Читать книгу Social Media - Carolyn Boyes - Страница 8

In the past, if you had a business you probably had an office, possibly a shop, and you advertised your products or services in the press and via a website. You would broadcast without really knowing who was listening to you. If a customer wanted to give feedback to a business they would need to write a letter and wait for a response. Now so many people use social media the whole process has been speeded up: from weeks to seconds.

Social media and old media are very different. With old media you could only have a one-way conversation between the business and its prospective customers. You can talk to your customers and they can talk back to you. There are other differences, too:

▪ Old media markets to a mass, unknown audience. Social media is a way of tailoring your marketing to one person at a time.

▪ Old media is written by professional marketers. Much of social media content is generated by users and commentators in response to what you post.

▪ Social media channels are open, democratic and responsive. Content can be forwarded and adapted by its users, unlike with old media.

“TV took 30 years to reach 50 million people. Facebook took 2 years” Anon

one minute wonder Think about marketing your business on social media in a professional way. Do your research and look at which channels your users follow. Not every channel will be used by the same type of user. Start by thinking about the top five reasons why you want or need to use social media.

▪ Marketing on old media is usually highly edited and polished. Posts and commentary on social media are rougher but often more authentic.

▪ Users pay to access old media: newspapers, magazines and TV. Social media is usually free for the user. You can access it when you want and from where you want.

▪ Old media is controlled by the owners and the business which pays for the content. Social media content is jointly controlled by the user.

▪ Old media is often focused on people in a particular country. Social media is global.

You can use social media to share news and expertise, upload product images and videos, write a weekly blog and start discussions. It can become a promotional tool for your business; helping to build your business brand and customer base as well as your profits.

Create a marketing plan that suits social media, not old media.