Such is the fascination with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and other social networking sites that many marketers have ignored the main benefit these platforms offer them: to help build stronger and more profitable ongoing customer relationships.
Don't get me wrong; any method that can deliver targeted, interested people certainly has value. In fact, that's exactly what traditional communication campaigns can and should do.
And that's the root of the problem that is all too common with most digital and social marketing programs: old paradigm 'mass-market' thinking is being used when new paradigm 'market of one' thinking is needed.
Just having a Twitter account and a Facebook fan page supported by a few million banner impressions is not going to do anything for your brands other than raise a few customer's expectations.
What is needed is a strategy that answers the simple question that should be asked after a short-term campaign ends: "And then what?"
The equally simple answer is to do whatever it takes to keep the people you've initially engaged coming back, getting exposed to reasons to buy your brand and reading/hearing other consumers' experiences. And then repeat.
This is the strategic thinking that is central to any effective social marketing program.
Bayer Australia's animal health division, marketers of companion pet worming products, decided that they wanted to form ongoing, direct relationships with cat and dog owners. The 'push' focus on vets and pet stores was well covered via the field force primarily, along with other programs.
It was the 'pull' from pet owners that needed a new approach given that advertising was delivering diminishing returns.
A multi-faceted social marketing strategy was devised and implemented. In addition, a 12-month communication plan that included all major facets of social marketing engagement was put together. Those were:
- Targeted data acquisition via offers made to third-party dog/cat owner databases
- Creation of brand communities for each vertical: http://www.dogdiaries.com.au/ and http://www.catdiaries.com.au/ that were 'powered' by Bayer's major brands
- Ongoing production of unique content in the form of articles, posts and sourcing photos and videos to upload to the community sites
- Regular and relevant offers and promotions were sent to the database to drive repeat visits to the site/s and enhance brand engagement/awareness
- Communication to the now large opt-in databases done via email and included details of the promotions and content on the sites
- Key content and promotional alerts were uploaded on each site's Facebook fan page and Twitter account
Independent research has shown that the two pet lover brand communities attract passionate pet owners who are keen to interact more with the brands, leading to greater advocacy.
There has been much discussion about the ROI of social media/marketing programs. Much of the concern surrounding investment in such programs has been dissipated of late due to the exponential growth of social networking.
While it is virtually a truism that there is enormous wastage in traditional marketing campaigns, no one was brave enough to suggest that the TV, print, radio or outdoor ads be cancelled. Arguments like "we've done it for years" or "the trade/salesforce expect it" have justified billions of dollars being squandered every year.
Then, along came cost-effective, fly-beneath-the-radar social marketing. While consumers love it, marketers, salespeople and the trade on the whole don't fully understand how to harness it. So the internal critics could have a field day.
This will only be a short-term issue. As the word spreads of successful case studies and marketers get their hands dirty with social marketing programs of their own, this new type of customer engagement will become commonplace.
Such will be its proven effectiveness that I predict that data-driven or consumer-pull marketing will challenge the primacy of traditional methods like TV advertising within three to five years.
Even if such a call proves to be half true, how ready are you and your brands?
Peter Applebaum is the founder of Tick Yes.
