Some Common Concerns About Social Media Marketing
In recent article on Technorati, Social Media Marketing: A Necessary Evil, I wrote about the true value and measurability of social media marketing. Below are some of the points brought out in the article, some concerns, and responses to those concerns:
Social media isn’t supposed to sell, it is supposed to influence.
Concern: Is there any real data to back this up? If it's hard to measure, how do we really know if you can actually influence decision making?
Response: The Society for New Communications Research (SNCR) conducted a study (SNCR Research Reveals Social Media’s Impact on Business and Decision Making) to determine the impact of social media on the professional decision-making process.
Ford has been a leader in the automotive industry with regard to the use of social media and its influence on decision-making. Their global social focus is demonstrated by their Fiesta Movement and their social media outreach as described by Mashable in Why Ford is Winning on the Social Web.
SMM increases your brand and product visibility.
Concern: Is there real data to support this? With so many millions of Facebook pages and millions of blogs coming online every month, doesn't any single message, product branding, and visibility get lost in the proverbial haystack?
Response: There is no question that it will require a lot of work for any particular brand to stand out among the crowds. No one ever said it would be easy. But it is possible. Social Media Marketing: Video Examples of Corporate Uses and Applications provides great examples of how brands can be promoted using social media marketing. Some more examples are Atari’s Social Media Marketing Strategy for Star Trek Online and MMA's Success with Social Media.
Social media is about conversations, not conversions.
Concern: Is this an advantage or benefit?
Continued on the next page
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