Integrated Strategy is Key to Success in Social Media Realm
With the diversity and seeming omnipresence of free social media platforms, some firms may be tempted to jump headfirst into social media without a clear strategy. According to senior analysts at eMarketer, this would be a costly mistake.
According to Paul Verna, an eMarketer senior analyst, “The low cost of social media can lull marketers into improvising solutions.” But marketers must take into account the amount of time and resources spent managing and executing social media campaigns, as well as creating the quality and quantity of content necessary for success. While there may not be any explicit costs for joining social media networks, there’s no such thing as a free social media campaign. Since money-both costs and potential earnings-are at stake, it’s clear that marketers need a though-out plan.
Furthermore, social media users are increasingly savvy, as are competitors in the marketplace who are quickly becoming more sophisticated in their use of social media. Consumers who use social media have high expectations for companies operating in that space.
Most importantly, social media strategy must be considered in conjunction with other company strategies and goals. Social media is obviously useful as a marketing and communications tool, in which case social media campaigns must be aligned with other branding strategies. But social media is being used increasingly for other aspects of a company’s operations, such as sales, customer service, and IT. Social media channels must be both consistent and streamlined so that information can be effectively communicated between consumers and relevant departments within the firm.
For more information and links to other eMarketer Insight Briefs on the subject of social media, click here.