Page 85 - Social Media Marketing for Dummies

» SMM rarely uses mass media, whether television, print, or radio.
Interactive channels that allow for the socialization and redistribution of a
message are more important. But the brand cannot be simply pushed
through the channels. Instead, invite consumers in the channels to experience
the brand and make it their own.
» SMM is about becoming part of all media streams, across all channels,
where consumers are responding to and discussing the brand messages.
In many cases, they’re self-organizing these conversations on the fly. In other
instances, they gravitate toward existing community hubs where the conver-
sations are already taking place. These conversations can also take place on
your own corporate website.

Because of this, messaging, advertising campaigns, and even the products them-
selves don’t define successful brands as much as the communities that surround
them do. A brand supported by a large and influential community becomes more
successful than one with a weak, disparate, and disjointed community. You have a
huge opportunity to learn from their consumers as they listen in on these conver-
sations. This is an opportunity you shouldn’t miss.

SMM in the context of direct-response
marketing

Direct-response marketing is designed to solicit a specific, measurable response
from specific individuals. Unlike brand marketing, with direct response, for every
dollar invested, you see a traceable return. The measurable relationship is estab-
lished between you and the consumer.

Some of the core attributes around direct response include a call to action (which is
when the brand asks the customer to do something like call a number or click a
link), an offer and delivery of enough information to elicit a response, and guid-
ance on how to respond. Television infomercials, which encourage consumers to
call a number or visit a website, and direct mail offers, which invite consumers to
purchase a product or send a reply, are the most common forms of direct-response
marketing. Online advertising campaigns that are designed to drive clicks and
purchases on brand websites are the most common online equivalent.

SMM complements direct response but historically has lacked some of the mea-
surability found in direct response. Social media marketing isn’t typically geared
toward a specific individual with the goal of soliciting a specific, measurable
response. With SMM, communities of consumers are targeted with the goal of
enticing them to positively influence one another and other people within their
networks of online relationships. The goals are to convert consumers into

CHAPTER 3 Getting in the Social Media Marketing Frame of Mind 69