Outsource My Social Media Marketing

Social media can take many different forms, including Internet forums, weblogs, wikis, podcasts, pictures and video. Technologies include: blogs, picture-sharing, vlogs, wall-postings, email, instant messaging, music-sharing, crowdsourcing (crowd outsourcing), and voice over IP, to name a few.

Examples of social media applications are Google Groups (reference, social networking), Wikipedia (reference), MySpace (social networking), Facebook (social networking), Youmeo (social network aggregation), Last.fm (personal music), YouTube (social networking and video sharing), Second Life (virtual reality), Flickr (photo sharing), Twitter (social networking and microblogging) and other microblogs such as Jaiku and Pownce.

What is Social Media Marketing (SMM)?

SMM is where you use social media networking and user-generated content platforms to promote a product, service or content. SMM typically involves creating and participating in a “conversation” with the target audience, rather than blatantly advertising to them.

SMM can also include creating and promoting viral content that is meant to be shared by users. Many marketers are not comfortable with the lack of control over social media but when approached properly, social networks can be extremely effective channels for building product evangelism, reputation management or corporate branding

Why is it becoming so popular?

I believe it’s simply because it mirrors our true nature. We are gregarious by nature and for once we are able to use technology easily to reach out and connect in new and exciting ways. It’s still all so new too, there are new frontiers popping up regularly and it’s a bit like the early Internet “gold rush” days during the 90′s

Is every Social Media site for every entrepreneur?

They might not think so, but it is. You do it naturally every day, SM online is simply the same thing applied technologically.

How does a business owner determine which site is the best match for them?

Good question. Not all SM Sites are equal. I typically advise people to think “classical marketing” and don’t let the ‘flashing lights’ fool you. Visit the site, pat attention to the conversation. “Lurk” for a while. Ask a question, see what happens. Each environment has its own rules. Blunder in and start shouting and you’ll get flamed. Respect the environments ‘sub culture’ and you’ll do fine. An obvious example of this in action is a site that caters to “gamers” – you instinctively know that if you’re selling insurance you would have a tough time in that environment. Like I said, think like a classical marketer.

Are there some “best practices” steps to starting and maintaining your SMM sites? And how do I make social networking work for me?

Social Media Marketing

Many a company has forgotten the old maxim, “Act in haste, repent at your leisure…” The same warning should be applied to companies rushing to get in on the social media marketing wave.

If you hear things at work like “We should have a blog,” or “Let’s join Facebook,” I suggest [respectfully] that maybe you are about to make a whopper of a mistake.

Here’s why…

Backwards is bad

You are starting your social media strategy design backwards – and this will lead to trouble.

In any other business endeavor we start by figuring out what we want to accomplish. Social media technologies are not magical. They’re just tools too. It’s time to stop doing social media marketing because it’s trendy and instead do it because it works!

4 Things to Remember

(1) The web is about people. You need to know your audience. Understand their capabilities, their hangouts online, their language and behaviors. If you’re targeting business travelers then consider rating and review sites for example. Just don’t guess…

(2) Figure out what will be different when you are done. This is the “why” behind your plans. Do you want to create a close knit community or a product testing ground. Understand the motive’s behind your actions.

(3) What outcomes and objectives are you seeking to achieve. Consider the end result and how you will measure it. A fuzzy or fluffy end result is almost as bad as not specifying one at all. How will you measure success?

(4) What technology to choose. Only answer this question when you’ve completed the others because then you’ll know with clarity and confidence.

In conclusion, if you recognize classic business planning and management principles amongst these notes you’d be correct. The game may have changed, but the rules are still the same. Plan first, then act with confidence.

How long is this new type of marketing going to take to master?

The actual skills are quite simple – you likely already have them mastered. What you need to learn is the PROCESS. That takes a little time, but frankly not that much.

What if I don’t know many people to invite to my network?

No problem. Answer this question “If you are the ANSWER, what was the QUESTION?” Armed with that answer you can locate groups of people who would need what you offer. You can then invite them to participate and you can SHARE your knowledge and expertise to PROVE you are the answer to their problem. Use your favourite search engine to locate these people – simply type in the QUESTION or problem. Remember, if people knew the answer they wouldn’t be looking 

How can I get business through SMM?

It’s a funny thing when I’m asked this. We do it daily, so I marvel at the fact people think it’s different online. Sure there’s a layer of technology in the mix, but it’s still about people getting to know people. Remember the old maxim, people buy from people they like and trust.

SMM simply enables (or should I say empowers) you to do this more effectively.

Why Most Brands Fail on Social Networks

A new report from JupiterResearch sheds light on what many online marketers suspected for quite some time. Most brands are failing to make impact on social networks…

Naughton’s Law states: “We invariably over-estimate the short-term implications of new communications technologies, and we grievously underestimate their long term impacts.” Every brand should be online in the best way, know its consumers, and maximize the benefit of its online offering to those consumers.

Here are some startling facts from the report:

Startling Facts:

(*) The average branded social networking page has only 6,494 friends.
(*) Many advertisers are still building branded social networking pages that broadcast content rather than inviting users to interact.
(*) “Most advertisers simply don’t know how to market properly within social networks.” – JupiterResearch

- New Research Suggests:

(*) You should promote your SM pages with paid adverts rather than relying on viral marketing to get the message out. Building viral buzz is harder than you think.
(*) You need to engage users on the page. Even simple forms of engagement, such as contests, on average doubled the number of friends acquired by each branded page.
(*) You must also appeal to social networkers’ love of multimedia to get noticed. Social Networkers are twice as likely to visit a branded page focused on media content than a branded page focused on products.

How does the non-writer do this type of marketing?

It really shouldn’t pose a problem. The ‘Net is vast and there’s room for each of us to be AUTHENTIC. Even behind the shield of a computer many of us seem able to sense a scoundrel or someone “putting on airs”.

If you can email you can do SM. If you can talk you can SM. If you have a pulse… you get the idea.

Do the Social Media Marketing sites have fees to pay?

Typically NO. I advise you to initially avoid any sites that ask for payment until you know precisely what you are paying for. There are some good fee based sites out there, but the good ones also offer a free version too – start there if you wish. Let the results determine the level of investment you are prepared to make.

Are there some sites that you would recommend for business people?

LinkedIn.com
eCademy.com
SelfGrowth.com
Ning.com – ‘create your own’ Social Media website.

Will I have to spend hours a day keeping in touch with all of the people who write to me?

You will need to invest time and energy in your online marketing. Whether it’s YOU that does this or one of your staff is entirely up to you. But you cannot expect a “set and forget” solution to something that is inherently human.

How can I protect myself from “weirdoes?”

Be careful. Don’t give away sensitive or private information online. You will always be exposed to some degree to odd people. I get some very odd emails and propositions, however you need to remember this is business, and although you are using “personal skills” to network online, never forget that.

How can I come across as a professional on these sites, and is it possible to do “real” business this way?

Yes. Publish a professional PROFILE. Show you are a professional and act accordingly and you will be perceived as such. Include family photos of you dressed as a clown at your kids birthday party at your own peril. Remember, online your “goofs” are eternal and will haunt you forever. Online reputation is area you need to tread carefully within. It’s a bit off topic, but that’s why I tell teenagers that they should be very careful about the pictures and posts they put on these social websites. Because in a few years the recruiters will be Googling them and this will be part of their “resume” and frankly it can be a career killer before it even starts.

Why do some people seem to get good results and others just get discouraged?

As with all things in life some people quit too early. Social Media Marketing and Social Networking takes time. It’s like any relationship you develop with another human, rushing to the finish just gets you slapped… Metaphorically and literally too!

Also, success online isn’t about one big thing, it’s about a cluster of little things done consistently with focus and commitment. The strongest trees take the longest to grow. Online things happen a lot faster, but still there is a time commitment, think 6 to 12 months and you’ll be thinking along the right lines.

Is there a “fast start” strategy once I sign up for a Social media marketing site?

There is. Create a professional profile. Publish some content establishing you as an expert in your field. The ‘readers’ will approve and so will the search engines. Explore the active or “hot zones” within the SM site, pay attention to the type of communication and then dive in. Give first. Build kudos and credit before you try asking for anything.

To keep up, use technology to “feed” your SM presence from your other sites like your blog or website. I use technology to syndicate and publish my content to all my SM sites with the push of one button. It makes connecting and staying up to date a breeze.

Remember to invite your friends to join you. Add a promotional button on your “other” sites – for instance if you decide to join Twitter, you can put a “Follow Me” link on your website. Connect, Communicate and Commit. Now ‘rinse and repeat.’

Social media’s popularity is ever-increasing and not just among consumers. Progressively more brands are seeing the value of social media too and everyone is trying to get their piece of the action. That being said, very few brands have produced unique, mind-blowing social media campaigns.

One reason for this might be that most brands still see social media as a ‘free platform’ which translates into brands not being prepared to spend money on creating a proper social media strategy. This is a great pity as a properly conceptualised and well-executed social media campaign not only compliments other marketing activities, but also serves as a platform to connect and engage with current and potential clients.

Brands that produce successful digital strategies invest extensive resources to create original strategies that capture consumers’ attention, engage with them and encourage them to spread the message. When it comes to social media engagement, South African brands are getting smarter. Woolworths is a great example of a brand that has taken social interaction to the next level, take a look at their Facebook fan page and Twitter profile.

We are often asked when a social media campaign can be considered successful? The answer really depends on each campaign’s unique goals, but there are some important factors that contribute to a campaign’s success including:

– Integrating the social media campaign with your brand’s current marketing activities (“closing-the-loop”) and keeping the brand message consistent
– Realising that in the case of social media, the consumer is in charge and not always the brand
– Considering social media as a long-term marketing activity and not a once-off solution to boost a promotion
– Using an employee or agency that is familiar with the brand’s policies and general social networking rules as the brand’s social media voice

There are many more factors that influence the success of a social media campaign but, as always, it is important to lay the right foundation with a detailed social media strategy.

Creating a social marketing strategy
When creating a social media strategy the decision as to which social networks to utilise can be overwhelming but it’s important to realise that your brand can’t be everywhere. Many brands jump on the bandwagon for the sake of ‘doing social media’ and create profiles on every social network they come across. These profiles are then left and forgotten about. That is NOT a social media strategy. Start building on your strategy’s foundation by researching which social networks your target audience are spending their time on and focus your resources there. Secondly, determine what type of content you are going to publish on your social networks and how you are going to engage with (and entice) followers and fans.

Engaging on social networks
For some marketers it’s difficult to grasp that social media is not just another marketing channel that can be used to hard-sell your brand. The best way to pull consumers in and encourage engagement is to tell them a story. Also consider your target audience’s other interests and add content related to these in your content mix.

Determine your campaign metrics
What do you want to achieve and how are you going to measure the success of your social media campaign? Do you want to enhance brand awareness, increase sales or reach new consumer markets?

How to integrate social media When you invest in a well thought out digital strategy results are virtually guaranteed. It is important to get the basics right: Make sure you have Twitter, Facebook and RSS feed buttons (or links to other social networks) on your website so that visitors can find you easily on their preferred social network. Tie in offline promotions with online and experiment with online promotions to gauge results.

Monitor, measure and engage
Social media makes a good reputation monitoring tool and offer brands more opportunities to engage with potential consumers. Start your ORM strategy by tracking your own brand name, competitors’ brand names and key-phrases related to your business activity. Regular reports will help to measure the campaign’s progress and highlight areas that can be improved upon.

Social media offers countless opportunities to engage with customers and to increase awareness for your brand. If you think you need to clean up your social media strategy or if you’d like to know more about how social media could benefit your brand, make use of our complimentary, limited offer social media audit (T&Cs apply). The AlterSage team will evaluate your current social media strategy to see which areas can be improved and how your strategy can be better integrated with other elements for better results. Still finding your feet in the social sphere? Let us help you make the most from your efforts. Email us and quote tm04social to redeem your complimentary social media audit.

www.astonishresults.com – Astonish Results’ community manager discusses the purpose and importance of social media policies. A guide and sample policies were distributed to insurance agency partners to foster best practices in social media as it becomes an increasingly important marketing tool. Special thanks to the Agents Council for Technology (ACT) who provided the framework for these documents.