement is necessary, but real conversations are critical. Your followers want to talk with humans! Consistent, proactive participation will bring results. Listen to them; share your knowledge and optimism. Most importantly, be yourself - because "Social Media Marketing is not about campaigns; it's about relationships!"
The Power of Social Media
The idea behind social media marketing is that "friends recommend links, websites, and products to their peers." That's exactly why social media marketing is growing faster than most other marketing channels. Why?
- First, people do not believe what YOU tell them.
- And, they rarely believe what you SHOW them.
- However, people will generally believe what their friends tell them.
Conversations will occur among the members of your marketplace, whether you like it or not. They may occur on one of YOUR social sites or on other social sites. But, you won't know unless you're actively listening to social media. Good marketing follows your brand in the social online arenas and encourages the right sort of conversations. Embracing this type of proactive communication philosophy will guide you towards developing a solid social media strategy. Combined with creative search query tactics, you can uncover what people are saying about your company and your brand, products, or services. Additionally, explore social media activity in your social networks to locate the most interesting people and their conversations. Use your findings to create fresh conversations.
Unless companies begin to listen and take action based on what they hear, all of this is simply reacting to customer chatter. Companies that turn social media conversations and discoveries into action items will cement loyalty with customers and leap ahead of their competitors. Former GE CEO Jack Welch once said, “We have only two sources of competitive advantage.
- Learn more about our customers - faster than our competition
- Turn that learning into action - faster than our competition.”
Social Media Keeps Expanding
With new social media tools and insights added everyday to the Internet, it’s virtually impossible for most of us to become “experts”. There are always new tools, tactics, and techniques to learn, which keeps online communication and engagement exciting, (just like these two new web apps, Google Wave and Google SideWiki).
Social media networking isn’t a tip, trick, tool, or strategy. It’s a long-term commitment that gives you options for contacting and buildling relationships with people who share your interests. With the growing number of social media sites and followers, it's important for online marketers to mesh “social media” with their other branding and promotional marketing efforts. It's the smart online retailers who will "listen" first before diving head first into the social pool.
Social Media Marketing influencers that we follow: Brian Solis, Jeremiah Owyang, Chris Brogan, Jesse Stay, Randfish, and Lon Safko. |
