Neology | Copywriting & Marketing » social media

Is Social Media Killing the Brand Message?

eschuey — Tue, 25 May 2010 21:08:08 +0000

I’ve been rather entrenched in the social media world lately, and have come across a few articles suggesting that in today’s social media world, brand messaging is no longer relevant since the customer is now dictating the message. In one post, the author goes so far as to say “Marketers are recognizing that they are not in control of the conversation, much less the message.”

I agree that with so many more people in an organization now communicating to potential customers via social networks, it is more difficult to control the message. I also agree that one-way preaching of rigid marketing messages makes for pretty boring social media conversations (and marketing, for that matter). But that doesn’t mean the marketing message is irrelevant.

In fact, the message is more relevant than ever. Here’s why:

With so many touch points for your message, it’s now easier for customers to get confused about your offerings and why those offerings are different than the next company’s. If your message doesn’t flow from a set of values, how can you expect the customer to understand what your product is and how it can help make their life easier (better, cheaper, etc).

This does not mean that companies must try to control the conversation. But it does mean that companies should develop messages that communicate purposefully, and that are broad enough to allow conversations to happen.

Can Social Media Marketing Be Ignored?

eschuey — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:09:18 +0000

For all of those companies who think that social media is just as passing fad, here is a great article from USA Today. With nine in 10 consumers trusting their peers more than marketers (according to a recent survey of 25,000 by Nielsen), it seems that the value of social media is undeniable. Social media is not only assisting companies with building brand awareness; it is supporting customer service and becoming an integral part of product marketing research. So perhaps companies should not be asking whether they should use social media, but rather, how to use it best to support their business.

The Paradox of Choice

eschuey — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:15:37 +0000

I was recently listening to a very well crafted presentation from a social networking company. One thing the presenter mentioned got me thinking. He pointed to this image (http://marcellomedia.blogs.com/mrb/web20.jpg) and said that we have now reached “The Paradox of Choice”.

When Barry Schwartz first wrote his book “The Paradox of Choice”, he cited many examples from the consumer world, such as jeans from The Gap. In general, he reasoned that too much choice is a bad thing. It “contributes to bad decisions, to anxiety, stress, and dissatisfaction—even to clinical depression.”

Are we headed that way with social media and networking? Are we so overwhelmed with web 2.0 apps that we don’t know which one to use, or we use too many to use any of them effectively?

From a personal standpoint, I can’t deny the attraction of being and staying in touch in so many ways. And from a marketing standpoint, it offers consumers and companies more avenues for communication than ever before.

So does the paradox of choice really exist in the social media world? Perhaps, although I believe our society seems capable of handling more choices than ever before. Where the true problems start is when companies jump into social media without a plan, and with no way to manage all of the chatter or the apps being used to generate that chatter.

There is no doubt that involving customers in a plan can be tricky. But those who manage it best, whether they use one or one hundred social media apps, stand to benefit greatly from the effort.