Love it or loathe it - social media is here to stay.
For businesses, the world of tweets, tag clouds and user-generated content can be a scary place. But so was the World Wide Web 15 years ago. Local experts contend that companies not wading into the social media tide will be left high and dry in a few short years.
Media watcher Nielsen Co. reported earlier this year that more than two-thirds of the world's Internet population is using social media and that it may be more popular than e-mail. Social networking - or participating in "member communities" - was reaching 66.8 percent of the online public versus 65.1 percent for e-mail in 2008, according to the report.
Loveland-based Infomedia is building an empire based on the opportunities to be had online. Company founder and CEO Joel Comm wrote the book "Twitter Power," but Infomedia President Ken Burge said that the company's focus for social media is on the "big four" - Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube (see pages 23A and 24A for more detail).
Burge recommends businesses dedicate around 30 minutes per day to "get their feet wet" in social media, and to gauge its potential value.
"There is more value in it than just driving sales," he said. "You can learn something."
He feels that a big mistake companies make is to jump in and start putting quantity over quality.
"The key is to listen first," he said.
Listening is the key
Listening seems to be the drum most social media experts are beating.
"If you know how to network, you know how to social network," said Lori Gama, owner of DaGama Web Studio and a Twitter enthusiast.
Gama said connecting with people in social media is similar to connecting to them in the real world. At a networking event, a person enters the room, scans it to see who is there and finds groups to speak with. Gama feels the online realm is all about creating relationships and the "help thy neighbor" mentality.
Her general rule is that about 90 percent of the time spent interacting on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn should be dedicated to helping and listening to others, leaving only 10 percent for shameless self-promotion. Others will appreciate the help that was offered in the past and even help with the promotion side. It's the same, Gama pointed out, with networking events.
"I don't just step into the room and start handing out my business card," she said.
Marketing different game
While the networking aspect of social media might be the same, marketing is a whole new game.
"It's such a different concept than traditional marketing," said Viveka von Rosen, self-proclaimed LinkedIn Expert.
She feels that the people who do not find success in social media are those who are pushing rather than interacting. Social media marketing needs a much more targeted, soft touch rather than a shotgun approach to finding customers. Von Rosen feels that an authentic voice is a must, since using social media is about building trust and relationships.
There is no hard and fast rule on the social media "face" for a business - only Infomedia has Joel Comm, for example - but the voice must be personal.
There also isn't a hard and fast rule on which social media network is the best for business. For Comm, Twitter is the best for its immediacy. However, Burge feels LinkedIn is an invaluable business tool for professional connections.
Despite being the LinkedIn expert, von Rosen agrees with Comm.
"The one with the most potential for business is probably Twitter," she said.
For one, she says, it's quicker and easier to learn. Von Rosen can get a client up to speed on Twitter in about three hours, versus six to 10 hours for LinkedIn.
But the learning curve is not an excuse to ignore any of the other tools.
"LinkedIn is an absolutely necessary business tool," she said, adding that Facebook probably offers the most comprehensive toolset.
Look at all the channels
Longtime professional marketing companies are paying close attention to all of the social media sites.
"We recommend that everybody should be taking a look at the channels," said Robert Bean, the director of interactive media for Burns Marketing Communications. "It's the best kind of direct marketing."
Burns has developed social media campaigns for Epsilon Sigma Alpha International, WaterPik and Comverge, focusing almost exclusively on Facebook.
"This media is highly measurable," Bean said.
Burns developed a Facebook page for an annual IT service management expo. The call-to-action was for potential speakers to submit proposals. The event organizers received about 38 percent more submissions than in any other previous year.
"We did nothing differently, other than market to Facebook," Bean said.
While Burns has been very active in Facebook, Bean recommends that clients use LinkedIn as well. LinkedIn provides a networking and brand-building outlet, while Burns has used Facebook more for campaigns.
"We stay very tactical," Bean explained. "We haven't found a reason (for our clients) to be on Twitter yet."
Noise level rises
Even the champions of Twitter will concede there is an issue - as the user becomes more adept at using and interacting with that it quickly becomes difficult to manage, due to the volume of conversations occurring. According to Yann Ropars, a principal at Extanz Social Media Marketing, "If you're not adding content and value, then what's the point? It's just noise."
Because of the rising level of activity, it is important to offer fresh content as part of the interaction. While that can be time-consuming, it can offer a high return.
Ropars points out that social media networks offer in-bound marketing opportunities and chances for customer research. He suggests that businesses identify keywords that could define their target customers and markets. Using those keywords in search.twitter.com - or an aggregator application (see Twitter tools breakout) will allow firms to find the people discussing topics related to their businesses.
He also adds that it is more important to listen than to speak, to see what potential customers are interested in rather than telling them what they should be interested in.
"It's about your customer; it's not about you," he said. "It's not cold; it's warm - your online shaking of hands."
Getting involved in the ever-evolving world of social media can be daunting. Ropars recommends meeting with a trusted adviser to develop a plan because doing the wrong things can be detrimental. Traditional tactics, such as pushing out information, can get a business painted as a spammer in the social media world. But Ropars said that fear is no excuse.
"Being afraid will not solve the issue," he said. "It's like refusing to have a Web site 10 years ago."
Ava Diamond in Fort Collins, Colo. at [5/31/2009 10:28:49 AM]
If you want to recruit and/or market to Generation Y, you absolutely have to master social media. They want to interact with you, have a relationship with you, and feel like you "get" them. It's critical to know what your goals are, and invest your time and resources wisely to drive those results.
Lori Gama in Greeley, Colo. at [5/23/2009 2:47:31 PM]
John Rood made a good point: how does one measure the ROI of Social Media? Your "Success" Benchmark is the most important thing to decide on or the ROI ends up being a mystery. First, decide what you're measuring. Is it quality of conversations and perceptions of your company? Or is it the numbers: traffic to your Web site, SEO ranking, number of products sold? To measure quality, such as building better relationships with targeted groups, ask yourself: Are we part of what these groups are talking about? Are people talking about our company or our competitors? Are people referring us to their friends/followers? In Twitter, you can monitor when your brand is mentioned by using SplitTweet.com. To measure quantity: Review your Web site and blog's statistics to see where traffic is coming from. Check the "referrals" stat. Google Analytics is very comprehensive and it's free. Measuring quantity is easy. Decide on your "Success" Benchmark first, then measure. Lori Gama, www.DaGamaWebStudio.com
L Quinn in Middletown, Del. at [5/22/2009 2:54:54 PM]
The emergence of social media completely opened new doors for companies to market their business online AND for free. Through social media, businesses are able to spread a more positive brand awareness, closely connect with their consumer market, as well as build professional relationships online. But as the social media world begins to expand and change, growing more and more popular, what sites are going to maintain the most loyal user retention? The popularity of these social networks seem to ebb and flow continuously, so how do you know which ones to stay connected to? I suggest checking out a recently launched social network called, www.HopOnThis.com. Not only do members have the same networking functions as other popular sites, but also they can win cash and prizes just by staying active on the site.
Russ Alman in Olympia, Wash. at [5/22/2009 11:55:20 AM]
Excellent Article! Mirrors my sentiments precisely. Social media are just a new tool for traditional networking and should be treated as such. It's not a sales medium, but a social media to develop trust and referrals.
Deborah Smith in New Jersey at [5/22/2009 11:50:38 AM]
I consult small businesses on their use of social media. This is an excellent article. I will be sharing it with my clients. Thank you. http://profile.to/deborahsmith/ Deborah Smith
Nikhil Vaswani in India at [5/22/2009 11:16:33 AM]
I agree with the noise part especially because at the pace at which users of social media is increasing, it will be tough to sort the wheat from the chaff. At the same time, one phenomenon that should make things easier down the year would be "convergence" wherein one site emerges that provides features that all others provide in bits and pieces. That way users will be able to concentrate on one online resource rather than understanding different ones like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. For the meantime, it is important developing better and more productive ways of using these sites. For example, if you are looking for getting more out of your LinkedIn account, check out networking expert Jan Vermeiren's new book "How to REALLY use LinkedIn." You can find a free lite version at http://www.how-to-really-use-linkedin.com/
John Rood in www.knowledgeistics.com at [5/22/2009 11:06:58 AM]
Great introduction to social media. One of the most important implications of social media is that it opens up a variety of channels for conducting market research. Using social media tools in a systematic way is a sure means of creating value. One of the challenges of social media is demonstrating ROI, which is emphatically not the same as Twitter followers or YouTube tags. If you are learning more about your customers or potential customers, the ROI is evident. www.knowledgeistics.com
