Rocket Readings: Real social marketing communications are bi-directional

Real social marketing communications are bi-directional:

Social media marketing is not advertising

Social media marketing is all about communication and not advertising. However many companies fail as they try to use it as push channels towards their clients or potential clients. Pushing marketing or sales messages on to social media are unlikely to become real conversations. Moreover this might turn out negatively as only those who are against or upset will reply. Not exactly what you want.

Search statements and discussions

Instead social media marketing should start with investigating what lives on the Internet amongst customers, potential customers and competitors.

This can be done by using searches on: - Google on specific sites - Forums - Twitter (using the search box).

Or using purpose developed tools: - Social mention - Whos Talkin - Hootsuite

Listen

The next step is to listen in real-time to the existing conversations. Any conversation or statement about: - Your brand ? - Your industry ? - About specific services or products related to your business ? - About your competitors ? These can be good or bad.

Who are you talking to ?

Before jumping in, replying, answering to any discussion you should find out who you are talking to. You have to become aware of their: - Background: who is this person - Location: local, country or far away - Influence: in both social media as in real-life and business - Relevance: not related, occasional or core

Search on LinkedIn (Google “Name LinkedIn’ works too) or on Klout to give you the required insight for influence and reach, expertise and network size.

Some marketing guru’s advice to mainly focus on influencers. However: - Every statement or discussion can be picked up and become important overnight. - Behind every person there can be a client or potential customer.

Respond and discuss

Your answer should be to the point, authentic and compelling in order to have a positive discussion going on.

In any case don’t offend people and avoid starting a sales pitch. Not: - The corporate voice: exactly to avoid in social media - Broadcast: responses should be personal as conversations are one to one - High volume: immersing social media with your messages will not help - Stale content: always the same stuff isn’t effective in social media (works in advertising) - Egocentric: it is not about your brand solely - Self-serving content: as this will only drive fans away

The importance is not your to show, expose or build your authority but to influence for your benefit.