Marketing and social media should be best friends. They have to be for most products and services to reach a mass market of any significance at a relatively low cost.
I’m a ‘supermarketaholic’ and enjoy visiting the biggest store close-by. Walking the lanes recently was both nostalgic and different. Nostalgic because I know this experience will change in the future as it has from my childhood. Different because I was seeing the products through a different set of eyes on that day. In the past I would be looking out for the new highly advertised product ‘seen on the television or newspaper’. Now, I’m checking out the deals and new products flittering across my mobile as I check my Facebook messages. Yes its different.
Facebook advertising works so well one does not even associate it with advertising. The images we see sometimes can draw us in with very few words. If it’s good, then the comments will get a brief review. Sometimes I will comment if I really like a product or feel interested in finding out more. If I have a bad experience, its shared by writing a negative buzz /response, that’s my act of community service to people I know.
What drives consumer spending now is much more than a hyped-up, interesting product and disposable income. It goes beyond the borders of influence and up the alley of social media marketing and promotion. Its that defining comment which resonates and reminds of a feeling!
How to reach consumers through Social Media conversations?
1. Social media marketing & promotion
From my experience, social media marketing can be described as a mixture of penetrating a marketing image with a social media conversation strategy. The product promotion takes place in the ‘comments’ of a thread. This is then shared, over and over, by consumers who can effectively describe a ‘feeling’ of value in a few words. Indeed it is the trigger from these conversations which cannot be easily monetized as advertising, for commercial gain by a hosting platform. This has helped many brands in introducing new products. In the case of ‘the platform’ like Twitter and Facebook capturing the real commercial value is difficult based on the nature of the promotional asset — online subscribers.
There are very few ads on Facebook which will generate a feeling from me, to look further, in their present format. They give me that feeling from the past, of getting up during the commercial breaks to go for popcorn or a drink!
I’m sure the ads are pretty and relevant and I may miss a deal or two, but hey they do not impact on what I’m going to buy or where I will shop in many instances. So what is wrong with the present ‘validated promotions’ (commercial FB ads), and why don’t they appeal to many consumers like me?
2. Storytelling in social media marketing & promotion
One of my theories on why some ads on social media do not appeal, has to do with ‘verified experience/value added’!
The comment threads can act as a storyteller! Yes. It’s like opening a book and reading a dialogue, complete with human feelings and stimuli. I’ll share a couple examples from my consumer vision;
The Pub — There is a new outdoor mall with a pub I wanted to visit every-time I passed and saw its sign. I was caught by the name and graphics on the sign. As I scrolled one day on Facebook I glimpsed a comment on the pub, shared by a friend of a friend. There was a dissatisfied heading announcing ‘poor service at $200 per meal’. I scrolled back, and read the few lines posted on the consumer experience, and then noted a few comments listed, mainly negative feedback. As I read, I thought — “I won’t be spending $200 to be insulted anytime soon, or ever!” That was instinctive. A few days later on another thread, I read an experience one of my closest friends had at the same pub, and she keeps going there. I’m not convinced I want to give it a try, having noted the time she and the dissatisfied customer visited were very different. She also appears to know the owners, and could be getting preferential treatment. Full story ending indicates, I’m not convinced to go!
Soaps — I’ve been noting a few friends keep sharing this ad about a new line of bath soaps with herbal and natural extracts. I like Dove, but as I read the comments I’m catching a scent and feel of a different experience. Something soft, mild and without a lot of additives, and it smells divine based one comments from people I don’t know. As I hunt the lanes in search of this product, I can only recall the name and the experiences driving me not to give up! Its not on the shelves, and I go to the supervisor to ask if they carry the product line. She says “no”, but asks for a description — I pulled it up on my Facebook screen for her to see (I shared it on my timeline to have easy access)! I can check back with them on my next visit, and they will try to get some in the store! Wow, I will be going there soon.
Marketing and social media can deliver an experience, which is replicated through the buyer/consumer conversations. Good or bad, everything can get validated through the stories we hear via comments. At the end of the day, marketers need to move the customer to exchanging cash for product/service. That is the objective.
Facebook sharing is big and can lead to great success and feedback insights before a brand can be severely damaged. It should be a part of most product marketing strategies. Going beyond the superficial is the new generation marketing challenge for those able to create the authentic /real stories consumers want to read and act on. A marketing savvy person/company shares user experiences effectively. Let’s get those consumers to feel our brands, through conversations!
About the Author
Donna Luisa is a a corporate business veteran, with practical experience in a diverse range of industries — Safety/ HVAC / FMCG /Industrial Equipment /and much more . Sales, Marketing, Business Development & Coaching are combined to deliver over 30 years experience.