Saturday, July 11, 2009

Is Social Media a Fad?


Many are wondering if it’s really worth the time to dive into social media marketing. Sure, it’s a hot topic right now but is it just a fad and what type of return might I realize if any? Nelson’s Cadillac dealerships joined Facebook and Twitter, posted beautiful pictures on their sites and announce their specials each week. They haven’t seen an increase in sales.

A recent survey by Quba, a digital communications company in the UK, reveals how businesses currently utilize social media. David Sealey, director at Quba says, "companies cannot simply tweet about their latest product and post a link to it, as that, quite simply, is advertising and will be viewed as spam by the very audience organizations are attempting to reach out to.”

Social media is not a magic wand but it can become a powerful communication tool when utilized correctly with careful planning and precise execution. Going about it the way Nelson’s Cadillac has is an example of what not to do. Of course they won’t see results. Additionally, they didn't set goals so they had nothing to measure.

Sealey continues, "those that can utilize it successfully will do so in different ways and to a different degree. Using Twitter as an example, 52 percent of our respondents did not know how to use this medium as a social marketing tool and were therefore unaware of the potential pitfalls." He added, "for companies to make social media work, they have to have a social media strategy in place. One person doing it as a hobby may not mean the right tone of voice comes across."

Social media marketing is utilized by many large companies very successfully while others are still floundering. Some successes include:

• Dell
• Starbucks
• Jetblue
• HRBlock
• Ford
• Kodak

As to whether or not social media is here to stay; I ask, is word of mouth marketing here to stay? It’s the same thing. Focusing on the broader concept helps to understand social media concept. Twitter, FaceBook or LinkedIn could change or be upped by other social media platforms but marketing on the internet is a standard practice and always will be. It’s just a matter of how versed you are at leveraging the tools. To opt out of social media for business marketing is like saying, I don’t need the shovel, I’ve always used my hands.




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