The Next Engine: Beyond Campaign Thinking

The WOM has spread, the penny has dropped and now everyone is queuing up for another plate of appetizers from the banquet of new marketing options available. But which fork are you going to use for your salad, and is it ever okay to double-dip?

This is a basic guide for agencies, marketers and in-house brand teams who want to better understand some of the advantages and pitfalls of spreading your own brand or the client’s brand across the current swathe of social media applications.

This is part 1 of a 5-part series, to be continued in between extreme bouts of web programming (my role at Campbell-Ewald).

1.) Pass the salt, don’t throw it

So you want to show existing and future clients that you understand the landscape of social media and that you’ve done more than dipped your toes in the water? You want to demonstrate your capabilities in the field and show proven results? Whatever you do – don’t force it, and don’t fake it either.

This is one of those scenarios where “put your money where your mouth is” becomes vitally important, and any claims you make will have to stand up to inspection and critique from the social community at large.

For instance, it won’t be enough to convince your CEO to put herself out on Facebook or Myspace if she’s not really going to actively engage in the network and maintain a presence there. You’d be better off leveraging/trusting other employees who have well established profiles and a history of online interaction to be your brand ambassadors. Try to take natural steps towards making this more of a company philosophy though, rather than a rather inorganic initiative

Same goes for blogging – though it is incredibly cool if your CEO blogs, keep in mind that people can spot a ‘my secretary updates this page for me’ situation a mile off, and it just won’t do you any good. A ‘bottom-up’ approach is usually better – your regular employees have a level of credibility with the general public (read: potential customers/clients) that those at the very top can’t normally maintain. And of course you know an entirely fake blog that doesn’t call itself out as such is also a really bad idea, right? Good.

Pushing your brand through channels like Digg, Pligg, Facebook, blogs and a sea of forums shouldn’t really have much to do with you – except that you’d hire a ‘community manager’ or other social media expert to handle the way in which you respond to feedback, questions, complaints etc. You’ll also want to ensure you are actively listening for conversations about you and your brand in order to stay on top of current opinions – some of the most valuable insights you can ever hope to get about how people perceive you in the real world. The whole point of sites like these are that people will start totally organic conversations about your brand – usually because they have spotted a commercial, publication or website that they feel compelled to react to in either a positive or negative way. Again, don’t force it: going out there and submitting your own news item or website to a community like Digg or Netscape’s own (shamefully cloned from digg) Propeller and then asking/begging/bribing or otherwise encouraging your own employees to digg/vote it up is generally going to get you much unwanted disdain both internally and out in the general community. Being outed for this misdemeanor is never a good thing.

One more thing to note about not forcing your brand/company into social media is: use some common sense. Learn the lay of the land first before you set out or you’re likely to trip up. In terms of marketing and advertising, social media is still brand spanking new and the rules are only just beginning to formulate – but take the time now to learn what general guidelines are already in place in terms of best practices, methods, tools and social etiquette. Also, be aware that no two social networks or blogs are the same and each of them has their own idiosyncrasies that need to be adhered or pandered to if you expect any measure of success. Guides for marketers like the one published by the Facebook team can be invaluable in knowing what all the options are and how best to utilize the platform.

Following some of these basic tenets of behaviour/strategy in the social media environment will help you achieve credibility and organic distribution of your brand message or public identity. Ignoring them might get you thrown out of the party before you even get to taste the punch. That would be a shame, since you’re all dressed up and everything.

Enjoy the buffet.

Next up: “Part 2: Always chew with your mouth closed”.

Tags: Advertising, brand, culture, marketing, Social Media, Strategy