Link Love – Social Media
Welcome to this week’s edition of "Link Love."
I guess this week’s theme is social media — again. It seems to be an on-going discussion as business people try to work their way through and around the various tools, concepts and applications of social media.
As you’ll see from the links below, it’s not a question of "whether" or "if" this has marketing value, but "what" and "how" we will use it to it’s full potential.
I know – I know – it’s a pain to figure out something technical and new if you’ve built and are growing a successful business "the old fashioned way." But if you think about it, it’s still the basic marketing process:
- Research – communities allow you to peek into what your customers are thinking and how they are thinking
- Segmentation – Targeting and Positioning – The original reason for segmentation, targeting and positioninig was to improve the efficiency of your marketing efforts. We group people into segments because they are similar – they are groups. The reason really good segmentation has been so hard is because it was hard to connect with these groups on a meaningful level – but NO MORE!
- The marketing mix – Your OFFER: By building and developing communities and social marketing groups, you are able to create better, more valuable offers and charge for that value. Does it get any easier or better?
- Promotion/Communication – The core of social media is exactly that. People buy from people who they like that are like them. Voila!
- Feedback – We’ve never had more, better, real-time access to feedback to our offer than we do with social communities.
- ROI – Do I even need to comment on this?! Done well, a social media marketing strategy is the best of referral marketing and communication all wrapped up into one. Thanks to digital tools and media we can create better, more exciting and real experiences with and for our customers than ever before.
Experience Curve – If you are one of those people wondering whether you should use Social Marketing for your Business — don’t. You WILL use social marketing. The question for most business people will be HOW or IN WHAT WAYS.
Servant of Chaos – Social Marketing as a cost effective research and insight tool.
Direct Marketing MBA – If you’re into politics, read this great article on how grass roots marketing of issues is done using social media.
Dosh Dosh: WOW! This article is loaded with information. Don’t stop reading because it seems like it’s just for "internet marketing" or "making money online." This has insight for every business. Scroll down and check out the section "Four Reasons to Practice Social Media Marketing"
008226 – Justin Palmer – Just when you thought you understood Search Engine Optimization (SEO) now comes a new term SMO (Social Media Optimization). Take a look at what Justin Palmer says.
I think that will do you for the weekend. What are your thoughts on social media marketing?
Great comments Ivanna, I agree. The problem all of us are facing is it’s hard to shake what we already know. It’s difficult to leave what is comfortable. Anyone who is in business has learned to pick up a phone, drive to a prospects door, get on a plane, place ads at traditional media properties and then wait for business. Not one business owner I’ve talked to has the time to “learn” how to use social media. Until the bike is broke, they see Web 2.0 and social media as a curiosity, something they don’t know about. What’s a typical reaction when someone says something you don’t know about? You nod your head? You don’t want to appear too ignorant right?
Our business, governmental and community leaders need to help provide more opportunities for all of us to “come out of the closet” and get in the know. Let’s shine some light on the increasing importance social media and web 2.0 will have to our businesses. I like you are convinced, in 5 years businesses will not be able to compete without being a part of this emerging business marketing channel.
It’s funny – because I didn’t quite go looking for these links as much as they came up. So everyone is talking about it. I think it’s going to be interesting to watch this grow now that we’ve had the experience with the internet. It’s almost as if we are all becoming parents for the second time. While this will go through its stages – we all know it’s a little different. So then the question becomes “What kind of individual with this technology become.”