Does Social Media fit in Your Marketing Plan?
Social Media is the biggest buzz in the marketing world. This is being fueled by unprecedented growth by three of social media’s biggest applications: LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. And all the news reports, columns, and blogs that hype trends.
Overwhelming odds suggest you’re an active social networker with a LinkedIn or Facebook account. LinkedIn closed 2008 with over 30 million business-oriented professionals worldwide. Facebook, which turned five years old this past Wednesday, has over 150 million members worldwide. And Twitter at just under two years old grew by an astounding 752% garnering over 4 million new registered accounts in one year. Not just astounding…this is serious growth.
This is not a fad; it’s a major shift in how, when and what people communicate with each other. Social networks have indeed evolved over time. Remember the AOL chat rooms of the 90’s or Prodigy’s bulletin boards and forums in the late 80’s? Possibly the first social engagements dependent on technology, they too grew out of a human need to connect with like-minded people without constraints of time or location.
Now consider the business marketing implications for using social media, and how you should effectively use it?
Everyone at CBD is fully engaged in social networking, blogging, video sharing, and some are Tweeting their experiences. (I wrote portions of this while watching the Pro Bowl and Facebooking with four other members of my family.) Turn the mirror around. How do we engage this crush of humanity for marketing purposes? What is the business case? How do we measure ROI? Are there business rules? Where does it fit in my marketing plan?
That you would even have these questions or be reading this far down into this blog confirms your interest in considering social media as part of your marketing plan. If you don’t have these questions, check out Facebook, MySpace or LinkedIn to find out what your customers are saying about you, and if that reality matches your intended perception. And if they’re not talking about you, shouldn’t they be? Are you being considered or ignored? This leads into four things you could/should be using social media for right now.
- Intelligence gathering. Your customers are out there. Find out what they’re saying about you.
- Joining (or starting) conversations. Don’t think of it as a defensive measure to protect the brand, think of it as a means to project the brand in positive ways.
- R & D. You have your own built in “focus group,” though not traditionally scientifically or statistically based, you have the opportunity to test new products or services, and generate ideas.
- Creating brand advocates. Turn your fans into vocal brand advocates, online and in their daily non-virtual world routine.
Chris Rollyson, speaker and founder of “Social Network Roadmap” told me that 2009 will be the year of social media adoption. So with this, expect to see many posts from CBD as we witness the ways in which social media will emerge as a player in strategic marketing plans—across the board.
2 Comments to Does Social Media fit in Your Marketing Plan?
Very interesting post – would be cool if you guys can blend in links to link out to more info on your interesting content. IE – on Mr Rollyson’s “Social Network Roadmap” re 2009 as the year of social media adoption.
Mr Anderson
Mr Anderson… You’re right. Christopher Rollyson’s prediction does indeed bear further reading and investigation. His post 2009 Predictions and Recommendations for Web 2.0 and Social Media really puts it out there. His comment about “microblogging will go mainstream” hints that Twitter may see some serious competition this year, especially if they hold out from any takeover actions.
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February 20, 2009