Loading ...Should Brands Use Social Networking to Advertise?
Let’s face it; social media is a hot communication trend. In fact, social media’s most ardent supporters will tell you that it is the kernel for building society in the 21st century. But reality suggests it’s just too early to know if social media will become a permanent fixture in advertising or strategic communication planning. That is what drew me this question from James Pick in Australia.
Pick, an online media profession from Sydney, recently asked this question in the Internet Marketing forum on LinkedIn.
I would just like to hear people’s theories on how best to use social networking sites to advertise their brands. Obviously there is a lot of potential in social networks that has, in my opinion, gone unfulfilled so far.
Answers range from cynical to enthusiastic. I believe social media is but one component to an integrated marketing communication plan, and treat it that way when it comes to deploying it.
First of all, you cannot brand advertise a relationship. At its best, social networking augments the personal interaction you have with friends, family, and colleagues. I wouldn’t walk across the street and pitch a new product to my neighbor. Neither can marketers generate ROI by building a platform designed to attract “friends” where the sole purpose is to pitch products and services. This leads me to the core question every marketing professional should ask when developing a plan:
When is it appropriate to use social media strategies and when is it not?
To answer that question, you must first consider your market, its habits, and its appetite to be an early adopter of new technology. As the demographics of early adopters shift younger, it is beneficial to examine this factor in preliminary market research as you would other data.
For the sake of argument, though, let’s say your market is an early adopter. Social media probably will fit into your plan, but you must not enter the “conversation” for the sake of being there. Remember when companies built websites just to have a presents in the Internet? No one bothered to plan for success (let alone develop a matrix by which to measure it). The same is true with social media.
Consider Ernie the Eagle. Ernie is the mascot of Benedictine University‘s sports programs. Like all mascots, Ernie represents the memories alumni hold in their hearts for their college years.
To my surprise, Ernie is on Facebook. His persona is fun and hip, just like a mascot should be. His baby pictures are those of an egg in the nest. His status updates include shout-outs to the basketball team after a win and other in-character comments. Benedictine’s Alumni Affairs Department keeps Ernie on the go. And it is clear that they understand their customer (alumni who may or may not donate).
When you deploy social media, be consistent in your voice, your style, and your goals. Ernie’s voice is unique, as would the voice of an upstart retailer be uniquely different. Keep your voice in mind. Be consistent across all media platforms too.
Finally, when deploying social media, it is useful to consider what David Fleet calls the “fishbowl.” Your goal is to target your audience within that fishbowl, not just swim in the fishbowl itself. I believe that a targeted conversation with your customers can build stronger relationships—but social media is only one part of the marketing plan. Just as you would coordinate radio, print, and television; you must coordinate your social media conversation with those other traditional mediums as well.
Here are other articles I have written on this topic:
One Response to “Should Brands Use Social Networking to Advertise?”
Additional comments powered by BackType
Creating brands worth evangelizing about is often misunderstood. The connection between the core values – the soul of the company and the soul of the customer – is why customers evangelize. They have found a temple of core value at which to worship. It’s mythic. It’s epic. The brand becomes icon because it connects to the subconscious yearnings of the customer, imprinting on the brain. The pictured emotional experience becomes a conduit through which the customer can again be touched by those core values.
Those pictures and emotions then become language in the brain of the customer. And it’s the language of evangelism.