Five 2012 Social Media Truths that Executives Must Know from a Social Media Strategists’ Diary
Executives like these brief so here we go:
1. Companies are building for the long haul.
Here’s an article that gives an example that social media strategists’ efforts have long-lasting effect. http://www.emarketer.com/
2. Execs will be kicking themselves in a few years having not invested in Social Media Strategy.
Is your company losing market share to smaller companies? Is it because they’re more versitile online and with social media management to become a leader in a space where you used to be one? Think about if Customer Relationship Management (CRM) goes heavily social. The inbound caller would go to your telemarketing group who would quickly see that they may have a common friend. Or what about Social Search, when users go to search engines to discover products in order to see that the first three results are friends who have already tried similar brands and written about the experience. Don’t be caught without a managed social network two years from now, or your products and services, no matter how big you are offline, could be uninvited to the party.
3. Even though it’s called Social Media, don’t think of it as a media.
When TV commercials started, they were really radio commercials, with the camera pointed directly at a product while a sultry man read a script about the product. So many brand managers and advertisers are approaching social media like it’s a new medium. It’s not. It actually plays to the relational process of authentic community-building. The shift in “value-add” moves from products and services to your social network and who you know. Ponder that.
4. Build social online PR only if you’re the type of executive that really values relationships.
People do business with people they know, like, trust and connect with. The process that people go through to make a buying decision often requires multiple touch points such as, deciding they have a need, doing a search on line, talking to a friend about it, seeing a video or article about it. These are all pre-sales activities on a buying continuum that Social Media is excellent for. If you’re the type of executive that values only the quick close, moving people from having never heard about you to sale, to never speaking to them again, then social PR may not be the right way to build community. However, if you value clients before they buy and after they become clients, you’ll find social PR will positively and synergistically impact your level of engagement with your customer base.
5. When we say Social PR, we’re not just referencing Facebook
Even though Facebook may be part of what we use for your social media strategy, Social PR is a term we designed to help companies understand that we are communicators, analogous to PR. We create opportunities and promote; we build community and buzz around other people, services, products and brands. We are also very social and relational; not to downplay very business-minded and technical. This means we can use LinkedIn to help your reps open the door to CEOs they want to meet, or show you how reaching out to bloggers can build sales revenue AND impact your search engine placement. We are internet marketers because we want your content to be everywhere on the internet, and right in front of prospects and clients when they’re talking about you.
