It’s hard to go anywhere without being inundated with placards, posters, t-shirts or signs that proudly proclaim on business storefronts “follow me on twitter.” Just seems a little too passive and a lot too vain for me.
As a social media marketer, believe me, I get it. There is perceived value to the number of followers/fans that businesses can brag they have, and it does provide a potential in road to activation/engagement.
I'll be honest, I own these.
In my new position I’ve been charged to build a “social media strategy” for large consumer brands from the ground up. Any social media “guru” may tell you that starting a Facebook page and Twitter account, and then linking those sites to the main Web page would fit the bill…
…but I’m inclined to disagree. The solution is NOT the same for every brand/business/person. That’s tactical and short sighted. I’m not interested in social media’s short-term benefits. I’m looking for a something more long-term. I want to help the brands I support become social.
Activate and engage. And through it, build evangelism. Of course, different brands will have different audiences and that means the strategy has to adjust accordingly.
In planning stages assess the needs of clients, products, and services. Pair traditional public relations efforts and outreach, with consumer engagement and social media. Traditional media is used to raise broad awareness, consumer engagement (through actual real life engagement, or what I refer to as socialization) to build brand ambassadors and THEN you can utilize social media as a way to observe and engage consumer feedback and criticism.
The strongest return on social media is evangelism.
That personal interaction is what I’m striving to achieve for the brands I’m fortunate enough to represent. Real life socialization is my top priority. Social media is just a way to for a brand (or me) to keep in touch with evangelists until the next time we get together.
Think about brands you advocate. Are you an evangelist simply because you’re a fan of their facebook page or because of you follow them on twitter? Or was it a personal experience with the brand that strengthened/built your relationship?
This is definitely true. Social Media isn’t just about how many followers you have, but how you’re able to integrate them with your product. The numbers are great, but the experiences are what count. Thanks Jessica!
Absolutely, thank you Yosef!