Understanding Social Media Marketing
By Kyle McCabe | April 30, 2009
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Previously I wrote about understanding social media, and explained how it is equalizing global communication and interaction, with specific consequences for business. I want to expand on this idea a bit and talk specifically about ‘marketing‘ on the social web.
Social web?
Yeah, that’s my term du jour. I’ve been slap-fighting a little bit with the whole concept of “social media,” and the fact that this commonly-used phrase just doesn’t work as a definition. It’s too broad; misleading, even. “Social web” is broad as well, certainly, but more specific in scope. It’s made up of spaces across the internet where people can interact with one another – we’re all familiar with some of the more popular technologies that facilitate this communication. The point is that conversations are happening here.
What’s that got to do with business and marketing?
Quite a bit, potentially. A business that approaches the social web the right way can benefit greatly, while providing value for their customers or prospects. Vague enough for you?
It seems to me there are two ways to approach the social web from a business perspective:
1. New media, old paradigm
“Check out this ’social media’ stuff – isn’t it cool?! It’s the Next Big Thing, and we’ve got to snatch up the opportunity to reach more consumers!”
This approach simply takes traditional marketing practices and applies them to new (social) media. Business profiles on “personal” social networks, self-promotional “broadcasting” through blogs and micromedia, and a clear lack of engagement in any space are all evidence of this approach.
Traditional marketing, of course, has its time and place – even online. But this approach is generally held to be ignorant, invasive, “spammy,” and otherwise irritating with respect to the social web. In short, people don’t like it. No one cares about your marketing message if that’s all you’re offering.
2. People; conversations
This approach is much more appropriate to new media, but it’s also an approach that transcends tactical thinking. It doesn’t care about the medium or the technology, but tends to challenge the way we approach marketing and business in general. Business people, marketers and other professionals who use this approach tend to approach social spaces as themselves, rather than as a “brand”, focusing on conversing with other people, building relationships, reputation and “social equity.”
Not every social space is conducive to the same sorts of conversations, but the general approach is people-focused in every case.
Uh…where’s the beef?
So how do you make money in the social web? The short answer is that you don’t – at least not directly. There’s a lot of anxious hand-wringing going on about the ROI of social media, and it’s certainly not a stupid question to ask. But the problem is that by asking the question, you’re already taking approach #1 above, and that’s not a good place to start from. The fact is that the success of social media endeavors is measured by qualitative means; things like level of engagement, quality of the “conversation,” or the impact on your findability. As Scott Monty from Ford recently put it when asked about the ROI of social media, “What’s the ROI for putting on your pants every morning? But it’s still important to your business.” Indeed.
What it comes down to is this: people want to interact with faceless brands like they want to talk to automated phone systems. No, what people really want is to BE HEARD. They want to speak and know that another person is LISTENING. Whether it’s praise of your product or service, a gripe, suggestion or other comment, people simply want to know that you care to listen to what they have to say. It makes people feel respected; important even, and tends to gain their respect in turn.
What do you think?
In light of this, when deciding to engage the social web for your business, it’s important to think about these two very different approaches. In a sphere that is all about facilitating conversation, is it better to push a one-way marketing message, or listen and respond?
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