The Truth About Social Media
Social media is powerful - undeniably so. It has the strength and depth to make or break a brand. It can cleverly make a company or person appear more successful than they really are. It can make you famous, rich and powerful.
Out of the wood work, names that were not known just five years ago, are now ranked in the top brands online in the world.
But is this 'social media' thing all that its cranked up to be?
The answer is yes! Unfortunately for those who have chosen to join the game late, you may be destroyed by your lesser named and much smaller competitors, simply because they have built an online presence and you haven't.
And for those who are so ignorant that they think that their website is a brochure, you too may need to make a down-payment with the brand funeral parlour.
The truth is simple. Not only is social here to stay, if you are not good at it, your business will be surpassed by smaller companies that have founders, entrepreneurs and marketers dedicated to increasing their Klout factor, social bakers rank and twitter following.
I did the scary task today and looked up my profile on social rankings. I found out a couple of things; Ranked 88 in Sydney - not bad. I am sure there are a few celebrities in front of the line that deserve to be there. Klout figure is ok, but could be better if I was on more social media platforms - but realistically, that is not going to happen. There is only so many hours in the day and so much investment a growing business can make.
Marketing Eye has more than 31,000 people on two Twitter accounts. One that is dedicated to Australia and another dedicated to the lucrative US market.
Facebook is for friends but this blog certainly is not. It is for people that want to read about someone else's opinion and experiences in marketing, entrepreneurship and life. There are quite a few blogs of late that relate to business expansion which seem to be the most popular of the day.
They include;
- Kangaroos are not jumping down the main street of Sydney
- Is business expansion all that its cracked up to be?
- Atlanta, here I come
- What is your game changer?
- The biggest decision you will ever make
Places were you can check your own influence:
- Google yourself
- Alexa rankings
- Social Bakers
- Klout
- Following on social media
In the name of Klout, feel free to follow Marketing Eye on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and RSS subscribe to this blog.
Happy reading!
Note: Meaningful engagement is everything. I know people who have used technology to modify the followers they have on social media, or who have followed everyone then unfollowed them on twitter once they get to a magic number so that they look "important". This is not a good use of social media and is meaningless. Focus your social media strategy on meaningful engagement with customers, industry and key influencers.
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comments ( 11 )
Talk About Creative
13 Sep 2013I agree that is used correctly Social Media can be an effective way to engage with your audience. I think that you need to do a lot of research and put a social media strategy in place to successfully convert visitors to buyers.
ReplyWesley
23 Jun 2013This article will assist the internet viewers for building up new weblog or even a weblog from start to end.
ReplyWaratah Funerals
17 Jun 2013A person necessarily lend a hand to make severely posts I'd state. This is the very first time I frequented your website page and to this point? I amazed with the research you made to make this particular publish amazing. Magnificent activity!
ReplyMatt
03 May 2013I agree social media is definitely powerful and influential especially because it reaches so many people. It is also a very useful tool for an organisation to utilise to connect with their consumers if applied correctly.
ReplyManon
02 Apr 2013I think as well that social media has become an important tool. Indeed, it allows businesses to communicate with a wide range of consumers. Consumers can interact with businesses more directly and see and understand the company and her brand in a different way.
Replysocial media marketing Melbourne
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ReplyMelinda
14 Mar 2013There is an increasing diversion away from traditional channels and towards social media. Social media is a thoroughly useful platform for customer engagement however it needs to be used wisely, as it can be a double- edged sword. Customers have the power to use the public forum as a space to sing the praises of your brand and express the value they have received or they can also use social media to air their frustrations and disappointments with the brand.
ReplyMeaningful engagement is definitely a no brainer that sustains the brand's image of integrity and true desire to seek out what their customers want. It is pointless to blindly attempt to generate millions of followers or achieve a certain level of 'likes', without taking the time to explore the feedback given. For example, negative or disparaging public comments/ratings from unhappy consumers should be dealt with and responded to tactfully and earnestly, rather than an instant deletion of the comment.
Thomas
13 Mar 2013Social media marketing is failing. Sorry and no offense but just reality-truth is Australia is a late adopter of latest technology and that includes social media. Advertising has gone forward towards visual storytelling, part of content marketing and mobile apps. So, if not into this space, then have lost the plot.
ReplyThere was a US study done 3 months ago proving that online marketing's failing (1000 consumers and 250 professional marketers). In that study, 28% consumers and 27% marketers felt that user generated content was more appealing while 73% of the consumers agreed that advertisements should tell a unique story and not just try to sell. Also, the shift from creative to content excellence with storytelling has already begun where visual storytelling works better than text. All, these articles and more including videos can be found under the blog 'Advertising industry not dying but shifting to visual storytelling and mobile apps'(an ok one) - http://storify.com/rohitthomas/advertising-industry-not-dying-but-shifting-to-vis
Amanda Flynn
13 Mar 2013I think the reason social media is so powerful because for the first time ever it allows businesses to communicate with a wide range of consumers and have a voice. It allows consumers to directly interact with businesses on a more personal level allowing them to understand what that business means a lot more than just a website, brand name or brochure.
Replymina arsala
12 Mar 2013Social media holds incredible influential power, since the beginning of the World Wide Web it’s evolved from a simple way for people to keep in touch into a massive global network connecting organizations, communities and people
ReplyActive membership of the most frequented social network is now over one billion people, one out of every seven people on earth is on Facebook! Yes, you read that right – one billion.
With the global population still rapidly growing, it’s become very clear that social media is no passing fad either.
Its influence is remarkable. Small businesses and large corporations alike have tapped into this influence to reach new customers and generate real, honest communication.
This certainly explains a number of phenomena –for example, 64% of Twitter users are more likely to buy products from brands they follow online, or that the average Facebook user spends 405 minutes per month interacting with friends and following their favorite pages
Will Bowman
12 Mar 2013The power of social media cannot be underestimated! Businesses of all sizes must actively engage with their followers on the many social media platforms to fully understand their target market. To build on this, constantly tracking your social media footprint is paramount to your understanding of your impact on social media and interaction with the many stakeholders involved with your business.
Reply