Hype? Not for me thanks!
This was inspired by an article by Mike Volpe at The Customer Collective, which was brought to my attention by a Tweet from Robert Clay at Marketing Wizdom (Social Media’s great isn’t it?? Communication definitely adds value, right?) Thanks very much guys!
Social Media marketing is obviously destined (and well on its way) to becoming a dominant force within marketing for ALL companies; 2011 is likely to be a pivotal year, however, we mustn’t forget that effective traditional marketing will still have its place.
I have always maintained that “Communication adds value!” Social Media just happens to be an excellent way to communicate and potentially more cost effective than some traditional methods!
The Social Media Revolution videos (on my blog) and elsewhere and the global excitement is very hard to ignore and perhaps it seems even more exciting because of the global economic meltdown? The world needs some good news and what better than a Revolution!
New dynamics within marketing have been created as a consequence of social media‘s popularity; this is clear and the continued introduction of new Social Media platforms is sometimes hard to keep up with even for us die-hard fans. Of course, many of these (as we remember from the Dot Com boom) will die a natural death (Delicious?) or be swallowed up by the likes of Google, but changes are rapid and relentless and exactly where we are headed is anyone’s guess. (No more traditional TV eventually? Laptops and computers relegated by mobile telephones? Who knows, right? No more Yellow Pages for sure!!)
What about “permission marketing”? Some people were talking about permission marketing way back in 1999, but where was it really until Social Media and Web 2.0 really came along? (Hi Seth)
Permission marketing is a natural step in the right direction. People are bored and cynical with traditional advertising methods, basically, people hate hype! Given the right information they feel empowered and positive about making choices rather than accepting what they can’t easily ignore; they’re happy to become a customer if treated like an intelligent human being. This is why websites and Blogs are effective if used correctly; people need reliable, current information in an age where everything is constantly changing. They need to feel that they are making the right decision, a decision based on good quality content that has been approved by their peers.
The BIG question is, how will this new approach to marketing change the way companies do business?
That old phrase “the customer is always right” will soon become a reality. (I said this months ago on LinkedIn, but I’ve just got to repeat it!) Services and products will have to improve, if they don’t consumers will quickly boycott the less desirable companies; word will be out on Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon, Foursquare etc on what to avoid and what to be loyal to.
Complaints departments will have to face the Facebook (or Twitter) music and sort out problems and quickly! Humble pie will have to be eaten daily and sincere apologies or at best, compensation made! Social Media platforms will have to be monitored very closely by ALL companies and the negative comments will have to be dealt with PDQ!
In a word, fresh, up to date, accurate, informative, no hype content, will take a step down and become Queen and finally the customer will be King! Won’t they make a wonderful royal couple? (And not before time!!)
For more ideas and information on Social Media Marketing please visit www.constructionmarketinguk.co.uk or go to http://www.facebook.com/ConstructionMarketingUK .
If you agree or even disagree, please let me know and have a peaceful and prosperous 2011 everyone!
If you want to know more just call Peter on 01473 435308 or email peter@constructionmarketinguk.co.uk
www.constructionmarketinguk.co.uk
We build the builders!
Related articles
- What will happen in digital advertising in 2011? – Quora (quora.com)
- Is Twitter the best permission based marketing system ever? [Michael Hargreaves] (ecademy.com)
Hi, thanks for your kind comments and I’d be happy to discuss the opportunity in more detail, why not email me at peter@constructionmarketinguk.co.uk . I’d be more than happy to discuss matters in more detail with you.
One of the dangers I see for small businesses who dip their toes into social media is that they don’t understand that if you’re on a platform people expect you to be listening.
Complaints departments will have to face the Facebook (or Twitter) music and sort out problems and quickly! Humble pie will have to be eaten daily and sincere apologies or at best, compensation made! Social Media platforms will have to be monitored very closely by ALL companies and the negative comments will have to be dealt with PDQ!
We see this already happening with airline delays on the tarmac. It will be harder and harder to hide your mistakes as more people adopt social media into their daily lives.
Thanks for the thought provoking post.
Hi Brad, you are absolutely right and the idea for this post came from a long ‘conversation’ I got into on LinkedIn, things have changed and not everyone knows. Some companies might hate Facebook and Twitter but it doesn’t mean their customers do! I’m glad you like the post, thank you. I took a look at your new Blog and I’m going back to check it out some more later. Stay in touch!
This is a really great site with a lot of good well written post. Can’t wait to see what you come up with next!
Hi Trisha, thanks for dropping by and I’m glad you like the post. Lots of stuff in the pipeline and tomorrow the run down on Empire Avenue if you’re interested in Social Media networking. Thanks for the appreciation, I aim to please, best regards, Peter
This article proves that there are prize worthy-writers out there willing and able to take the time to research their articles and share them with others. Thank you for sharing.
Hello Angela and thank you very much for your comment!
Half the fun of writing comes from deciding what to writing and I strongly believe that without sufficient research it’s impossible to do a good job.
Thank you very much for taking the time to comment.
Best regards
Peter
I agree. Actually with social media, customers get to be more vocal and give their opinions. Social media is also more “customer-centric” than traditional marketing which makes it very popular and will continue to be so.
Hi Jim, thanks for dropping by and your comment! Much appreciated!
That’s why social media is SO popular because the masses have finally got a platform and a voice. To me , it’s wonderful and will keep big business honest and keep standards high.
One of the biggest questions from corporations is, ‘How do I deal with negative comments?’ The answer is simple, if you provide a great service and/or products and you deliver what you promise, you shouldn’t get many. You’ll always get some, people are people, but if you’re smart you can turn a disgruntled customer into a loyal one by handling the issue promptly and professionally.
Social media = power to the people!
Thanks for your time, grateful for the support, all the very best, Peter. (Why not connect on Twitter, Facebook, Google+?)