Lesson: How Social Media Organizations Market Themselves

Having a social media strategy is essential. However, it is important to understand the role social media plays in an organizations marketing campaign in order to use it effectively. Social media is a valuable tool, not an inexpensive alternative to integrated marketing. Social Media companies themselves offer the best example.

A few months ago, we attended the LinkedIn Marketing Solutions seminar hosted by LinkedIn, at the Vancouver Convention Centre. This was a great event that shared insight into social media user behavior, how consumers use LinkedIn, as well as the products offered by the company to assist organizations in reaching these consumers.  The sales portion of the presentation was informative, direct and very effective in changing the perception that the platform should mostly be used for personal professional networking purposes and employment searches.  Linked In certainly offers many other valuable tools for organizations wanting to reach their valuable membership. The curious thing about LinkedIn’s brand awareness and sales strategy is that it transcends social media. That is, the tools were promoted via an event that allowed face to face communication, the event was marketed via BC Business (a business magazine and e-newsletter), and the collateral material distributed at the event was a hard copy report. This is a great example of an integrated marketing campaign.

Facebook also promotes product awareness via events. Brooke Oberwetter, associate manager for policy communications at Facebook, spoke at a Vancouver Board of Trade Event in June of this year. Furthermore,  Twitter is using traditional network building strategies in Canada by “developing partnerships with creators of TV and Web programming”, according to the Globe and Mail in an article that suggests they work with traditional media outlets to promote their public relations message.

This is an important lesson, as it showcases the fact that in order to build their valuable membership and customers, they draw on multiple marketing tools. Thus organizations must take advantage of what social media offers, as a tool to be used in a wider strategy.

Contact Sinclair and Ruiz today at info@sinclairandruiz.com to find out how we can integrate social media in to your organization’s marketing strategy. www.sinclairandruiz.com

Advertisement

Advertising vs. Public Relations

Advertising and public relations are both different and integral parts of the marketing whole. However, there are plenty of people who take sides and passionately believe in one over the other. For example, the anti- PR camp may agree with the statement in a recent article that  “…Anyone who announces anything is a fool because nobody cares unless they’re Apple or Google…[and] many people still don’t get that public relations is no longer public relations. By many people, I don’t mean just PR people: I mean the companies that hire them and demand they do it a certain, familiar way.” On the other hand, I’ve also heard executives say they stay away from advertising because they don’t believe it is effective. For them the best and only valuable promotional strategy is to earn media coverage.

Public Relations

Public Relations includes much more than press releases and media coverage. PR also includes creating networks (not limited to virtual ones), hosting events, participating in trade shows, corresponding with existing and potential clients, and of course social or new media. The right balance and ensuring your message is directed to the correct audience should result in interest and therefore people caring about what you have to say.

In the case of social or new media, its applications are still in the development phase and currently change. The phenomenon has created much excitement in the PR camp. Yet, not everyone is enthusiastic about the challenges new media represents. As the head of a well established PR company closing its doors explained “…Ad firms are having mixed success with their early forays… and jumping in because their clients expect it…” while on the other hand “Companies have no budget line for this. They don’t know how to measure it. They struggle with balance between responding to customers, over-compensating small issues, or being too ‘corporate’ in their responses. There is no measurement tools that make me go, ‘Snap!!’ that’s who is listening to us.”

It is important to recognize that social media opens the door to endless possibilities. The key is not to become consumed by the options, and as with any strategy, stick to a plan that reaches the company’s objectives. Also, don’t forget that social networks are not limited to Facebook and Twitter. Networks are formed through business, partnerships, and memberships. The main goal of PR is to get people talking about you according to the image you want to portray – one that encourages people to become clients.

 

Advertising

Common comments from those who do not like advertising often mention that a) they prefer not to pay for coverage if they can get it for free and b) that people believe what the media says more than what advertisers say. It is important to take into consideration that earned media does not guarantee full control of the message nor does it control exact timing. In addition, it is up to the company to transmit the right message through their advertising and make the necessary information available to people researching the product in order to satisfy consumers. An ad can include specific information and calls to action that may not be conveyed in earned media. In addition ads can be repeated frequently to maintain the message current while- for example- a columnist is not likely to write about your company 3 times a week for an entire month repeating your message. In fact, even Apple – a company that earns more media attention than most- resorts to advertising to communicate specific information about their products.

Balance
The use of Advertising and PR requires a balance that depends on the company, its goals and the situation. An integral and effective campaign should implement both in a complementary way, especially as people choose multiple media through which to research products. The balance may shift according to the needs of the company and must adjust to new developments. The most important element is to know what you want to achieve and have a clear plan as to how you will achieve it.

Contact us to learn how Sinclair and Ruiz can help design the right strategy and balance for your business.

www.sinclairandruiz.com

www.facebook.com/sinclairandruiz

@sinclairandruiz