Social media networks, social media interaction has changed the way all marketing, online marketing or not, is valued, appreciated and accepted by any consumer, viewer and individual. To think that our expectations on the quality of communication we receive from companies is restricted to those specific lines of communication would be the same as assuming we are one person when we access the internet, and another person when we are not.
Traditional online marketing has taken a backseat after the spread of social media. PPC marketing needs to be more that just about placing the right advert in the right place on the screen at the right time, internet marketing has become very personal. What does this really mean for any company or business that is preparing to extend its reach through online profiles and accounts? More than a platform change, social media has caused a dramatic shift in the way we communicate. It is a paradigm shift in what is considered ‘appropriate’ advertising. It is an even bigger shift in what works. From someone who has worked in advertising for most of their career, here is what has become important.
- Personal.While television advertising can be described as marketing to the ‘masses’, internet marketing is marketing to as many, if not more people, one by one. Only a few years ago you could distribute content and marketing communications via any means on the internet with a single message, just like you did with the television campaigns. Social media has meant this type of message will not meet the expectations of any audience any more. An audience only means a number of very different individuals. They are already used to getting it specifically designed for them. This mentality applies to any message you attempt to communicate, whether it be a PPC Google advert, Twitter message or magazine advert. It must appeal to the individual like never before.
- Appropriate.No company can afford not to be thought provoking, intelligent or creative with their audience. For example, the days where an insurance company could, would and should appear stiff, awkward and puritanical, are long gone. Mayhem, on Facebook, is a perfect example of what is required from this kind of company when it communicates with potential clients today. The audience of today needs a non-qualified and open approach that leaves them with a feeling of freedom, possibility and well-being. In short, they want to be inspired. They do not respond to being told what, how or with whom they should behave.
- Intelligence.Intelligence is a difficult phenomenon to define. It is a combination of something we are born with, and something we accumulate. The IQ test was defunct after the appearance of EQ. Considering what it is possible for everyone with an internet connection can accumulate, the average member of any audience is more intelligent on average than they ever were. They cannot be impressed with benign facts, stereo-typical repetition, or presentations of absolute goodness.
- Fresh.Let’s look at some simple facts. Only a hundred years ago, the tools of communication were limited to paper and pen. Only 30 years ago, that was extended to a television with images. With the internet, we could receive and send messages. With social media we are now a part of that media. Everyone has already seen everything before. Being fresh is not as easy as it once used to be. Creative talent has become more important than ever. The importance of communication is not the tool that is used, but the brilliance of the way the message is imparted. The creative department will make or break a campaign. The tools are numerous and effective. This is not the case only a few years ago.
- Intimate. At one time, impressing others with how brilliant your company is, was important. Communication was a message you delivered. Your goal was to shock and awe. There are enough demonstrations of violence, power and domination on every news broadcast. Every new game available has taken us all beyond the limits of authority and overwhelming dominance can imply. Everyone has been shocked and awed into a numbness, they are longing to leave behind. Effective communications of today require intimacy, and the ability to attract.
Your company will need a real personality if it is going to succeed with social media marketing, and any marketing, as a matter of fact. The general level of expectation in communication brought about by social media interaction in the mind of any individual is not limited to their time accessing the internet.