In a February 8th, 2010 article posted on Technorati, Julie Weishaar addressed some of the questions and concerns that surfaced after her original social media article, “Social Media Marketing: A Necessary Evil”.
What it really boils down to is that larger companies and big brands are really looking for data to back up what social media marketing tactics are boasting. The main concerns covered in the article are:
- “Social media isn’t supposed to sell, it is supposed to influence.”
Weishaar’s response looks at Ford as a case study. Ford is the leader in the automotive industry when it comes to influence on decision-making. - “SMM increases your brand and product visibility.”
This is not an easy one, as making a brand stand out among the social media marketing crowd is a daunting task. But it can be done. An example Weinshaar refers to is Atari’s social media marketing strategy for Star Trek Online. - “Social media is about conversations, not conversions.”
Weishaar basically says that, if you expect to see a direct path to conversion via social media marketing, you will be disappointed. Social media marketing IS about conversations, it’s an advantage because your customers are already having those conversations when thinking about a purchase.
Essentially, the one takeaway I got from this article was: “Social media marketing increases your product and brand visibility by influencing conversations.” The real question is, do social recommendations have more value than other types of product recommendations?
Bottom line is, more and more consumers are turning to the web before making any decisions (whether it be buying a new car or looking for a new place for dinner). They are turning to the reviews of their peers for advice and guidance, especially regarding things/purchases they are unsure of. As Weishaar states, “social media marketing, used optimally, is a very effective marketing tool.” So true, but isn’t that the case for most tactics?
Click here to read the full article on Technorati.
”Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies” is my recommended social media marketing read:
