You've heard it before, here and probably elsewhere: Social
media is about much more than exposure or coverage. Simply
putting a friend request out and amassing a ton of retweets is
not enough to achieve genuine social impact.
But before you go slashing the budget to your social media
marketing department, hear out these few issues that explain why
this means more attention, not less, should be paid to social
media efforts.
It's Social, not Digital
Despite being in the online realm (insert all the stereotypes
about the cold, impersonal Internet here), social media is all
about the first word. Social interactions are about
relationships, conversations and, above all, respect and trust.
Violate a trust or fail to provide respect, and you gain nothing
at all. You could even find yourself blackballed as your
reputation flies out of control online.
There is no magic formula to social media success, just as there
is no magic formula to being socially acceptable and friendly. It
involves politeness, attentiveness to the interests and needs of
others (not just your own) and participation in the social scene
as a whole. That's it — hard work, performed with an attitude of
courtesy. It isn't complicated, just slow and requiring
attention.
But Why Bother?
After all, it doesn't correspond to SEO, so why sink more effort
into social media?
Because social media is the key motivating factor in whether a
video, advertisement or even random picture goes viral. The
average user on Facebook has dozens of friends, and not all of
those friends are the same. Say you have three people who are
friends, each having 10 other friends. Only six of these friends
are mutual friends among the three, which means there are 24 more
people to reach. If each of them has the same ratio of friends...
you get the picture.
So yes, adapting to social media does mean changing your
perceptions of how marketing works. People can ignore it... they
can block you online like they can't block most commercials on
television. You have to engage with them directly, converse in
intelligent fashion and have the respect not to bombard them with
your product nonstop. You have to know when to provide helpful
input about your material, and when simply to listen. But the
value of it, the potential return of genuine word of mouth rather
than abstracted "website performance" metrics, is something
worth fighting for and investing the additional time and money
in.
Why Does It Work?
People like to be talked to. We are social animals, by and large,
and having the ability to discuss topics with others is of vital
importance to us instinctively, even if not consciously.
Additionally, people can see through fakes. Everyone has a
customer service story where they're told, "We appreciate your
input," and realize they're just being read a line while their
input is filed in the circular file. People respond far better to
an honest comment, like, "We understand what you are saying, but
for the following reasons we're going to do what we feel
works," rather than being given the runaround. A genuine
response reminds them there is another human being with their own
restrictions and worries on the other side of the screen, and
honesty gets a branding campaign point. Responsiveness and actual
replies to commentary rather than rote recitations is also
important, showing them you are listening and engaged, not just
copypasting.
Indirect SEO
Believe it or not, engaging in good practices on social media
sites while representing your brand will result in improved SEO
for the brand whether Google directly ranks your Facebook
performance in searches or not.
Word of mouth is still the strongest motivating factor in
advertising. It's the coveted Holy Grail. As you engage with
others in social media, you are harnessing this power for your
purposes. People who think highly of you will be more inclined to
check out your website, and tell others to do so as well. Someone
to whom you provide an answer to a particular issue that your
brand covers might respond favorably to a request to link to you
on his site. Traffic will build in the background, enhancing your
standing. A conversation might lead to an interview with an
online publication, or an advertising spot with a site whose
owner you've had chats with.
They key is to understand the value of delayed benefits that
result from being a nice, reasonable person. Gain a reputation as
someone who is worthwhile to talk to, and people will want to
talk to AND about you. The effort is extensive and the value is
delayed; however, it will result in long-term support to your
reputation that will allow your short-term advertising campaigns
to go further, with more weight and endurance than if they were
performed alone.
media is about much more than exposure or coverage. Simply
putting a friend request out and amassing a ton of retweets is
not enough to achieve genuine social impact.
But before you go slashing the budget to your social media
marketing department, hear out these few issues that explain why
this means more attention, not less, should be paid to social
media efforts.
It's Social, not Digital
Despite being in the online realm (insert all the stereotypes
about the cold, impersonal Internet here), social media is all
about the first word. Social interactions are about
relationships, conversations and, above all, respect and trust.
Violate a trust or fail to provide respect, and you gain nothing
at all. You could even find yourself blackballed as your
reputation flies out of control online.
There is no magic formula to social media success, just as there
is no magic formula to being socially acceptable and friendly. It
involves politeness, attentiveness to the interests and needs of
others (not just your own) and participation in the social scene
as a whole. That's it — hard work, performed with an attitude of
courtesy. It isn't complicated, just slow and requiring
attention.
But Why Bother?
After all, it doesn't correspond to SEO, so why sink more effort
into social media?
Because social media is the key motivating factor in whether a
video, advertisement or even random picture goes viral. The
average user on Facebook has dozens of friends, and not all of
those friends are the same. Say you have three people who are
friends, each having 10 other friends. Only six of these friends
are mutual friends among the three, which means there are 24 more
people to reach. If each of them has the same ratio of friends...
you get the picture.
So yes, adapting to social media does mean changing your
perceptions of how marketing works. People can ignore it... they
can block you online like they can't block most commercials on
television. You have to engage with them directly, converse in
intelligent fashion and have the respect not to bombard them with
your product nonstop. You have to know when to provide helpful
input about your material, and when simply to listen. But the
value of it, the potential return of genuine word of mouth rather
than abstracted "website performance" metrics, is something
worth fighting for and investing the additional time and money
in.
Why Does It Work?
People like to be talked to. We are social animals, by and large,
and having the ability to discuss topics with others is of vital
importance to us instinctively, even if not consciously.
Additionally, people can see through fakes. Everyone has a
customer service story where they're told, "We appreciate your
input," and realize they're just being read a line while their
input is filed in the circular file. People respond far better to
an honest comment, like, "We understand what you are saying, but
for the following reasons we're going to do what we feel
works," rather than being given the runaround. A genuine
response reminds them there is another human being with their own
restrictions and worries on the other side of the screen, and
honesty gets a branding campaign point. Responsiveness and actual
replies to commentary rather than rote recitations is also
important, showing them you are listening and engaged, not just
copypasting.
Indirect SEO
Believe it or not, engaging in good practices on social media
sites while representing your brand will result in improved SEO
for the brand whether Google directly ranks your Facebook
performance in searches or not.
Word of mouth is still the strongest motivating factor in
advertising. It's the coveted Holy Grail. As you engage with
others in social media, you are harnessing this power for your
purposes. People who think highly of you will be more inclined to
check out your website, and tell others to do so as well. Someone
to whom you provide an answer to a particular issue that your
brand covers might respond favorably to a request to link to you
on his site. Traffic will build in the background, enhancing your
standing. A conversation might lead to an interview with an
online publication, or an advertising spot with a site whose
owner you've had chats with.
They key is to understand the value of delayed benefits that
result from being a nice, reasonable person. Gain a reputation as
someone who is worthwhile to talk to, and people will want to
talk to AND about you. The effort is extensive and the value is
delayed; however, it will result in long-term support to your
reputation that will allow your short-term advertising campaigns
to go further, with more weight and endurance than if they were
performed alone.
No comments:
Post a Comment