Features and tRends

(December 2008)

CLEARING THE CLUTTER: Using Social Media in Daily Marketing

By Kate Griffin

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Flickr, the blogosphere is a dizzying list of programs that can overwhelm even the savviest of internet users. How then does a company navigate the World Wide Web’s newest landmarks when they’ve barely been around long enough to be placed on the map? Like any new venture, the first step is learning the fundamentals. Which of these media sites should your company utilize and what are the basic guidelines?

LinkedIn and Twitter offer unique opportunities for a company to market themselves, network with others in their industry, remain aware of new trends and connect with their customers. Each social media site has a different purpose… and therefore different rules for engagement in order to optimize success.

Get LinkedIn: Be a Part of the Network
LinkedIn is a networking site created especially to maximize professional relationships you already have and to foster new ones. According to their Web site, “LinkedIn is an online network of more than 30 million experienced professionals from around the world, representing 150 industries.” This social media site is all about working with other professionals in your industry. Becoming a part of the network is actually quite simple. You can create a profile for your company and then your staff can create individual profiles.

Once you have created your company’s profile and subsequent individual profiles, get to networking. LinkedIn offers a variety of professional groups to assist you in connecting with the correct people. Groups include college alumni groups and industry trade groups, (i.e. Home and Building Product News or Kitchen and Bath Industry Marketing Group). These communities offer a platform to discuss upcoming trends in the industry as well as an opportunity to offer and receive advice. Consistent involvement in group discussions can help foster your company as an industry leader. Those seeking advice will quickly learn your company and its personnel are knowledgeable and up-to-date on current industry trends, creating a positive reputation.

LinkedIn can also be used as a tool to attract new employees and recruit quality prospective partnerships. A profile on LinkedIn is basically a resume of past job experience accompanied by a long list of professional connections. LinkedIn offers a user-friendly program and a simple but effective structure to help you be a part of the conversation… and to remain relevant within your industry.

Marketing with LinkedIn
Frequent involvement in discussions on LinkedIn will establish your company’s marketing voice in the industry. Everyday reporters are using social media sites to solicit editorial opportunities and to ask for help on going stories. Responding to these inquiries, establishes your company’s place in the industry, and fosters a quality working relationship with the media.

What are You Doing? I am on Twitter, Of Course.
Earlier this year, ABC News covered a story about Twitter at its best. One Monday morning, Tracey Lee Wallace logged on her computer and started venting frustration because her Comcast service was down -- no phone, no cable, no Internet. She called Comcast and got her phone fixed, but after telling her all too familiar story to three different representatives and being put on hold three separate times, she was told they wouldn’t be able to help her until Thursday.

Angry, she used her BlackBerry to log on to Twitter and typed, "Da** Internet down in my house. Arrrrrgh. Can't fix until Thursday. Shoot me." Well Twitter did its job. Wallace didn't know that Comcast had a digital detecting unit searching the Internet diligently looking for unhappy customers who needed help. The head of that Comcast unit saw her complaint and instantly started tracking her down. After a lot of searching Comcast finally got in touch with Wallace’s local business partner… and had her up and running by 5 p.m. that day.

This story is but one example of what Twitter can do for a company and its customers. Twitter describes its self as “A service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers (a 140 words or less) to one simple question: What are you doing?”

From a marketer’s point of view the concept is actually quite simple. Recently, Jenny Schmitt of Cloudspark, a communications strategy company, provided a basic tutorial on Twitter. She noted that the essentials of marketing can be found on Twitter. To be successful you want to be where your customers are and know what they are doing. Customers in every industry are providing that information on Twitter. Reviewing Twitter and other social media sites to find out what people are saying about your company is priceless information. When customers and other influencers in the industry talk about your company online it’s like having a focus group at your finger tips, for FREE!

Another important function of Twitter is the ability to help establish your brand and to assist you in becoming more aware of your competition. More and more companies are creating Twitter accounts. Even if you are not quite ready to commit to Twitter, establish your profile to stake claim of your company’s name. If your customers are on Twitter, your competition is on Twitter but you are no where to be found, the problem is obvious. Twitter offers accessibility and knowledge; accessibility to your customers and knowledge of their thoughts and needs, as well as, being accessible to your customers and utilizing another platform to establish your brand and your message.

Social media has taken off faster than anyone could have predicted and learning the basic tools of the trade is essential to staying relevant in today’s fast-changing, interactive environment. So, get online, get involved, and get excited!

For assistance with implementing social media into your company’s business plan, call Steve Kleber at 770.518.1000 or email at sk@kleberandassociates.com. To join K&A’s Building Products Group on LinkedIn CLICK HERE.

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