Social Media is revolutionising the way we share news, ideas and opinions. It has become a medium for marketing largely due to its valuable, sharable content in all the various forms of rich media whether that be text, video or images. The popular ones being Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Slideshare, LinkedIn are used in marketing ideas and content to a global audience.
At its peak, Twitter was carrying 5000 Tweets a second – or around 300,000 a minute- about Bin Laden’s demise, while there were nearly 4000 a second about the royal wedding which shows the that social media has gone mainstream as social media and mobile are now the preferred means of digital communications
So for consuming-facing brands, the question long ago ceased to be whether to join the online conversation because the boundary between media and social media is disappearing.
But having a social media presence and engaging fans or followers is not enough, it should be about taking a strategic approach rather than doing it for its own sake.
Savvy brands must realise to exploit the full potential of the social web. Applying some of strategic tip/tactics would assist in optimizing and integrating a multiple social media platform.
- Making sense of vast mass of consumer opinion: tracking online conversations, identifying key influencers and shaping discussion
- Collecting personal data that fans are willing to share on a branded page or Twitter feed
- Merging that social media information with the brand’s other customer databases (email, payment and subscribers lists and so on).
- Using these insights to take action, targeting customers through better advertising and promotions that will deliver a return on investment and boost sales.
It is also important to note that social media is not just about brands being willing to have a two-way dialogue, letting consumers share content, and running ads and PR campaigns. The key is drilling down into data, so that brands can get to know and target their consumers better.
So brands should be going social not just because they want to be part of the online conversation but should be about getting their own data and the money that comes with it.
The real significance behind all this is that social media could become a key platform for consumers to make purchases and transactions.
Brands need help to navigate this new world, which is a major opportunity for digital marketing agencies.
Image Source: wearesocial