Social media: Beyond the hype
All definitions of social media agree on one thing: the user is central. Traditional forms of communication, such as newspapers and radio, are built on one-way communication. Businesses broadcast messages and people listen. Social media is radically different. Now, users have the power to create content, control who it’s distributed to, and choose who they connect with.
This new way of communicating demands a new way of thinking about how you promote your business.
1. Don’t expect to control the conversation.
Social media marketers often overstate how much a business can manipulate social media for immediate profit. Forty eight per cent of people use social media at least once a week, according to a May 2011 SENSIS Report. This seems like a golden marketing opportunity until you look deeper into the figures. Only 15 per cent of people use social media to find out about businesses and brands, and most of those people are interested in clothing, electrical goods, or entertainment. Even more importantly, 60 per cent of people say they ignore advertising on social media sites.
What does this tell us? Only certain types of business are likely to interest most social media users. And if your business is going to engage people using social media, blatant advertisements may not be the best investment.
Instead of seeing your business as the one holding the microphone, think of your business as part of a network of conversations. Broadcasting messages will not work in social media. People will disconnect from your business if they think they are being spammed. But if you can create a community around your brand or products, or participate in an existing community, there’s real potential for building long-term successful relationships with potential clients.
2. Start by listening
If building relationships is essential for social media marketing, listening is one thing you can do right now to lay the foundation.
- Choose five or six keywords that are relevant to your business. For example, a baker might enter ‘bread’, ‘cakes’, ‘baking’, ‘bakery’, ‘pastry’, and ‘patisserie.’
- Set up a Twitter account, and enter the keywords in the ‘search’ box. Go to Facebook and do the same.
- Scan the results. The things to look out for are:
- How many people are interested in this subject?
- What interests or irritates them? What information are they looking for?
- What are your competitors doing in social media? Does it seem to be working for them? Are they attracting a lot of interest? For example, is there a lot of activity on their Facebook page, or has it not taken off?
Starting by listening will give you insight into your potential clients, and where your business might connect with them. If you focus on their needs and interests, it’s far more likely that they will stay open to communicating with you through social media.
Despite everything that is new about social media, one thing remains the same. If you provide a good service, or a quality product, people will promote your business for you — however they choose to do it.
In our next edition, we’ll explore the critical factors for effective social media marketing.