Social media is the "new wave" of advertising and media placement for many companies today. Many small to medium sized businesses feel like they are not "in tune" with this new form of advertising if they do not jump on this "bandwagon."
But is it necessary for every business to be involved in social media? There are a few things that a company should think about before considering joining a social media network. It may seem easy to just create a Facebook or a Twitter page, but careful planning should be done in order for you to get the most impact from these websites. These sites require constant updating that may up to a few hours a day to maintain. Just because you go away on Vacation doesn't mean that your Facebook or Twitter site does also! With this amount of dedication you should ensure that the impact you may receive from these sites will in fact be worthwhile and most of all reach your target market. Researching how these sites work and how you can maximize them will help greatly.
Keeping regular and relevant information on your social media site can prove to be extremely beneficial as well. You can advertise through these channels everything from
upcoming sales to offering coupons to your following customers.
Social media in itself is free but as shown above, the time and energy required to keep up with it may become costly to any firm. It is only after careful evaluation of your firms target market, goals and objectives, and creating a strategy for your social media networking, that you can truly evaluate whether social media networking is the right choice for your organization.
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The points made by Kristel are extremely pertinent. There is a significant amount of time and energy which must be expended to make online social media successful. As Professor Miyazaki stated in his course blog, which can be accessed via this link: http://e-marketingforsensiblefolk.blogspot.com/2010/05/can-your-brand-thrive-without-online.html there are some potential problems with “going social”. They include what Kristel stated that careful planning must be done in order for you to get the most impact from your pages. You need to have something new to say on a perpetual basis. Also, besides the fact that the content must be current, it must also be relevant and of a high quality. As Kristel stated, this could realistically take many hours per day. The one point where I have a different viewpoint is that I do not believe the choice that needs to be evaluated is the choice between whether social media is right or not. I believe that, not only is it right for every organization, it is also crucial for the success of any brand. Conversely, I believe the only choices that need to be evaluated are how to add online social media to your marketing strategic plan, if you have not already done so.
ReplyDeleteAndrew ... I could not agree more. In today's day & age, it is imperative that all marketers take an active role in social media. Consumers of all ages are becoming increasingly more comfortable with and spending more time on social media networks. (My mother even has a Facebook page!) Consumers are captivated by these networks as a both a source of information & a communication outlet, and marketers must get actively involved in order to increase their chances of capturing consumer attention. Otherwise, customers, will lean towards those companies that are up with the "trend".
ReplyDeleteI used to think it was ridiculous that so many companies were gravitating towards these social media networks. However, the more I read about the topic, the more I understand the importance of the move. That being said, it's not just about setting up a Facebook account. In order to truly connect & be accepted by consumers, marketers must be dedicated to providing constant, engaging, and valuable 2-way communication with your consumers. It's hard work, but without this, consumers would be turned off and search for the next best thing. Morale of the story - Social Media Networks should be pursued by all companies wholeheartedly or not at all.
I agree with Kristel, companies should go into the social media netwirking for the right reasons and not just because their fellow competitors are in it. Their reason for having such a presence might be to keep people informed or just to advertise themselves.
ReplyDeleteBut my question is, why would a company spend so much on creating a detailed website where all the information and suggestions can be made and then want to have a social media presence. What happened to all the money spent in creating the website, is all that money going to waste?
And it is common for companies to create these social networks but never use them, as Kristel said just because you are taking a vacation does not mean your social site should too.
Will a company survive without developing a comprenhensive strategy on internet, on social media networking?
ReplyDeletePossibly a company can survive without using any kind of social media strategy. But can a company develop its full potential without using one?. I believe not.
It´s adaptation that drives companies to the path of a sustainable success. Of course, we have to invest time, money and a lot of effort, for example, develop a coherent and comprenhensive Social Media Policy.
I understand your point of that online social media could have some costs to run. However that's just one of the models that can be used, there are other models where seller efforts are minimal and could be just as effective (google ads, facebook ads, etc).
ReplyDeleteDirect models like Google's and facebook contextual ads --that will adjust ads based on your social interaction among other things-- have reached a level of automation that makes it easy for companies to create and run campaigns.
@Damilola, many companies have websites because they provide the company with the highest degree of customization and control over what's presented. Often companies use social media tools to direct traffic to their websites. In some instances customers themselves create "fan" pages that's probably why some of these pages don't get updated frequently. Nevertheless companies always use their website as the hub of all their campaigns, contents and information.