Ok, well your marketing plan doesn’t really suck, but it definitely could be better. If you’re not tapping into Social Media Marketing (SMM), Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and New Media/Emerging Media, you’re not really going the distance. Sure, traditional marketing can be powerful and certainly has its place in business. However, many traditional marketing tactics are rapidly becoming out-dated, are expensive, and won’t give you the same Return On Investment (ROI) that a full Social Media Marketing and SEO plan would. First of all, SMM and SEO is practically free (other than the cost it takes to have someone manage it for you, of course… and the occasional inexpensive application subscription here and there). Traditional Marketing tactics like direct mail, cold calling, expensive ad placement, etc all are not nearly as targeted and profitable as any viral marketing campaign currently is.
In the past decade, there’s been a HUGE shift in the way marketing is done. In the past, it’s been all about you reaching out to your prospective customers and hoping they follow. Now, it’s different. Marketing is all about baiting the hook by having a presence EVERYWHERE, presenting good, rich content and being extremely visible online so your customers COME TO YOU when they need you!
So what is Social Media Marketing? That’s right – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Blogging, etc. Social Media Marketing is the process of creating a thoughtful online presence for your business on every social networking site in order to be accessible to people who want what you’re selling. And if you currently do traditional marketing only and haven’t invested in SMM yet, I’m sure the myths about social networking are already pinging around in your head, like:
- MYTH: SMM is a waste of time. The people I’m targeting aren’t on social sites.
- TRUTH: Absolutely not! Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have MILLIONS of viable buyers for you to tap in to, and include many great measurable applications to help you capture them. Also, the median demographic on the biggest social networking sites are NOT teenagers – they’re people 25-45, professional, college educated, middle to upper class people who just might buy what you’re selling!
- MYTH: SMM is not measurable… how do I calculate my ROI?
- TRUTH: SMM is extremely measurable. In just a few applications and simple processes, you can measure referral traffic, community size, click through rates, conversion rates, bounce rates, community interaction, re-posts, and more – and you can easily convert those numbers into an understanding of how many dollars and cents you made from it.
- MYTH: SMM isn’t an actionable plan – I wouldn’t know what to do
- TRUTH: SMM can be very structured, with actionable and simple timelines, objectives, and goals. Structuring a SMM plan is the best way to turn Facebooking from a distracting hobby to a money making gold mine!
…I could go on and on about the fears and myths about SMM, but in retrospect, the facts are everywhere and I encourage all the skeptics to read up as much as possible. I’ve worked with dozens of businesses and not once had someone lose money from a SMM campaign, even with hiring a freelancer or Social Media Marketing Manager to manage the campaign.
So what does SMM do for us? Here are some objectives to keep in mind…
- Brand awareness: keeping your name in front of the eyeballs who you want to see it
- Online reputation management: doing damage control online for your brand’s reputation
- Customer service: being everywhere your customers could possibly need you to take care of any customer service needs online
- Two-way communication: not only talking about what you do via a static website, but also listening to the people that keep you in business, and catering your communication to what they want
- Creating warm, fuzzy feelings! Talking to people and giving them what they want makes people feel good!
There are dozens of ways to implement Social Media Marketing, but keeping in mind that you want your business to be EVERYWHERE, including keyword-rich content where ever possible, responding and conversing with your customers, and keeping your brand in front of everybody are your main priorities.
I know you’re in love with your static website, your direct mail fliers, and your team of cold calling salespeople, and you think these marketing venues are the end-all-be-all… but for real, it’s 2011 now… get to it! Get networking!
Feel free to Contact Me with any questions!
