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What can a major corporation do to be successful in social media marketing
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When companies hire people to work their "new marketing" - social
media - they need to take into consideration that this is a whole new
marketing realm. The old rules do not apply (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
What should corporations do?
We have been talking about how too many major corporations continue to not understand Social Media Marketing, and the negative impact this will eventually have on them.
As I have said to others, written about here, and heard from those using Social Media Marketing successfully, to use such venues as Twitter, Facebook, and the others, one must accept that they are a total and entirely different mindset than traditional marketing.
Social Media Marketing is not about the company controlling the conversation. It's about the company being able to participate in the conversation, and understanding that there will be good things, bad things, and they must react accordingly. Or do not get involved. But, the conversation will still take place.
Any corporation, business, or marketer that gets involved in Social Media Marketing must change their ideologies about marketing.
Here are a few points to help a corporation or business (will help every size business) understand what they can and should do to participate in Social Media Marketing:
Decide if the company will participate in social media marketing. This is a must-do decision. Unless the business - major corporations - decide they want to do it, and do it as it is meant to be done, they are walking into a trap. Participation means a full understanding of what will be expected. That means honesty and transparency. There is no reason what-so-ever to get involved unless they choose to participate for the right reasons and intentions. In the end, the wrong choices can only do more harm than good.
Hire a contractor or employees who will monitor their social media on a regular basis. (24/7 for the corporations) Hire people who are open to this avenue, and be cautious when using someone/people who are “experienced in marketing”. In my research and experience, there are, at present, no real Social Media Marketing “gurus”, as some describe themselves. I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing Peter Shankman, someone we would consider an actual Social Media Marketing expert, and even he says there is no such thing.
While many think of Twitter and Facebook as the realm of the young,
they are only part of the growing demographics, made up mostly of
people over 30. Is your company tapping in? (AP Photo/Don Heupel)
Decide from the start how they are going to deal with negative situations. Social Media is not about the company - it's about the customer. Handling all situations should be done quickly, honestly, and openly. That means that others need to see and know. Think about it this way: hundreds of people have been talking, even ripping on a company and its behavior. Now you want to fix the initial incident that started this conversation. If you go offline, into a private world (other than where privacy for the customer is important) you are not demonstrating to anyone that you are taking the concerns seriously, and that you are doing something about it. Again, what’s the point then? This is a conversation... you need to be talking with people, and listening.
Give your employees who are doing your social media a strong support system, that works for the good of the customer, not the company. That means that they should have the latitude to do what is necessary to bring about a positive conclusion in a public setting, and that the company supports that. You don’t necessarily have to tell everyone that you are giving someone a free trip, giving them a refund and so on, but you do need to let the people who are talking about you know that you hear them, and that you are doing something to fix things.
Social Media Marketing is about listening to the customer, and changing things if they need to be changed. Guess what, people are telling you -for free - companies and corporations who spend millions on surveys and groups and all that garbage - they are telling you for free what they like, don’t like, want, want changed.
Want to save some serious money, and know what people want? Join Social Media Marketing!
This is not rocket science people!!!
Understand that the conversation is happening, and it’s happening about you. If you can’t handle that, if you can’t stand that people are sometimes ripping on your business, if you can’t deal with wanting to make things right in the situations that will come up, then for the sake of all involved, do not get into social media marketing. You will only make bigger problems for yourself!
Hiring social media employees does not mean hiring marketing people
with "5 or more years experience". (AP Photo/Greg Baker, File)
Do not hire - DO NOT HIRE - people to do your social media marketing “with more than 4 years experience”. Ladies and gentlemen of America, people of marketing, corporate HR departments, and cooperate muckety mucks, Social Media Marketing is less than 3 years old, and arguably, in reality, less than 2 years old. Hiring anyone with “more than 3 years experience”, is not reality. Even those with internet marketing experience, if it's more than 3 years, are not likely familiar with the tenets of social media marketing. Marketing is a very different animal, in so many ways. The ideas and methodologies behind traditional marketing are the exact 180 degrees of what Social Media Marketing is all about. Do yourself a favor, don’t go there. Yes, there are some who are and can make the jump, but make sure they can. Social Media Marketing is a beast unto itself, and you will cause yourself more harm than good with people taking the reigns of a horse they do not understand.
You are not late, but will be soon. I’ve seen a lot of people, businesses and corporations jumping on board over the last few months. I’m often shocked at the names that are suddenly jumping on. But I think more shocking: that when they get on, they act like they know what they are doing, when they don’t. Yes, it is obvious. This is new, that’s obvious. You are new, that’s obvious. There are very few who are really “experts” at this stuff. And if they are, they are new at being “experts”. I have been writing about, researching, and “becoming and expert” at Social Media Marketing for the past eight months. I know more than most I talk to or watch. I have talked to people who are a few months ahead of me, and they know a little more, but often a lot less. I see and watch and research this daily, and I always laugh when I see on Twitter, someone who is now following me, promoting themselves as a “social media expert” or “we help businesses develop their social media marketing” and they have a couple hundred followers!
Folks, this is all new, and you may be new. That’s fine, that’s great... but people, stop thinking there are “experts” out there. There are very few experts, and the ones that are, are people like myself who do this everyday... and we are still learning and growing. Do not be fooled, get in there, learn all you can, and read stuff like this column, but always be careful... Social Media Marketing is new - less that 2 years in reality - and you should get involved, but please, be careful, have a plan, and do it with your eyes wide open, and for the right reasons.
Thank you for reading. I hope you take a look at my other articles, and I invite you to join me on Twitter/RoriTravel and at RoriTravel - a blog about Traveling Florida - I am a Freelance Writer - available for hire - plus, experience the Rantings of a Social Media Marketer - as a Consultant in Florida, I will be able to help travel businesses/businesses set up and understand how to incorporate Social Media Marketing into their Marketing Plans. Please contact me for further details and service area.
Be sure to check out my other column, Orlando Florida Vacation
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