The last few decades have been a bumper time for brands and advertisers. In the evenings, they could rely on people being slumped in sofas around the TV, devouring advertising as hungrily as their microwave meals.
However, times have changed. People are now fast forwarding through the ads, or switching the TV off altogether. The days of entertainment only being found on the screen in the living room are over, because the screens in studies and bedrooms are now being used for a wider range of entertainment than just computer games.
Whether it’s watching music videos on YouTube, throwing sheep at their Facebook friends or saving the price of a paper by reading news online, people are finding entertainment that’s more engaging than that on the TV.
But the behaviour of most interest to brands is the manner in which people are forming into digital networks. They’re creating and sharing content in blogs, forums and networking sites strewn throughout the web on every topic imaginable.
People are adopting the tribal instinct to form groups based on shared passions and interests in the digital realm, which brands are desperate to become a part of.
A challenge and an opportunity
The challenge brands face is being able to follow the migration of their audiences from the TV and onto the web, and being able to engage with them in a manner that’s welcomed.
Adopting interruption style advertising tactics to force their way into people’s digital lives is a definite no, no. This will be at best ignored, and at the worst repelled if people feel their attention is being hijacked by an ignorant advertiser.
Instead brands need to find a way of becoming a valued part of social media. This means providing content people find entertaining, valuable or informative to barter for their time.
Whilst it presents a challenge, social media also presents an opportunity.
By providing people content they want to consume, interact with and share, brands can use social media to build positive responses, increase traffic to their websites and, ultimately, increase sales in the real world.
Social media marketing in action
Here are a few well known social media marketing campaigns:
Nike Running – rather than dazzle visitors with pop up discount offers and ads, this website enables visitors to create a profile, set a training schedule and interact with other members by organising runs or sharing maps of their favourite routes. As noted in Business Week, Nike’s website harnesses social networking to foster a positive association with the brand as a relevant, valued part of their lives.
Dell – perhaps the most infamous example of a brand that felt the dark side of the web when complaints on its customer service spread like wildfire. After getting its fingers burnt, Dell has embraced social media at every opportunity as a tool for engaging with its customers. It now has a range of blogs, Twitter feeds and even its own island in Second Life ticked off the list of social media tools.
Blendtec – its series of ‘Will it Blend?’ videos on YouTube has been watched by millions wanting to see the power of its blenders in action tearing through everyday objects such as a Nike shoe, golf balls and a Rubik’s cube. Has the campaign had any impact on sales? A 500% increase isn’t bad.
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