In the recent past, there has been a flurry of new means of communication between people; the social media networking websites are the in thing these days. These virtual hubs have been there for a long time in the shape of MySpace, Orkut, Hi5, and others but it wasn’t until Facebook became one of the biggest online communities in the world. The fact that if Facebook were a country, it would be the fifth largest after China, India, the U.S, and Indonesia is mind boggling; with over 200 million users worldwide, marketers, positioned in some of the most desirable companies in the world have started taking Facebook very seriously now.
But why did they ever need to put emphasis on social media marketing? To start with, it is highly cost effective to run a campaign on such social media networks in contrast to investing millions on TV commercials, print ads, PR events, and all other promotional activities. Secondly, the benefit that comes in the form of easy message communication to the masses with social media marketing is immensely good for the companies within seconds. Third, the connectivity itself: customers engage themselves in feedback sessions, competitions, product development, and after sales leads to strengthening your brand. Another reason for this weight is its great reach to diverse demographics. Fifth and perhaps the most effective reason for such high acceptance of this means of marketing is the perception it gives to the audience, and that is of being an updated and trendy brand.
So, do all brands need to be present and active on social media forums? Yes, and it depends upon the product life-cycle to a certain extent. For instance, let’s assume if the brand managers of Coke or any other established brand wanted to leverage the power of social media for greater levels of recall and recognition then what would they do? Well, since the brand is well established and the awareness and customer base is already there, they would still prefer not to go for a focused official Facebook fan page, Google+ page, LinkedIn profile, and a Twitter account.
By creating a presence on social media you will be giving your customers and prospects the impression that your brand cares about them. Social media networks like Facebook and Google+, and the rest can be used to run online marketing campaigns, competitions, polling, and what not to really get the fans involved in new product development. Keeping your customers hooked to your brands’ presence is the key to effective social media marketing.
The trick is different for Twitter, and by far, this 140 characters micro blogging is a work-of-genius; it is the most powerful medium that social media plus blogging offers. The important thing is to get your Twitter account verified, meaning copyrighted and official in the Twitter lingo, and almost exclusively use it for after sales services. A brand is nothing more than a promise and by creating a Twitter account your brand would stand by its promise and assist its customers. Also, this will give your brand a voice and make it more alive. Above and beyond that the image of a caring brand can be developed over the course of time by providing customer support similarly as many other successful companies.
However, if you were to launch a new brand the general rules of thumb and the do’s and don’ts list of social media marketing more or less remains the same. The tactics would be fundamentally similar, other than laying a greater emphasis on generating a higher level of brand awareness and positive brand associations will be needed. Though Twitter marketing should only be undertaken once your brand has built a substantial amount of brand awareness and customer base so as to reinforce the desired brand perception.
Having a high brand rating online that translates to massive fan following attracts more potential customer. A brand that has a huge following online has a greater brand recall, brand recognition, and ultimately brand awareness, which will eventually lead to building brand equity. Whatever tactics you decide to enact for your brand, there is one law that you can never break in social media marketing i.e. letting your presence become inactive.
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