Social Media Does Not Replace Marketing Strategy
In yet another moment of informational threading, here’s a post by Dan Kennedy about hyper productive markets. Kennedy points out that knowing your rough sales target is one thing, but knowing the most productive and yielding part of the whole bunch is worth so much more.
Thread this together with Robert Middleton’s post about a karate model for marketing. There’s a lot to it, but the key point was something he took out of another presentation he’d seen, and that was this:
1. You first have to get your clients and customers to consume what you’ve already sold them.
2. You need to offer new services in progressively more complex stages if you are going to truly serve them.
I’m working on launching a few new things at work, and they are projects that have strong social media and new marketing elements to them. In so doing, I’m thinking a lot about what these tools can do for the communities we serve, and I’m also thinking about the marketplace elements that my business will need to sustain this all. My company is in the business of helping people connect, learn, and do business together. We do this through creating content, building online and face-to-face events, and enabling a marketplace between people selling emerging technologies and people looking to understand which of these technologies will help them next.
Kennedy’s point that understanding that there’s a group of people you can sell to, but within that group lies a more productive area is useful. Middleton’s points about having some kinds of level-ups in your marketing efforts struck a chord insofar as one might consider narrowing the potential funnel for specific products and services (and thereby marketing efforts) once you move deeper into territory that applies only to a select few.
Social Media Lets You Go Wide, But YOU Have to Make it Go Deep
The tools we use to create social media: blogging, podcasting, video, social networks, etc, are great at building potential relationships, growing community, serving an audience, helping people find your business, and several other things.
BUT social media tools alone are not especially built to carve out more productive customers on their own. That still requires a strategy and surrounding marketing and products to help convert potential segments of the community into potential business customers. And remember, as I’m fond of saying: be clear about who makes up the community at large, and who makes up your marketplace, because confusing the two can be deadly.
My Takeaways, and Your Ideas
From those two articles, I have taken away the following:
- Data and understanding who makes up your community is still crucial, no matter the toolset.
- Social media tools will be useful in communicating with the community to understand their needs.
- Helping sort the early “grazers” from the committed buyers will help both sides of our community.
- Finding ways to help our audience “level up” within the community would help the whole process.
- I need to read even more outside of social media to bring it back home to how I use the tools.
Did you read the articles? What did you take from them? How are you working on this within your organization?
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The Social Media 100 is a project by Chris Brogan dedicated to writing 100 useful blog posts in a row about the tools, techniques, and strategies behind using social media for your business, your organization, or your own personal interests. Swing by [chrisbrogan.com] for more posts in the series, and if you have topic ideas, feel free to share them, as this is a group project, and your opinion matters.
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Comments
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I just started a new job as Director of Marketing for a software company and have three audiences with different views; a) the more traditional executives who feel that social media and “new” marketing cannot be measured and should not be funded, b) the forward thinking executives and team members who love alternative media and want to focus on that, and c) my team members who have so much to do in both arenas we can’t breath.
This post is great at outlining the uses and expectations of both keeping in mind the customer…always. We are in the business of enabling sales teams to be more productive, consistent, customized and efficient. Getting that messaging out is imperative and I feel both “new” and traditinal marketing and media play a huge role.
@chris - thank you for stating step 1, “1. You first have to get your clients and customers to consume what you’ve already sold them.” so many people move past this step without giving it a second thought.
To continue the thread, a recent post by Copyblogger talked about the value of high RSS numbers http://www.copyblogger.com/bogus-rss-subscribers/
I think this goes back to the idea that one’s community can be huge (i.e. your blog subscribers or your followers on Twitter) but that does not mean they are members of your marketplace. Each have their own value and perhaps overlap but are distinct in their expectations and needs. I see a lot of companies excited about getting into “social media” without first trying to understand who they are trying to serve and how.
AideRSS just published an engagement metrics document (and disclaimer: they rate me highly in it) that goes after where Tinku Gallery mentions in her comment through Brian’s blog.
It’s on our minds. And can’t be ignored and shouldn’t be the dark horse.
Since social media is not only the tools, but also an attitude that has changed the way companies talk to their customers, it’s probably been instrumental in changing the way marketing strategy is carried out on the personal level. So even though it is essential that we continue with targeted approaches to find productive consumers, social media’s changed everything about the way we engage and build a bond with those consumers.
I think the SM attitude has really changed the drive and intent behind marketing strategy in that it’s less about delivering products and services to the right people, and more about bringing yourself and the company to their feet and offering to listen.
This is totally accurate and I am so with you - social media strategy should ultimately be rooted in the classic rules of marketing - know your audience, listen to your audience, respond to your audience in a relevant way. Yes, it’s a new medium, and yes it’s revising the way consumers behave and interact with one another, but that doesn’t take about from the fact that the classic rules remain.
Chris, great points and reminders. Social Media is an evolution stage of the Internet which comes with its practices and sets of features to enhance the customer’s online experience. Indeed there’s no measurable outcome without a plan and, there is no social experience without consumption or experience of the product/service. Regarding Karate, martial artists will tell you that when they get their black belt it’s like being a white belt all over again but at a different stage. Life and business for that matter are somehow always “full circle and back to basics”. Cheers.
All sems common sense yet when you read it, it’s kinda inspiring. Sometimes the simplest things are the wisest.
Online makes up such a big part of peoples life that the lines between online / offline are getting blurred quickly. Remember early on people hid behind the internet, now people are using it to project who they are and to find things that are close so they can connect offline. This move towards transparency reinforces traditional offline practices.
Key take-away is your pondering “what these tools do for the communities we serve.” That’s the heart of social media, adding value! Unfortunately, some companies are using it as marketing ploy that lacks genuine involvement. Does one only participate where the yield is highest, where the monetary value is greatest? What if the best relationships and come for the lowest returning sector? Some food for thought…
Robert Middleton presents an approach that is win-win to developing relationships and adding value to customers, either B2B or B2C. When he stated, “It’s more involving and rewarding to work with black belts than it is with white belts,” this shows the value of educating clients. Both sides of the relationship grow stronger. Value is mutual.
We need to ask ourselves, “are we serving the community or are we exploiting?”
[…] Brian Solis says The Art of Conversation is about listening, not marketing - as it relates to social media of course. It’s a good read. But according to Chris Brogan, it doesn’t replace your marketing strategy. […]
Seriously, perfect timing Chris. I am working on a blog on a similar topic and this is great fuel for the fire. Agree that it’s not one or the other — it’s both.
I’m 100% with you Chris. I always let out a derisive snort when I read an article about this or that social media solving every marketing problem… all you have to do is reach the first 1000 people organically, and it will take care of itself!
No, no, no - you need a marketing strategy. Social media is incredible, but it isn’t magic. To achieve business success, you need a strategy and a framework.
First, be listening. You need to know where people are talking, who is talking loudly, and what they are saying.
Second, be great. Social media is about transparency, so you better be ready to hear from all the customers who passionately loath you. The beauty and value of social media is in how it democratically separates the best from the rest. So you better work hard to be the best.
Third, be available. Gone are the days of the walled gardens. If you make the audience come to you or your web property, you’ve put a barrier between yourself and the audience. Knock down that wall! Detach and distribute, as they say.
Fourth, have a customer conversion engine. This is the key, and it’s what differentiates someone like Judson Laipply (Evolution of Dance) from Guitar Master Pro (the wicked version of Canon on guitar). If you do make it, what are you going to do with that success? You need that marketing strategy as a piece of your business model so you know what to do to convert eyeballs into customers.
I lay out this framework in more detail in a recent article called “Debunking the Social Media Myth: A Framework For Social Media Strategies”. Click through my name above if you’re interested in more.
Amen! coming from a social media evangelist like you is refreshing in the field of “social media will solve all your problems, and enables cold fusion” folks…
RocSearch, the UK-based research & analytics firm has recently released a research study on ‘Leveraging Social Media for Brands’. The study showcases the social media eco-system, its drivers & imperatives while detailing cases of brand successes and failures attempting to harness the power of this medium. For a complementary copy of the study, visit http://www.rocsearch.com/social-media.asp.
I’ll point out two more facts:
Busy social networks with casual relationships are fantastic for sharing and finding out information- they are like that ticker at the bottom of the news screen- lots of information flashing by, and you can contribute your message to the stream if you so choose.
However, not everyone pays attention enough to that information floating by to think that they are engaged enough to bring that to the next level of relationship, that would lead to a sale or commitment of resources towards your project.
And talking to people in many different fields recently, from tech to teaching, the feeling of “what’s next?” and “I don’t find those old tools as useful as I used to” are very common.
So we have to be prepared at all times both for people wanting to engage us on the ground floor, and those that want to meet us up in the upper floors of our building…those who already have a basic or even advanced level of experience, and we have to be prepared to meet those needs as well- a continuity of customer care, so to speak. Always being ready for the net stage when it arrives.
[…] serving an audience, helping people find your business, and several other things. BUT…”read more | digg […]
Ys, I totally agree. I think integrating social media marketing should actually make your overlall marketing strategy stronger, I mean it gives us new opportunities t really rethink our marketing strategy in general. Everything is interconnected, so planning is a key component.
I found the Kennedy article intriguing, and yet I wonder about this in reference to the long tail a la Chris Anderson.
For instance, in the example he set up, does this mean all dental marketers are going to go after the Canadians while no one goes after the Floridians? I think there are 2 things that are essential that he neglected to mention:
1) Does your product have any geographic relevance? If your product is made in Florida but it costs an extra $3K to ship it to Canada, you may want to reconsider your strategy.
2) What are your communication assets? Like it or not, direct mail still works (for now, at least). If that’s what you do, don’t throw out the baby with the bath water and go after the twitterati. Play to your team’s strengths (or get new team members).
If you’re in touch with Kennedy, you might persuade him to allow comments on his blog, too. It’s tough to take communication advice from someone who shunts it on his own forum…
True enough - we’re just looking to have social media get into the marketing mix!
How about this - many companies are in a ship and forget mode. They don’t engage their own customers while they court new ones. Use social media to engage your current customers and make them into advocates.
More here:
TO’B
[…] lastly, i read a post by Chris Brogan that talked about social media not being a replacement for marketing strategy. (I […]
Variation on this theme, answers on a postcard… I just got dragged into two different message board systems after a well-meaning reader re-posted two of my articles on a politics blog I write for. Great exposure, lots of hits - wish I had thought of it myself.
However: the message boards / comment sections of these sites are a mess. You have to register to post, which puts people off. When you do post, one of the boards vets everything so it takes 24 hours or so for your comment to appear, killing the possibility of genuine interaction. Nobody reads anybody else’s comments, and when I posted I couldn’t see when it had gone live and nobody read it anyway.
Chris’s comments are always relevant, appear immediately and have a nice ‘follow this’ button if you want to be emailed replies. Why can’t people on public message boards behave themselves is my question, and does it dilute their potential?
I think this all goes back to analysis once again, and analyzing the target audience, understanding what they want and providing such….God I hate analysis.
Thanks Chris,
JR
Chris I completely agree with your views and feel that Social Media is a part of the right marketing mix for brands rather than a mere replacement to it!
I hope you will find the study link posted by me useful and a nice read!
Thanks!
Pragya
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Great post- social media needs the last part to it- social media marketing- conversion is the key- you can go broke while making a lot of friends - great wisdom Chris.
[…] Social Media Does Not Replace Marketing Strategy | chrisbrogan.com worth reading… (tags: socialMedia chrisbrogan strategy marketing) […]
[…] Brogan did a post the other day entitled: Social Media Does Not Replace a Marketing Strategy. The context on that post was slightly different than what we’re talking about, but very […]
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Of course not, who said that?
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Alex - I've heard it said - people try to put their eggs in one single basket. Of course, the most successful marketing strategies are those that are cross(multi)-channel, but not all of us have the $$$ for a 'full blown' media blitz.
[…] July 8, 2008 by Dustin …you have to make it go deep.” […]