Are You in the Blogosphere?

Posted by Rahna on May 15, 2008 under Consumer Engagement | Be the First to Comment

This is for those “old school” marketers whose marketing plans still consist wholly of TV, radio and newspaper.  Amazingly, I still find in my travels clients who are not concerned with their digital identity. 

Social Media is a quickly evolving marketing tool. Several years ago, nobody knew what “social media” was.  Now there are companies that can give you a social media audit for your brand, your industry, or any topic you define.  They will monitor what is being talked about, what people say about your brand (or your competitors), the discussions surrounding your industry and a whole host of other measurements. When choosing to do a social media audit, make sure that the information that you’re getting is actionable.  

What do you do with this information once you get it? Well, you shape your business accordingly. There are companies that have learned what people think of their industry; there are companies that have learned what isn’t being offered in their industry. They’ve been able to identify gaps in the marketplace simply by listening to what’s happening in the social media world. Sometimes specific brands are mentioned, more often not.  Usually it’s the industry or topic that is mentioned.  

You may feel that your brand or your industry is not “interesting” enough to be discussed in a general blog, but perhaps you can take it up one level. I was having discussion with someone about whether pudding would be a discussion item. You may say pudding is not interesting, and pudding is not exciting enough for someone to talk about on-line. However, kids healthy snacks is, and so maybe there’s a way for you to find out what moms are saying about kid snacking.  That then can lead you to somehow developing a unique position for your pudding.  

The opportunities to learn about your consumer through social media are endless, and I encourage you to take a good long look at what you can use, analyze what’s being said about you and your industry, and then act!