SOCIALLY ELUSIVE
MARKETING communicators may be reeling under the quantitative weight of social media platforms. Which ones are best? How do you choose? What is the balance between channels employed and payback received? For many, the problem with social media is that substantial time and money can be invested, yet targets remain elusive. Who knows where those messages are landing?
There is no easy answer, but a sensible starting point is to think hard about what it is you are trying to achieve. Are you pushing brand awareness? Educating the marketplace? Developing thought leadership? Distributing news, perhaps?
The chosen platforms have to fit with what you are attempting to communicate. The key to success may well be to focus, rather than opt for a multitudinous approach: to promote heavily in just one or two places.
Research the platforms, including smaller ones. See what is being said and by whom. Look at what seems to be working for the competition. Evaluate the statistics. Test it and measure it. But retain flexibility. These are highly mobile channels, changing at pace.
WHERE TO GO
It is important to have a social vision linked to your marketing objectives. It will help you to decide where to go with your messages and invitations.
What you have to say and how you say it comes next. Without consistently good quality content you will be ignored.
Content that offers something new or different has a head start. Regularity is important, too, maintaining the anticipation and interest of your followers. An ability to engage and listen will produce far greater payback than broadcasting.
You could be a mouthpiece for your industry. Repeat notable quotations. Use interviews. Try asking questions. Maybe a survey. People like statistics. Quizzes are popular. Offer a giveaway. Introduce a competition. Take and post photos. Explain, expound and invite. Help people to relate to your brand.
Because social networks have diverse participants, each can be treated as a stand-alone opportunity. If you create input that performs well on Twitter, it might be developed into an infographic for Pinterest or a video for YouTube. Often, this can be achieved without composing new content.
MORE THAN ONCE
Don’t be afraid to share the same content more than once. Different people will see what you post at different times. This tack will reduce the time and effort required to keep in touch.
Share the content of others, as long as it is credible and relevant to your readership. But be ready to explain why you found it to be sufficiently compelling to share.
Whatever you do, be sure that you are providing value. That value might be education, entertainment, improved productivity or cost savings.
It shouldn’t seem like sales or marketing, but you are aiming to provide long-term awareness and understanding. You want your brand to be the first that comes to mind.
Brands tend to be egocentric, talking about themselves. Customers are egocentric as well and want to know what your brand can do for them – never mind the features.
It’s a challenge. Most content is merely floating around, unread and unwanted. There is no doubt, nonetheless, that social media is transforming the way businesses reach out to customers and prospects. And the pace of change is accelerating, with or without you.
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