Guys, Is Opening a Facebook Fan Page Your Only Social Media Strategy?
If so, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you most likely have no strategy. You are not alone.
A recent survey conducted by Digital Brand Expressions revealed that nearly 60% of companies using social media have entered the space with NO game plan. Yet, of those same companies that entered the space without a strategy, 88% agree that a plan is important.
These findings confirm so much of what we are witnessing with online marketing. Companies “know” they must incorporate social media, because “everyone” is doing it. So they do what they “think” everyone is doing. They open a Facebook fan page and/or start a Twitter account. They kick it off with a grand opening or promotion, generating lots of interest and a considerable number of followers. But then what?
When marketing to women, the lack of a social media plan not only delivers ineffective results and lost opportunity – it can be damaging. In the past you might gain customers with the fanfare of an opening or promotion or ad campaign, further maintaining the momentum with your website, print and broadcast. You could tell your customers what you wanted them to hear and they either chose to listen or not.
Today, the female customer is not only choosing what she wants to hear, she is telling you if she likes it or not. She is talking back. And if you don’t have a plan to listen, engage and respond, you will irritate her – or worse – lose her.
These unfavorable results will ultimately lead companies down the deceptive path of believing that social media marketing does not work. They will abandon it and gravitate back to the familiarity and comfort of traditional advertising. But there are a few things we must remember.
- Traditional advertising as we knew it is gone FOREVER.
- Women are not at all uncomfortable with social networking. They are flocking to it in droves and are doing nothing but increasing their time spent on the Internet.
- Some companies WILL have a plan and they WILL reach women effectively in the social space. Will that be your competitor?
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Stephanie Holland is President and Executive Creative Director for Holland + Holland Advertising, Birmingham, Alabama. Working in an industry that is dominated by men, she is one of only 3% of the female creative directors in the country. Stephanie works mostly with male advertisers, helping them successfully market to women. Subscribe to She-conomy by Email
Filed under: Advertising to Women During Recession, Connecting with Women, Marketing to Women, Social Media, Targeting Women, Web 2.0, Women and social media, Women and the Internet
So glad you’re back! This one is of particular interest to me as it touches directly on work I do.
I enjoyed this post. It is so important for individuals to realize that as facebook does reach so many and is very important, it should not be your only form of social media networking. The word network to me is making connections through multiple streams, people, places, etc. You need to create a web and have a true online presence.
What a great tool social media is becoming! I like the point you made by saying its only a useful tool if you have a strategy or a game plan. Women are social and facebook fosters building relationships. Its always important though to know how to make the best out of social networking!
Great site!