For many years not I have worked with clients who want to be on Social Media but don’t know why. They hear great things and want to be seen as “with the times” so want Social Media as part of their Marketing Plans, but most of them just don’t know what to do when they get there.
Born and bred in a world where traditional media still rules the roost most Marketers sometimes struggle with the role Digital Media, and Social Media in particular, will play in their overall strategy.
“Adapt”
If you go to the pages of some of the best companies you will see that they choose to just “adapt” traditional creative on Social Media and when they still have low engagement numbers wonder if Social Media is really working for them. Is Social Media really just another TV channel or newspaper where the “adapted” creative will suddenly do wonders? No. It isn’t.
“Live versus a static medium”
So here’s why – A Newspaper is a “Shoot-and-Forget” Medium, so is TV and let’s not forget radio. (Sidenote: When did you last hear a radio station?). You place a piece of communication and then pretty much hope it reaches the right audience. The piece of communication has the shelf-life of that glorious 30 secs or the 3 secs one scanned the page of the newspaper (and maybe or maybe not saw your ad). Don’t be taken in by my tone regarding traditional media. Even shotguns have a role in war, but that’s it. Lock’n’load – Fire and the bullet is gone.
Diplomacy versus Autocracy
On the other hand, I equate Social Media to diplomacy in war. This is the place you get a chance to sit across your client (potential/current/future) and actually have a chat and work out your differences (if we want to take the war analogy forward). The client has a few grouses, you have a few nice things to say, you shake hands, make a deal and become friends for life.
See what happened there. Because you spoke to each other and sorted out everything between yourselves like mature adults, all fine and now you are friends. That’s what social media is actually meant to be. A negotiating table.
Now imagine you get your client to the table and are finally looking into each other’s eyes and all you do is blast him with your “adapt”. No conversation, no chit-chat, no shaking hands, no banter about cats and dogs or movies you like – BAM – This is my “Adapt” – I look forward to your like or share on this ad. How would you feel?
Opportunity lost
Newspaper ads, TV ads, Radio ads and your Digital Ads are all doing their job well reaching your audience and telling them about your great product and service. But if you ever wanted to just have an honest conversation with your clients and close deals quickly, social media is your champion. If you treat social media as just another place to release an ad, it’s a waste of talent. In movie equivalence it’s like asking Meryl Streep to play the lead the in the Biopic of a Kardashian. She will do it, and probably brilliantly, but that’s not what she was born to do.
Commit to a conversation
The difference between a committed relationship and a fling is the amount you are ready to invest in talking to the one you care about. If you care about your clients and care about getting them to your side, commit to speaking to them. Commit to treat them right on Social Media. And watch them “adapt” 😉
See you online.