What are you doing with Social Media?

Posted by Rahna on June 9, 2008 under Social Media | Be the First to Comment

I think we are only scratching the surface on the opportunities that social media provides.  An interesting exercise would be to ask yourself (or your marketing team) what opportunities there are for your organization.  Here are a few questions to spark conversation: 

How can you use social media as a research tool? 

Just as you can do a Google search to find those websites that are talking about the “guitar lessons” that you would like to find for your son or “how many miles the Amazon River is”, there are computer programs that will monitor discussions going on about your brands, about your industry, about your competitors, and about you. 

Conducting a social media audit is an immediate way to listen in to the great American water cooler of America.   What are people thinking about at your industry?  What are people saying about you?  You need to find out.  I am not saying that a social media audit replaces traditional research.  You should still conduct quantitative research.  However, social media audits can supplement the work going on now, can supplement your research efforts that adds additional insight into whatever it is that you need to find out. 

How can you use social media to talk to your customers?  Social media is also an opportunity to engage with consumers as never before.  It used to be that TV was the way for you to have a conversation.  Primarily, it was a one-way conversation (you telling your consumers whatever you wanted them to know).    There are companies out there that hire brand ambassadors to get the right message out there.  There are those that would rather take a more organic approach, not willing or able to spend the money to have someone else spread that word.  Then there are some lucky ones who can tap in to existing communities to launch that message.  

How about you? What are you doing about it?