End the Hype: Getting the Most Out of Your Social Media Marketing Strategy

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End the HypeGetting the most out of your social media marketing strategy
Written by Mark Cattini, CEO, AwarenessEnd the Hype
End the Hype of Social Media
The social media landscape is littered with band wagon jumpers, self appointed"experts," bold but baseless predictions and, don't forget the endless discussionsthat say absolutely nothing. It's time to End the Hype.
Social media could be considered one of the most fundamentally disruptivein?uences of the century. Those few thousand people and outlets that oncecontrolled the information we received along with how we received it hasdramatically shifted to a world where we all have the opportunity to share andgather information on an in?nite scale. This shift to a Social Web is opening up newopportunities for individuals and organizations that were just not possible before.
"Companies and executives are ?nally beginning to really jump on the social media bandwagon,and that's fantastic. However, for social media to fully work (for everyone), businesses and brandsneed to be able to evaluate the impact their social media use is having, both positive andnegative." - "HOW TO: Measure Social Media ROI" Mashable, Christina Warren,October 2009
The rapid adoption of social media has fueled this Social Web revolution wheretechnology has met a fundamental human need or desire - the need tocommunicate, be heard and belong.
We are no longer restricted by geography, social standing or any other demographicfactor. The Social Web is a great equalizer. If you have a computer or mobile devicewith web access, you can communicate with whoever you want no matter where orwho they are.
As with most disruptive and revolutionary concepts, they eventually becomecommercialized for business use. There is certainly no di?erence here, except forthe fact that most organizations are struggling with how to incorporate social mediainto their business models.
What today's organizations need to keep in mind is that Social Media is more thanoverhyped tools and fancy buzzwords. When used as an integrated part of anymarketing mix, it can inform audiences, harvest actionable data, build knowledgeabout an audience and impact bottom line results. The data and informationgleaned from social media is critical when trying to deliver best practices, servicesand even goods to prospective buyers. Used skillfully, it has the potential to be arevenue booster in the form of organic content and authentic conversations.
Consider a June 2009 study from MarketingVox and Nielsen which found that 25percent of search results for the world's Top 20 brands linked back to user-generated content. This means that the broadcast messages brands put out through
www.awarenessnetworks.com 2End the Hype
traditional channels have less in?uence on business results because consumers willget their perspectives out there ?rst. From conversations on Twitter, Facebook,FriendFeed, branded communities, email, blogs and elsewhere, social mediapresents a unique way for companies to ?nd out what's making customers opentheir wallets or walk right past their store.
Ask yourself these questions. Is this just a revolution you need to participate in or isit just an overhyped fad lacking any true business bene?ts?
While we may not be able to fully measure the di?erence between let's say a pressrelease impression and a positive customerrecommendation on a community site or even theimpact thousands of YouTube views has over a SuperBowl ad, organizations need to remember that itscustomers are spending more time than ever in thosesocial media channels, and they're not going away.
Now is the time to invest in understanding what eachchannel means for your target audience throughpro?ling and segmentation. It will be di?erent, buttraditional marketing principles have not changed andstill apply. Don't let those social media "experts" foolyou. There is no secret social media sauce or silverbullet. It's trial and error through testing andcontinued learning, just like with traditional media inthe good old days.
How far are you in understanding social marketing and how much are you reallyinvesting? You need commitment and investment in order to see any results. Here'swhy - your competitors are trying to friend your friends while your customers arejoining your competitors' communities and engaging with them a... [download for more]