YES: An obsession with ROI misses the point. Social media is about socialising and networking.
Robert Newham, digital director, Uffindell
The social web is fast becoming the most important communications channel for brands, be they B2B or consumer. Want some proof? Last month, Facebook hit a huge milestone, becoming the most visited site in the US. This means that Facebook is now a more popular destination than Google.
Customers today are increasingly relying on peer group referral to help them select the right products and services. This means people will be turning to social networks as a first port of call.
In communications terms, this shift represents a fundamental change to a decades old model. ‘Messages’ and ‘campaigns’ will give way to dialogue and engagement. Brands must build relationships of value with their customers, employees, stakeholders and investors. They must extend reach beyond their own websites into the places where their audiences gather. They must start conversations with no agenda in mind other than to continue them. They must become social.
A social brand has a clear and consistent story to tell. It is committed to building long-term relationships and knows that relationships must be earned. It understands that when it comes to social media, an obsession with ROI misses the point. A scientific trawl through data can never tell the full story. Reputation, trust, word-of-mouth and advocacy are the rewards and measures of success.
The social web allows a brand an interaction with the individual and allows that individual a personalised interaction with a brand. Questions can be asked, information sought, advice given and even a transaction made in a social, friendly context devoid of the hard sell. Subtlety is the key. And the best bit? The payback. The commitment you show, the trust you earn, the reputation you gain, the goodwill you build is amplified and shared user-to-user, group-to-group and network-to-network.
NO: Social media has evolved. Marketers need to take a scientific approach with their ‘social’ strategies.
Niall O’Malley, group account director, Immediate Future
Although the backbone of social media marketing is undoubtedly the dialogue between a brand and its audience, the last few years have seen it become an all-encompassing part of business strategy. It is growing out from the PR department to inform customer services, CRM and product development.
This means that just having a good relationship with your stakeholders is not enough. The strategy has to answer the questions: What behaviours am I trying to change? Are these the right people to talk to? How can I measure what impact it is having on the business?
Brands are now turning to social media as a means to increase profit. And although they now understand that they are going to resource against it, they are rarely using the opportunity to re-tool across the whole business. Mostly, they see social media as just the marketing department’s responsibility, which is not the way things are going. If you look at the companies which are pioneers in this space, such as Sun and Sony, they are moving social media from the periphery of the business to the centre. For example, in the next few years it will be common practise for sales teams to use platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn to build their own network and warm up the sales cycle.
Those companies that think beyond the traditional department structure will be the first to reap the benefits. Much like the marketing department has had to re-skill due to the social media revolution, so will other teams have to go back to school to see how their roles are going to change.
Is social media primarily based on relationships? Sure, but as far as business is concerned it has to be prioritised and planned like all important hard decisions which have to be linked back to sales and profit. Ultimately, it means that social media will have to be represented in the boardroom. Anyone think it is time for a chief engagement officer?
