Social Media and Brand Power
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There has been quite a bit of controversy about just how much advertising on Facebook and Twitter actually is. Many argue that social media as a whole is completely useless and that any business investing in it as a form of customer acquisition is losing money. And guess what? I agree.
Social media wasn’t built to help you get customers. It wasn’t built around business. It wasn’t even built around outreach…It was built on one thing: social interaction. Social media is designed to make it easier for us to connect with our friends, family, peers and co-workers. Social media is great at what it does.
But Social Media is Useless
It’s useless for direct marketing to people that are ignoring you. The internet population, or my generation in general, is almost immune to advertisements. We’ve seen them so much that we literally tune them out of our vision. We don’t see them. They’re invisible.
The only reason social media sites like Facebook and Twitter were backed with the capitol they needed to get started was BECAUSE of these targeting options for advertisements. Any time you can gather a large population in one place, you can make money off of advertising. That was the idea.
The thing is, typical advertisements don’t work. People on Facebook aren’t there to buy your stuff, they are there to connect and share things with their friends.
If you don’t help them do that in some way, you get ignored.
Advertisements are useless for acquiring new customers for most businesses out there. That doesn’t mean advertising is useless though.
The Power of the Brand
Brand power is growing. Brand influence is controlling. Brand growth is critical. A brand spreads your message and your offering. If people like what you have to say and trust you, they’ll buy from you.
That’s the secret to social media. Don’t try and sell them something, spread your brand. Give your customers a place to talk about how awesome you are in a public forum. Let them like you on Facebook and share some cool news in your industry. Don’t shove your stuff in their face every time they glance at your page.
Social media is about social connections, and if your brand can’t be social, it can be successful on social platforms.
Think about it, if you were having a conversation with a few friends, would you like it if a salesman for McDonald’s to infiltrate your group and try and sell you all hamburgers? Or would you like it if Ronald McDonald danced a goofy dance outside an entertained you all while you were sitting there?
That’s what I thought.
See, a dancing mascot entertains and it spreads the power of the brand. People know that Ronald McDonald represents McDonalds, so subconsciously, Ronald out there dancing is the same thing as a salesman with a sign that says “Buy Hamburgers” but SOCIALLY, it’s much more acceptable…and entertaining.
Spread Your Brand
Social media is a social connection tool. Use it as such. Connect with people, talk to them, discuss with them. You need to get their opinions and thoughts on your product or service and let them in on the action. Post behind the scenes pictures of manufacturing and office horseplay.
People are there to connect and be connected with. Most of all though, they are there to be entertained. If you can’t entertain them without shoving your products in their face, you should steer clear of social media completely, as its likely to hurt your more then it helps.
I should note before I end that Facebook and Twitter are the most unique and widely used platforms, and they tend to get caught in the midst of the argument. When I say spread your brand, I don’t just mean the two big dogs, I mean the countless other platforms that can benefit your brand. There hundreds of sites out there that can help you in your quest, but that doesn’t mean you should jump out there and use all of the either.
The integrity of your brand is more important than volume. Once you trade your ideals for the attention of the masses, you lose your spark. With that in mind, only use the platforms you intend to keep updated with information. The second you don’t update them, they turn from a tool to a ticking time bomb. Someone that sees an inactive profile will lose all respect for your brand.
So what about you, do you think brands are using social media effectively?
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