We all realize the importance of social networking in marketing, but what sites should your brand use? According to the S-Net (The Impact of Social Media) study, LinkedIn now boasts the title of “most important social network.” This survey by ROI Research, Inc., sponsored by Performics, surveyed 2,997 active social networkers to discover that 59% consider having a LinkedIn account to be the most important. Fifty percent of respondents visit the site weekly, while 20% visit it daily. So your company should get onboard with LinkedIn, right?
While marketing through LinkedIn is on strategy for B-to-B brands such as LexisNexis and CareerBuilder.com and B-to-C brands such as Lexus or Rolex, it may not be for your brand. LinkedIn reaches a workplace (or aspiring workplace!) audience in a certain mindset and at certain moments in time. It offers a great environment for reaching a potential customer looking for specific services, a new job, or appropriate transportation and accessories. But it wouldn’t be the right environment for reaching gamers, power moms, independent music lovers or affluent seniors.
Brands such as Activision, Pampers, LiveNation or The John Hancock Company that target these audiences should consider starting with Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube (which acts as both a video search engine and social site) and other sites that reach these audiences. Before using any social network for your brand, it’s crucial to understand that these sites have different purposes and deliver different audiences. Often, companies look at social media as one channel, but that can lead to a real disconnect by employing a one size fits all approach and offering an impersonal consumer experience. Marketers need to determine a solid plan of action and communicate with their team in order to effectively implement social network strategies that drive active participation.
Before considering what networks in which to invest your brand’s time and resources, you should ask a few questions: ·Who’s your audience? Each social network has a unique audience, so your teams must understand an audience’s intent and expectations on that network. MySpace has maintained and strengthened their position as a music lover’s site. This is a perfect environment for American Idol sponsor Ford or any of the wireless carrier or device companies like Verizon or Blackberry who aggressively market their music playing features and functionality. Another example is Twitter which trends younger and attracts avid celebrity and sports figure followers. It’s an ideal place to market movies or team events. The point here is timeless. Know each social network’s audience and seek out participation on those that deliver your customer base.
Let G3 Marketers help you create a social media strategy to best locoye your target audience. Call (502) 409-3451 to get a FREE Market Analysis.
G3 Marketers
Louisville, KY 40299
(502)409-3451
