Main stream media is downsizing, new voices are gaining influence. Search is the new circulation, people seek out the information they require and no longer sit back and listen passively.

Colleagues, friends, word of mouth have far greater credence than traditional marketing techniques. Social Marketing has created a fundamental shift in the prominence and impact of communities and word of mouth.

All companies should be engaging in, contributing to and monitoring these conversations. Who is talking about you? What is said about you? Who is linking to you? Brands that talk to and engage with their communities of interest can create a consumer base that is knowledgeable, engaged, responsive, helpful and, most of all, spends money!

Using tools such as Twitter, Facebook, Podcasting, Youtube, Flickr, Yahoo Widgets and blog writing, brands can ensure that their business is not left out of the conversation.

Examples

There are many successful examples of retailers using social media, in fact you probably encounter at least one a day, Starbucks and ASOS being examples we enjoy, but B2B can also drive the conversation and enjoy the benefits.

Companies such as Emerson Process Management, the New York Stock Exchange, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and Accenture all use social marketing to further their brands and sell their services.

Engaging your customers

There is also much to be gained by engaging your customers with humour. Printer manufactures Expert Laser Services of Southbridge, (USA), let people release their technology angst by finding the most creative ways to destroy their printer — on video. The “Destroy Your Printer Video Contest” was promoted through the company’s blog, Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

The contest was a huge success, web traffic more than doubled and the company gained more than 100 new inbound links within a short time. Recycler magazine did an Internet TV special about the contest as well as an article which was the most-read topic on the site for several weeks. The submissions can be found here and they are hilarious. This example is now a ‘viral’ success story which is re-published all over the internet.

Get a Strategy

Contrast creative will develop a practical social media strategy for your brand that will extend your community of interest, talk to people of influence, identify advocates, contain and educate your critics and ultimately ensure your business influences the community at large.

Are you interested in maximising your online potential using social media? Contact us now for a free consultation or call Ed on 0161 660 1973.

Tags: creative agency, social media agency, social media fashion