OK Facebook and Twitter are not the ‘be all and end all’ of advertising.
There. It has been said. It’s a part, and generally not the first part, nor the most important part. Next time you’re thinking of creating a brand memory for your business (and doing it on the cheap by using ONLY social media) ask yourself a couple of questions…
1) Do I have perspective on my market or am I just presuming that because I am addicted to status updates that my customers are too? Sure I’m a 20 something marketing manager, but is that who buys my product or service? (I know you think you’re in with the cool kids, but there’s like this group, like over there that are like, way cooler than you and they packed their sneaker exhibition opening by only using BEBO – the free cheap ass wine had nothing to do with it! And gosh, wont those 30 people really spread the word to the world!)
2) Have I ever clicked on a banner ad, Facebook ad, Twitter link or do I find them annoying?
3) Do you appreciate pop-up ads when you are reading your favourite, but obscure, blogs?
4) Of the 400 friends that you have, the 574 pages that you ‘Like’ and the 1036 people that you follow or follow you, do you actually check every one of their pages every day/week/year…or like most of us, check once and then forget about them forever? Go brand memory through frequency of views! Go.
5) Does a ‘Like’, ‘Follow’ or ‘Subscribe’ actually measure success and a qualified customer, or just measure tyre kickers and people on the look out for a free ticket or meal? How many people that you invite to join ‘your virtual family’ actually bring a proverbial bottle of plonk to the event you so generously put on for them? How many people that ‘Like’ your page buy something from you or even step foot in the place where you, you know, MAKE MONEY!
There is a time and a place for social media; it’s a piece and in some cases, a very important piece. But BY NO MEANS is it a replacement for strategy, creative excellence or paying money to build your brand.
So by all means, jump on the exclusive digital train, spend peanuts and get a whole lot of monkeys wasting your time.
