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by Heidi Miget on 2.2.2010 in Interactive Marketing, Marketing Consulting 0

As the Online Marketing Manager here, I spend my days talking, reading, teaching and applying social media strategies to our client work on a daily basis.  This, of course, means I am a huge advocate and believer of this powerful medium.  I will say most of the time it does seem to be the answer for the clients we work with in some capacity.  Now, of course when I say “answer” I don’t mean a magical solution to all problems where all other marketing campaigns can disappear, but more of an extension that supports various marketing efforts and creates a voice for a brand online.

There are so many different ways in which a brand can utilize social media that there usually is a great solution for most brands to get involved with social media.  If it is not the obvious Facebook fan page or a Twitter account, it could be a blog, a private social community or a number of other customized solutions based on client needs and goals.

I’m not surprising anyone when I say the buzz around social media has greatly increased over the past year and even more so over the past 6 months.  Whether it is the Social Media Revolution video, the incredible successes of brands such as Starbucks, Whole Foods and Zappos, or the extensive coverage it receives in every advertising magazine, gone are the days of really having to convince a brand they need to be utilizing social media.  In fact, it is somewhat of the opposite.

Every once in awhile, after evaluating the resources (both human and financial), the audience, the willingness to be transparent and the brand goals, the recommendation is not social media (at least not yet). In some cases, there are instances where the brand’s audience is not yet engaging in social media and it financially makes sense to place marketing dollars elsewhere. However, the biggest misconception is that social media is “free.”  Sure, most social networks are free to use, but a strong social media campaign demands someone’s time, and there is always a price tag associated with time.  If there’s not a dedicated resource to answer questions, engage daily and nurture the community, then it may not be right.

For brands looking to greatly increase their social media presence in a short amount of time, advertising and application development should be considered in the financial investment.  While the cost is increased, the impact can be powerful.  For instance, Einstein Bros Bagels initiated their Facebook fan presence on December 17, 2009.  In mid-January, they launched their first large promotion which included a bagel giveaway to new fans and targeted Facebook advertisements.  This resulted in over 350,000 new fans in only a few short weeks, demonstrating the powerful impact targeted advertising and an enticing promotion can have on a social media presence.

Again, the key here is that there is usually something a brand can or should be doing related to social media. It’s really about learning and evaluating the situation to make recommendations specific to a brand.  The power of social media is evident, but like all marketing channels, there’s no one size fits all approach.

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