Social Marketing - How Companies Can Engage Their Customers and Increase Sales
An interesting new eMarketer report highlights how companies are using focused social networks to engage their customers and increase sales.
Most marketers today understand that mass appeal social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace can engage consumers but a more focused community can dramatically increase that engagement.
ChildrenWithDiabetes.
com is an ad supported website established by Johnson & Johnson for "kids, families and adults" with diabetes.
Most people who go online to seek medical information regarding diabetes begin with search.
Therefore consistent page one organic search results are extremely important so the searcher has the confidence that ChildrenWithDiabetes.
com is a trusted authority site for that disease.
How does Johnson & Johnson achieve that trusted authority status? The much sought after "authority status" results from insuring your site has something new each day, is constantly adding new content, updating current content, referencing the latest research and becoming a place where members can freely exchange their own information.
But what's the upside for companies that establish and support a focused social networking site? Why, it's SALES! It is a psychological fact that people buy products and services from companies they trust and a more focused topic can often, in fact, increase its appeal.
In 2008, the Harris Interactive Poll confirmed that over 54% of Americans distrust the media while 78% of respondents either completely or somewhat trusted other consumers' comments.
Social networking's viral nature will kick in when members become content producers with their blogs, articles, comments and messages.
Now you can really engage your customers and prospects in a "conversation" about your company's products and services.
But I know, we're in the middle or is it the beginning or end of the worst recession since the Great Depression.
The fact is this - there is no greater marketing "value" today than the dedicated social networking site.
Many companies still spend thousands of dollars periodically to find out what customers are saying about its products.
Social sites are probably the most effective surveying tool available.
Instead of a $50K budget for an old style customer survey (with questionable metrics and interpretation, you are actually surveying your customers everyday by tracking their user generated content on your social site.
So, now is the time to march down the hall and into your CFO's office to sell the concept of your own social networking site which will generate a much higher revenue stream at a significantly lower cost than traditional marketing.
Social marketing is here to stay and those companies that embrace these marketing concepts will reap the rewards as the economy begins its inevitable rebound.
by Al Tweedie
Most marketers today understand that mass appeal social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace can engage consumers but a more focused community can dramatically increase that engagement.
ChildrenWithDiabetes.
com is an ad supported website established by Johnson & Johnson for "kids, families and adults" with diabetes.
Most people who go online to seek medical information regarding diabetes begin with search.
Therefore consistent page one organic search results are extremely important so the searcher has the confidence that ChildrenWithDiabetes.
com is a trusted authority site for that disease.
How does Johnson & Johnson achieve that trusted authority status? The much sought after "authority status" results from insuring your site has something new each day, is constantly adding new content, updating current content, referencing the latest research and becoming a place where members can freely exchange their own information.
But what's the upside for companies that establish and support a focused social networking site? Why, it's SALES! It is a psychological fact that people buy products and services from companies they trust and a more focused topic can often, in fact, increase its appeal.
In 2008, the Harris Interactive Poll confirmed that over 54% of Americans distrust the media while 78% of respondents either completely or somewhat trusted other consumers' comments.
Social networking's viral nature will kick in when members become content producers with their blogs, articles, comments and messages.
Now you can really engage your customers and prospects in a "conversation" about your company's products and services.
But I know, we're in the middle or is it the beginning or end of the worst recession since the Great Depression.
The fact is this - there is no greater marketing "value" today than the dedicated social networking site.
Many companies still spend thousands of dollars periodically to find out what customers are saying about its products.
Social sites are probably the most effective surveying tool available.
Instead of a $50K budget for an old style customer survey (with questionable metrics and interpretation, you are actually surveying your customers everyday by tracking their user generated content on your social site.
So, now is the time to march down the hall and into your CFO's office to sell the concept of your own social networking site which will generate a much higher revenue stream at a significantly lower cost than traditional marketing.
Social marketing is here to stay and those companies that embrace these marketing concepts will reap the rewards as the economy begins its inevitable rebound.
by Al Tweedie