SOCIAL NETWORKS: No Pushing Please
Wednesday, November 10th, 2010SOCIAL NETWORKS: No Pushing Please
Won’t You Be My Friend – And Please Buy Something
For those taking their goods or services to market it’s a wrap that the traditional ad campaign approach, (pre-Internet) isn’t enough. It just doesn't enjoy the "king of the hill" status it once did. It's simply part of a much bigger pie since the Internet and its extended family - à la Social Networks and Apps have come to play. Traditional advertising maintains its prominence in the delivery of a brand, and probably always will. Besides, TV and movies are top-dog in the chit-chat department around the water cooler, not Websites and Tweets - it's tradition.
But, more and more the traditional ad venues are not the primary source that consumers use when the actual decision to purchase will be made. Digital is becoming the gateway, or the 800 lb. gorilla, when it comes down to sealing the deal - one way or another. In most cases anymore people see an ad, if it peaks enough interest you go check out their Website. Traditional advertising delivers the brand, with digital the instrument for giving the brand meaning and a reason to maybe buy from that brand. We'll put it this way: Social Media is where the party is, and, advertising hands out the invitations.
With the current state of the Internet what does all this mean in terms of taking your best shot at marketing success? First, buying your audience only through print, TV, billboards, etc. like in the "old days" is just "so 90s," it’s a hook that just doesn't work like it used to.
People demand the brands they associate with to be "social" now. A brand's "attention" is required, not just a message.
Product and service marketers need to be involved at the deepest of levels now. A relevant community voice needs to be found based on the brand message, with the ad/communication agencies helping that voice to be found and nurtured, and, everybody has to work harder, dig deeper, and give up on that cozy illusion of control.
It goes without saying if you are not interactively present with a relevant voice, and consistently so (and we can't over emphasis "consistently so") you will not be part of a consumer’s decision making at crunch time. You'll simply become "persona non grata" – just another ad pushed out with no voice – lacking any real or perceived substance, rendering any “shaking of the hand” to start a rapport which could lead to a sale nonexistent. And, if you think this kind of thing is to far removed from your direct sales to bother spending time on, it would behoove you to think again - because times they are a changing - and fast.
There's been a duesy of an axis shift; it seems to be going something like this:
- Brand Message gives way to a credible Voice...whatever that "Voice" may be.
- Promotional gives way to being Social and Community oriented.
- Promotion gives way to Attraction...promotion kinda' happens along the way.
- Effective gives way to Relevant, Authentic and Meaningful.
- Behind the Curtain gives way to Transparency.
This Social conversation in no way can be controlled by any brand - it's just to vast and instantaneous, but, if your present and accounted for, you Can control the most important part of the conversation - yours.
It’s an unprecedented time. Digitally consumers are opening their doors to brands 24/7. If this isn’t a brand’s dream I don’t know what is. (But we do have another thing in mind.) Translation: Your customers live Online - give them a reason to invite you in.
Of course all this doesn’t mean diddly if your product or service isn’t on par with what you say it is.
Blackball Online Marketing provides Web Design, Pittsburgh SEO, and Social Media Optimization; we actually think about your clients.
