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websites : social media
The term social media seems an oxymoron—all media is social of course, but because the Internet is an interactive medium, one that is about ‘inter-connected-ness’ by its very nature, it makes possible an entirely new level and type of socialization than we have experienced before. The use of so-called social media to build communities of interest, target demographically distinct audiences, drive traffic and ‘buzz’, solicit feedback, and dozens of other purposes offers marketers unprecedented opportunities.
But as powerful as social media can be, it can just as easily work against you. There are countless examples of opportunistic attempts by organizations to harness social media outlets for less than altruistic purposes. Some have been wildly successful, but many more have fallen flat on their face. The unwritten rules and conventions of social media are often subtle and highly nuanced. Violate these unspoken ethics and you and your organization can be ostracized or subjected to open ridicule by angry users.
Our advice—go slowly. Chose outlets where you will be welcome, design your presence to flow with the culture and purpose of the site(s) or services you intend to use. Listen a lot, to what users on those sites talk about and are interested in, and ask their advice if appropriate. Keep things personal, not corporate or institutional; remember these sites aren’t your official organ, your presence there is as an individual not an entity.
Most importantly, use the right vehicle for the right purpose. A viral marketing campaign could be created that would work in email or Twitter for example but there is a fundamental difference. Users who follow tweets have opted in, they chose to follow and listen in on what someone had to say. Email (even email that a user has requested at some point) can be intrusive and consigned to Spam trash.
We use these tools and dozens like them every day—personally and professionally and we’ll be happy to work with you as part of your overall strategy to advise you on ways to leverage social media to meet your objectives.