A Social Media Mini-Manifesto for Marketers

photo by Zingaro

In my last blog post, I admonished marketers not to abandon a solid, multi-channel marketing strategy in their frenzy to embrace social media. Savvy CMOs are just now coming to terms with the fact that social media isn’t an alternative but instead a supplement to a deliberate, customer-focused marketing plan.

Concentrating on social media often usurps other marketing tactics in terms of visibility. Follow Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com on Twitter? Sure! Remember the details Zappos’ last e-mail offer? (“Free shipping” reminders don’t count.) I didn’t think so. As awareness of social media grows it risks becoming the Web 2.0 version of “spray and pray.”

What’s a well-rounded marketer to do? Here’s a list of six rules that effective marketers are following now…

photo by Zingaro

In my last blog post, I admonished marketers not to abandon a solid, multi-channel marketing strategy in their frenzy to embrace social media. Savvy CMOs are just now coming to terms with the fact that social media isn’t an alternative but instead a supplement to a deliberate, customer-focused marketing plan.

Concentrating on social media often usurps other marketing tactics in terms of visibility. Follow Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com on Twitter? Sure! Remember the details Zappos’ last e-mail offer? (“Free shipping” reminders don’t count.) I didn’t think so. As awareness of social media grows it risks becoming the Web 2.0 version of “spray and pray.”

What’s a well-rounded marketer to do? Here’s a list of six rules that effective marketers are following now. Consider it a mini-manifesto of social marketing:

1. Stop saying “Hi!” While offering a quippy joke about your sandwich spread or the odor emanating from your dog as she reclines under your desk is hilarious the first time (and maybe even the second time if it’s Braunschweiger), best-practice marketers don’t just entertain, they inform. As much as people like a good chuckle, your customers and prospects are hanging around because of your product, not your witty repartee. Unless you’re Eddie Izzard, be sure that your on-line dialog offers value.
2. Get busy with BI. Every company wants to predict its customers’ wants and needs. To do that requires more than an on-line dialog with customers, it requires an understanding the customer’s profile and historic behaviors. If your company doesn’t have a robust and evolving business intelligence program, build one before investing heavily in a social media infrastructure. Social media analytics and measurement are arguably a subset of a complete BI strategy. If you’re launching a social media program ahead of BI, you’ll end up over-investing in both.
3. Differentiate your members. You have a loyalty program, right? What? You don’t? Then logoff FriendFeed and launch one. Because understanding who your top-tier customers are is paramount to your company’s share of wallet. Social media and Web 2.0 technologies promise new ways to reach out to your “best” customers and differentiate them to keep them coming back. But first you need to know why they’re your best customers. (See Number 2.) Then, start treating them differently. Then that Facebook fan page might even be useful.
4. Know your influencers. There are customers and then there are “constituents,” those concentric circles around customers that might represent suppliers, employees, service partners, industry gadflies, and marketing analysts. If you’re web-visible, then you’re talking to them, too.
5. Maintain your brand. In the rush to start an on-line party with their customers, some companies forget what they’re selling. Worse, the personality of the blogger/tweeter/e-mailer trumps the voice of the brand. Want to let your followers in on the action while flossing? Get your own personal Twitter account. Want to let on-line customers in on the 20 percent off coupon code? Now you’re tweetin’.
6. Finish strong. Like many buzz-worthy business fads, social media efforts can launch big, then fizzle. Don’t let social media become another intellectual exercise. Have a plan for adopting and rolling out a variety of social media programs,using it as a vehicle for  a deliberately planned marketing strategy. Be sure to define what success looks like. Then measure early and often.

In the end, social media is another set of tools in the marketing toolbox. And, like any business enabler, it needs to pass the management “sniff test,” meaning that it needs to generate sustained revenues or offer savings or efficiencies that exceed its cost to deploy. Otherwise, success is just another word for fad.

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