What Companies are Missing in Social Media Marketing

Again and again I meet with companies and political parties that think, mainly due to the hype that we create, that social media marketing is the best thing since sliced bread. They believe that Twitter and Facebook are magic tools that immediately create the holy grail of marketing – viral campaign. As if the fact that a brand or a political candidate has a Twitter account that is operated by a communication studies freshman actually makes a difference.

Social media marketing requires something crucial that not everyone, or every brand is willing to do – commit! Commit to an open discussion, commit to a long term marketing effort, commit to talk with, and at your audience.

Why?

Cause it takes time to gain followers and active community members.

Cause people can call your bluff much faster than in traditional marketing channels. Just like it is easier to leave a message than to have a real conversation with someone. So you have to be honest and transparent.

Cause the minute you are bluffing you lose all your credibility – and harm your brand more than helping it

Cause it is not different then your relationship with spouse and business partner – it takes time to gain trust, but just a second to ruin it:

Wouldn’t you like to hear people saying the same things about your brand?

So don’t look at Social Media Marketing as some kind of silver bullet. It is a lot of work, commitment, trust building and long term thinking.

It is not, by any mean or form, a one night stand.