Don’t Just Jump on the Social Media Bandwagon- Create your own path

On Monday, a study released by the Aberdeen Group showed that more and more marketers are directing money towards social media advertising for 2009.  Phew!  It’s refreshing to know that companies actually are still spending money on marketing, period.  (Kidding).  But in tough economic times, it’s no wonder that marketers are still a little hesitant to jump into these unchartered waters with little by way of solid measurement, which the eMarketer article notes “in particular, is a sticking point.”  Nevertheless, companies are waking up to the inherent value in social media—measurable or not.  For one, it’s where their customers are congregating; for two, it’s cheap; and three, social media is hip (all the cool kids are doing it!).

But this raises the question of, is this money well spent?  I’m not asking, “Can companies measure their success?” but rather, “Are they doing it right?”  Yes folks… while social media might be cheap and easy to get into, there is a right way to do it.  And there’s certainly a wrong way to do it.  Just generating conversation or “buzz” doesn’t necessarily equate to increased sales.  Launching a YouTube video doesn’t mean you’ve gone viral.

I absolutely loved this post on Adrants, “Gen Y: Marketers Still Getting It Wrong.”  She really highlights the fact that many self-proclaimed “social media experts” have essentially been throwing spaghetti against a wall hoping something sticks.  What happened to all that strategic planning we used to have to do to advertise?  Surveys and focus groups and behavioral research…remember all that?  It seems many marketers have forgotten this step altogether when it comes to social media and focused solely on creativity.  Creativity is absolutely important, but it really doesn’t matter if you’re the funniest, coolest, most-shocking, most-intelligent brand on the web if that’s not helping you meet your marketing goals. Or worse… if you don’t even have marketing goals!

Social media, like any other marketing channel, needs to be approached with a firm understanding of your target and your objectives (sorry if I’m starting to sound like a broken record).  And… bonus!… it will make the measurement problem seem a lot more cut and dry.  If you launch a social media campaign in which you effectively reach your target and subsequently accomplish that marketing goal, then pat yourself on the back for money well spent!  It’s certainly a lot more rewarding to see a spike in your sales or membership than it is knowing the number of followers you have on Twitter or the number of people who read your blog.

So do you want to know how to strategically approach your marketing objectives via social media?  Well then give BoldMouth a call!  (434) 220-4638.

Have examples of companies who are already doing a good job of using social media strategically?  Leave a comment to let us know!  We always love a good success story.

TAGS: social media, strategy, BoldMouth, marketing, budget, campaign, objectives, eMarketer, AdRants, Katie Hollar

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