Let’s face the facts…there is a lot of hype about social media as the new marketing model and as this new “marketing frontier” continues to grab the trade headlines there are an awful lot of sudden “experts” in the field.
But it is a fact that something has profoundly changed in the way people are communicating utilizing these new online platforms as well as controlling, consuming and creating content. Every age and gender, every influencer and a significant portion of your customers and potential customers.
Social networks, applications and media are allowing your customers to do what they’ve always done or wanted to do – be heard. If you don’t listen and engage them, when they’re happy or unhappy with your product or service, these tools will allow them to reach more people like them who will listen. It’s no longer “buyer beware” but “brand be aware”!
Consumers are positively and negatively affecting, sharing and affirming your brand reputation every day. It’s been said, “A brand is what they say about you when you are NOT in the room.” The social Web allows brands, for the first time, to be in the room with their customers.
These social platforms and applications allow brands to realize one-to-one marketing efforts, engagement and deep data from crowd-sourced focus groups that in the past would have been impractical because they required too many resources, people or just plain too much cost.
But before you jump in to this exciting environment for marketing innovation we recommend you spend 30 days just listening to your customers. There’s a firehouse of word of mouth about, you, your competitors and your products or services. Listen and you’ll inform your strategy for social media success.
AldenMC helps our clients be more aware of the online conversation so that they can be more successful implementing their digital strategy. Can we help you?
