THE PRACTITIONER

Marketers are constantly looking for the latest, greatest marketing stunt. Remember when Snapple erected the world’s largest popsicle, made of frozen kiwi-strawberry-flavored Snapple juice, twenty-five feet tall and weighing 17.5 tons, in Times Square? A monstrous popsicle in the middle of New York City? What could go wrong? Sadly, Snapple didn’t count on the 80-degree weather common during New York summers, and the frozen tower melted at a rapid pace, pouring onto the streets of downtown Manhattan. Woops!

Although this is one of the stickiest examples of a marketing disaster, companies have found themselves in an equally concerning situation as marketing teams jump blindly into social media activities without considering the environment they are entering. The sheer volume of tools can often seem overwhelming. However, a critical aspect of any social media strategy is determining which tools will be most effective in achieving the desired end result. Whether that end result is to increase sales, build brand awareness or promote the most famous Australian opera singer the world has ever known, knowing which tools can provide the most leverage is key.

There are a myriad of tools, and many accomplish virtually the same thing, so deciding between them is usually a simple matter of personal preference. For instance, my staff uses a variety of interfaces for Twitter, but all can read, make and organize tweets. It comes down to personal preference so instead of providing a catalog of tools, let’s discuss the broader use of social media for your marketing efforts.

Research Your Customers

Marketing is only as successful as how well you know your audience. Social media is no different. Take advantage of the tools and wealth of information social media provides to gain a better understanding of your prospective customers.

Outbound Communication

Above all, the Internet has proven to be an effective communication tool. There are many ways to use social media to communicate to your current and prospective customers.

A public-facing corporate blog is a great tool for showcasing your products, policies, and industry leadership. Additionally, microblogging (Twitter) and social networking (Facebook) sites provide a more direct way to communicate with your targets. Interested people can sign up to follow your posts, or to be a “fan” of your company.

Track and Monitor

Chances are your audience is actively engaging in discussion about your product or service online. Do you know what they are saying? Monitoring will help you learn how they feel about your company and how to craft effective marketing strategies.

There are effective tools that track when your company or products are being mentioned on social media sites. These tools can alert you to details regarding the conversation that took place, audience response, and the tone of the dialogue. This information can be organized in a dashboard which allows you to find and catalog the virtual conversation. In addition, when a response is appropriate, you can designate a representative from your company to address customer concerns. 

Professional Networking and Recruiting

A marketing organization is only as good as the creative minds it employs. While often a common task for the HR department, marketers use previous relationships and references when recruiting.

There are social media tools that let potential employees showcase their talents in ways that resumes and cover letters simply can’t convey. There are also tools to demonstrate what a great place your company is to work.

Remember, your social media strategy will differ from your neighbor’s, your partner’s, and your competition’s. Understand your goal and conduct thorough research to better comprehend your audience and how they engage with social media. When you’ve completed that, you are ready to master social media marketing.

Steve is President of Wunderkind Public Relations. He regularly comments on public relations strategy, social media and trends impacting the communications industry. You can follow him on Twitter or connect with him on LinkedIn.