Does Social Media actually work?
It seems like social media has been synonymous with "teen gossip" so it is no surprise when my corporate clients ask me: "Does this nonsense really work"?
The answer is simple. YES! Absolutely.
Social marketing is a brand-building tool first and foremost. One way to look at it is that it has become part of the marketing mix because in a traditional sense it enables companies to talk to their customers, while in a nontraditional sense it enables customers to talk directly to one another.
Think about it...if you do it properly you end up saving money, historically spent on advertising, because you build direct communication channels with high volume reach to your audience. And you don't need to have millions of followers either. It's about quality, not quantity.
In her article in the Harvard Business Review, "To Monetize Social Media, Humanize it", Amy Jo Martin from DigitalRoyalty summarizes it best. She says: "Focusing on delivering value when, where and how your audience wants to receive it is a far better strategy than focusing on growing the number of followers you have. Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, humanizes his brand via social media by exposing the humans behind the brand and leading with accountability when mistakes are made. Zappos has extended its brand promise, stellar customer service, to social media channels, giving customers a forum for providing feedback when, where, and how they want to share it. Well-trained employees providing customer service via social media is an efficient way to turn negative guest experiences around and amplify positive experiences, both of which impact the bottom line."
What is the golden rule?
Humanize your brand - because humans connect with humans, not logos.