Customer acquisition is the alpha and omega of successful marketing. This applies online as much as offline. However, literally stumbling into social networks is, in many cases, met with only moderate success. Where planning and goal-setting fail, one often encounters pure improvisation. Budgets for traditional advertising and PR measures are becoming increasingly tight, and compared to a TV or print campaign, targeted social media marketing can achieve a great deal more.
Many companies are also rediscovering their own customers and decide a Social Web presence is a must. Agencies, in particular, often face the problem that awareness first needs to be created among clients. Answering a simple question such as: "Who do you want to reach?" with "Everyone", or "As many as possible" is dangerous and immediately indicates that a lot of preparatory work is still needed.
It will be easier for those who know and understand their target groups. Prior research minimises potential pitfalls later on. Ideally, target group analyses are already available upon which strategies can be built.
Growing through Proactive Measures
Proactive measures in the form of competitions, specials, and so on can help to briefly position oneself online and generate attention. In social media, however, it is about more than short-term engagement. Dialogue orientation is paramount. Information must be excitingly prepared and disseminated. Behind the users are people who want to be addressed directly and authentically.
It is also important to pique curiosity. While some time ago Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and co. were considered a playground for companies, a general professionalisation is slowly but surely setting in. Simply being present is no longer enough and will not lead to success in the medium term. As in traditional communication, the initial homework involves engaging with one's own customers, developing an overall concept, and providing the accompanying project plan.
Stories instead of Fairy Tales
Promoting one's own presence with superlatives works poorly, if at all, online anymore. The days of self-praise are over, and users want genuine added value. As soon as it smells like pure "covert advertising", it becomes dangerous. Pure advertising clichés and boring texts no longer impress anyone today. Thinking outside the box should be a given. It is about entertaining users, demonstrating creativity, and offering exciting insights. Information, in other words, that is not available on the website or has already been mentioned in the last press release.
The full article appeared in the current issue of Unternehmerweb Erfolgsmagazin. Read more…
