At the risk of becoming repetitive, today’s Chamber Session was another full house. And if you missed it you missed out.James Thomas from Square Social was here to deliver a presentation to us on how to be better at Social Media.
He quoted Einstein who’d said that if you can’t explain something clearly you probably don’t understand it. The clarity of James’ Session showed that he plainly has a real grasp of his subject.
What he made clear from the outset was that the fundamentals of marketing still apply. What we have to do is use them as we embrace the new media opportunities afforded by the digital age.
So, firstly establish who it is you want to talk to, and where best to reach them. That’s identifying your target audience and selecting the most appropriate media to reach them – just as it ever was.
But, to really get the most out of the social media your strategy needs to be in tune with them. If it’s awareness you’re seeking then Facebook and Twitter are powerful conduits. When loyalty is your objective, recognise that the social media are best used as part of the bigger picture and your message shouldn’t be too sales oriented. Driving sales is where Liked In comes into play.
The tone of your message should be modified not just by your product or service, but by the media too. A B2B message can be serious and will work on Linked In. A consumer focussed message can be lighter in tone and will sit better on Facebook.
That in turn will help you decide on something else. What value are you going to give your audience? It could be a free e book or ‘learned’ paper in the business world. It might be hints and tips, to establish your credentials. Or, in the consumer field, a promotion is a possibility.
Vitally important, and often understated, is the fact that social media activity is measurable. Engaging in any form of marketing activity that doesn’t provide measurable results is, and always has been, folly. The tools available in this media area make for precise measurement.
James made some other essential points. Don’t use the social media for the sake of it, or from peer pressure. Have a goal and a strategy. And get your data and your presence right. Having selected two or three candidate suppliers from their social media marketing, and other activity, it could be your Linked In profile, for example, that becomes the tipping point in their deciding on you rather than your competitors.
Put simply a good strategy needs to a) build a presence, b) engage your audience and c) convert them into sales.
This was a great session from a man who certainly had presence, and definitely engaged us.
Which, personally leaves me with two thoughts. Firstly, we all have a huge opportunity to engage with a massive audience by placing articles, news and blogs on the Chamber website. It will spread your message to key players.
Secondly? In amongst all of this ‘content’ is still king. That means, as well as the technology and media skills, you still need the right words. That pleases me. I’m a writer.
We have a break next week, but be there for the Chamber Session on November 5. Jonathan Chapman of QMS is here for Be Better at Growing
Written by Pete Goodrum
