Most who know me in business circles will giggle at my attempt at blogging due to my different view on social media, so to avoid controversy let’s just call this Mark Power’s webpage!
Don’t get me wrong, I believe there are immensely powerful applications for social media in B2B, but I am trying to ensure that I keep a balanced view as the business world is getting so worked up about social media and the hype concerns me. I come from the old school approach to business marketing, where nothing is more powerful that face-to-face communication. My fellow team members team would prefer me to lead the way and actively engross myself in social media, mainly so they avoid the embarrassing situation when a client or prospect of Concep asks ‘Where is your CEO’s Linkedin profile?’ – it has happened a few times before! But has my lack of online community involvement lost us business? Probably not. Has it reduced Concep’s or my own brand exposure? Potentially.
It is quite obvious that our clients are trying to communicate with business people who are not currently engaged within social media communities, and many may never do so. It makes sense for us to deliver strategies and solutions that engage this currently neglected audience, many of whom are important senior decision makers or influencers. In fact, this social media trend could reverse itself quite quickly like we are seeing in other digital channels and result in positive application in only a number of specific markets (e.g. recruitment). On the other hand, the power of advocacy through social media could make it immensely powerful for peer-to-peer referrals (think Tripadvisor or Yelp for big business), so the future will certainly be interesting.
My Blog will attempt to pose a different view on digital, and also take a peek into the possibilities of the future of marketing. I hope you enjoy my view and I welcome your feedback.
