Have you ever wondered what the world would be like without Facebook or Twitter? It’s not that long ago that these two social networking sites weren’t even on an advertiser’s radar but today, they are more prevalent than ever. More and more corporations and agencies are focusing their ad campaigns on sending consumers to be a “like” on their Facebook page or to be a “follower” on their Twitter site.
Why? Billions of people worldwide have social networking pages. With the prevalence of social media, it only makes sense for advertisers to take advantage of this popularity and use it to their benefit. Companies are finding that by directing their target audiences to their social networking sites, it allows them the chance to better promote their goods and services more effectively, efficiently and most important, personally. Today it’s all about transparency. People want to know the person behind the service or the product. People want to feel a connection. Without it, there is something missing.
Take a look at the Honda campaign, “Everyone knows someone who loves a Honda.” For starters, everyone knows someone that they love. Honda takes it one more step by saying everyone knows someone who loves a Honda. The television commercial shows how Honda spreads the love from one person to the next and then ends with their Facebook page URL. Years ago, you would have seen their web site URL, which would have led you to a static page with no brand interaction. Today, ads are directing consumers to the conversation on their social networking pages.
My husband just bought a Perry Ellis shirt. He took the tag off and put it on the bed next to where I was sitting. On the tag, the brand name appeared along with “find us on Facebook,” and “Follow us on Twitter.” Almost 40,000 people “like” the Perry Ellis Facebook page. There is so much interaction among the consumers stating that they love the products. However, Perry Ellis has very little to do with the site. The company sells their products all the time (not the most effective use of social media) instead of engaging, listening and interacting with them.
Social media is about connecting and getting to know your consumers. I tell my clients to follow my one in five rule. One time you promote yourself and the four other times you try to engage your audience. You see, it’s about getting that engagement going, talking with them about day to day things and nurturing that personal connection that makes the sell. Although Perry Ellis is on the social media bandwagon and directing their customers to their social networking pages, they are missing the point and not using this medium as effectively as they could be.
Men on the Move, a storage and moving company on Long Island, held a series of commercials on the radio. Their push was to get more fans to “like” their Facebook page. For every new fan that joined, they gave $10 to a non-profit organization that helped children with autism. They showed their potential clients good community spirit and also promoted themselves on Facebook at the same time. As a result of this, the Men on the Move Facebook page had an increase of “likes” and was able to donate to a worthy cause. And now, they have turned many of their new online community members into customers. Again, it just goes to show that these days, you must have a connection with your audience, otherwise you will lose market share. Consumers today are savvier than ever before. They don’t want a hard sell. They want to find products or services that they can believe in and that they have a connection with.
So, would I suggest that companies advertise to direct their audiences to their social networking sites? Absolutely, because once you have them on your social networking sites, you will be able to get to know who your customers are better than ever before and connect with them on a personal level, which in turn, will lead to a lifetime consumer.
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