Awareness of “Social Media” grew considerably in 2006. Media outlets poured steady reports of Google gobbling many “2.0″ properties, most notably YouTube. Time Magazine named “You” the person of the Year. (Have you updated your resume yet?). Yet, even with these stories reaching the masses, many of us marketing-types still spend more time selling the merit of Social Media than we do creating it.
Part of the challenge: clients want to see the numbers but most of these results are kept under lock and key given the concept is so new. Good case studies are hard to come by so much of the evidence is anecdotal. Getting “buy in” from clients peers and colleagues can be an uphill battle. Ironically, numbers are ubiquitous in the declining effectiveness of the traditional media channels.
The following three points have been known to be effective when making the case for social media.
# 1 Self identified, targeted mass awareness:
When loyalty becomes conquest.
A high ranking member of a famous outlaw motorcycle gang admitted that he’d rather ride a Honda Shadow over his Harley Davidson citing the Shadow’s superior quality, ride, reliability and price. When asked why he didn’t, he suggested his fellow gang members might kill him if he chose a brand other than Harley.
He meant it.
Is a Harley Davidson a motorcycle or an enabler to a lifestyle within a community? The loyalty to Harley is so strong that the price of betrayal could equal death! Although I have yet to hear of anyone being sent to the gallows for a switch from Etsy to eBay or from Mac to Windows, you need not search long to see how these communities foster fierce loyalty.
Look at the amazing success of iPod. The iPod “tribe” is instantly identifiable on the street by those white earphone cables swaying to the rhythms of a completely customized playlist. Online, users connect via iTunes to share their playlist in a community of music. All the while, Apple’s market-share grows, fierce loyalty prevails and more people buy into the community of iPod than they do of the technology alone.
#2 Value:
Pinch more pennies out of your marketing buck.
Consider the wise adage uttered by John Wanamaker 100 years ago, “I know that half of my advertising dollars are wasted … I just don’t know which half.” Now consider that 30 seconds of a football game could cost you up to $2.6 million. There’s a bet I would never place on the Super-Bowl! Imagine what $2.6 million could do for your online community.
Would you rather have millions of people having an “emotional connection” with your product for 30 seconds or a community to house millions of discussions, defending and developing your product indefinitely for considerably less than half of the price? If you think word of mouth is the greatest form of advertising, wait until you see the reach potential of “word of mouse”.
Have a look at this Honda forum. This site boasts over 250,000 registered users, 1.8 million threads and almost 25 million posts by actual consumers and enthusiasts of the brand. The 1992-2000 Civic/Del Sol area houses almost 200,000 subtopics and over 1.9 million posts alone. Don’t forget about the untold millions of visitors reading the forums without contributing.
#3 Innovation:
Give the people what they want, and they will buy it.
Only 20% of new innovations survive the first 3 years, so it’s advisable to run a new offering by your consumers before filling a warehouse full of rubber underwear for pets. Who better to prototype a new product or service than the people who will ultimately be its future purchasers? Innovative companies rely heavily on early adopters to get the word out. Consumer reviews are worth 10x the equivalent of media space in credibility. Why rely solely on these key influencers to change public opinion? Why not let your key influencers influence you by enlisting them for ideas and feedback at the development stage? You’ll end up with an innovation you never could have dreamed up alone, complete with a keen understanding of the current demand in the marketplace.
For example, look at this Nokia cell phone designed by a consumer in an online competition last year. There are enough innovations here to last Nokia a decade.
If you have more to add, please submit them in comments. We need all the
ammo we can get.
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3 Responses to “Three Key Points in Making the Case for Social Media”
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December 29th, 2006 at 2:01 pm
Three Key Arguments when Making the Case for Social Media…
Even with all the buzz around Social Media in traditional mediums, many of us marketing-types still spend more time selling the merit of Social Media than we do creating it. Part of the challenge: clients want to see the numbers, but good case studies …
December 29th, 2006 at 3:00 pm
Very well put
December 29th, 2006 at 3:36 pm
Thanks Stefan… this one I was passionate about!
Happy new year.
collin