INTEGRATING SOCIAL MEDIA INTO A POWERFUL MARKETING STRATEGY

Integrating Social Media into the traditional Marketing Mix requires a company’s willingness to develop new and different relationships with people. Remember keys to success in marketing: Product, Price, Place and Promotion?   Whats not changed is the primary purpose of any marketing strategy – to develop a stronger connection with the people who comprise our target markets.

In the first decade of the 21st century, marketing professionals were focusing on building relationships – building stronger and more meaningful relationships with customers and potential customers.

In Y2011, we find ourselves striving to take advantage of Social Media Marketing (SMM).  Today its all about looking for the “best” marketing strategy to connect with a company’s target audience.  So, recognizing this flow of progress, we might ask ourselves, really how much has marketing really changed in the last fifty years? From the beginning, the basic objective of every successful marketing strategy has been the same – establish or develop stronger connections or relationships with people.

Social Media Marketing – Marketing’s Next Step

There’s no question about the desire of business – large and small – to take advantage of SMM.  The “reviews” in the trade and business magazines point out that SMM has become maybe THE most important element today in getting a message out to a target marketplace.  Now the challenge is to identify a strategy – and project plan that can take our new interest in SMM and convert it into meaningful benefit to our company.

Everybody has to start somewhere.  Certainly we are start-out as “newbies” when it comes to Integrating Social Media Marketing into the Marketing Mix. The more we experience the positive effects of Social Media Marketing, the more inclined we are to take advantage of Social Media Strategies in new and different ways.  As always, success breeds a greater interest in learning how to do it better.

No question about it – moving from a traditional marketing strategy to one that integrates SMM is a process – one that takes time, knowledge (gained or acquired on an outsource basis from companies such as SPIA Inc).

How do I bring traditional marketing together with Social Media without shooting myself in the foot?

A good starting point might be the acceptance that kicking off a SMM requires careful thought – and a timeline that allows for learning, planning and implementing the integrated plan using a time line that is realistic.  If a integrated marketing plan is not the foundation of a integrated marketing plan using social media, SPIA can almost guarantee you the results will be marginal – or worse.  Certainly the costs will be much higher and the payback much longer.

Regardless of whether your company likes or currently believes Social Media Marketing is an effective business strategy, one thing is absolutely certain – Social Media is a strategy that savvy companies must consider – sooner or later.  If a company thinks “later”, they could be compromising its own market position as other competitors leverage SMM to gain market share.

How do you determine what the best path might be for your company?

First Step:  Check out Google for under the term: Social Media Marketing.  There you will find more ideas than you might ever wish for.  And there’s more information being delivered every day.  What does this suggest?  That companies – large and small alike – are looking for information, for practical help that will enable them to begin the integration of SMM into their marketing strategy.  Since we already agree that SMM is something our company needs to add, such “research” and serious time “reading/learning” really is the critical first step.

While you’re reading, think about the questions your company will need to know:

1.    What resources – capital, staffing (management/line) and time should be allocated to SMM?
2.    What are the pluses and minuses that might come from integrating SMM into our existing marketing strategy?
3.    What are the negative ramifications of Social Media Programs?  (this question really cannot be answered except when evaluated against your company’s marketing philosophy and strategies.

Consider writing out your questions before you start your research.  Simple notes tied into each question sourced from the Internet might be of great value as to you strive to answer your questions.

Don’t put too tight a timeline on your research activities.  Recognize that you likely will have to spend enough time to appreciate what SMM “can” do – and how others have successfully used it.  With that critical information, you may be in a position to begin to develop your SMM integrated marketing strategy?  You may also find that you need some help – pragmatic help from professional such as SPIA who have their own success credentials and the knowledge to short-circuit serious (and expensive) mistakes.

Learning by doing – Conservative vs. Aggressive and Much Inbetween

Often companies decide to bite-the-bullet and make a “limited” commitment to SMM.  They allocate management resources and time with the intention of learning by doing (ever hear of anything so off-the wall – smile?)  These companies are willing to invest in the learning process and have the capital resources to fall down, pick themselves up and try, try again after learning what worked and what didn’t.

For companies that feel they have to be aggressive – because of competitive pressure, economic need (business is not once it once was) or the fact that they’re in a start-up world competing as an “unknown” among a large universe of well established players already “in” the SM marketplace.

Then there are the companies that are afraid to try anything new – or if they’re willing to do so, do it with the most conservative budget, allocation of manpower and time factors.  They’re often afraid to compromise their existing market position – with their brand or product line already well established.  They perceive that SMM will get out of their control vs. traditional marketing strategies.

Most companies fall into this category.  It isn’t that they are unwilling to “try” SMM.  They’re lacking in confidence that SMM really will work for their company?  And they’re uncomfortable about taking valuable management resources to try something that, still, in their mind is unproven.

Then there’s the non-believers.  They believe, “if something’s not broken, don’t fix it”…..  They “know” that traditional marketing works and aren’t willing to try anything new.  They say, “let someone else prove it works and, then, we may(?) decide to try it.

I don’t have to tell you that companies in this position are the same ones who are, often, the ones who are experiencing declining market share, the appearance of successful new market entries (who probably also use SMM).  What will it take to get these non-believes involved?  Probably they need to see their market share deteriorate – or, if they happen to read an article that opens up new thinking, to retain the services of a savvy consultant such as SPIA who can help them walk (not run) into a new understanding about SMM.

Some thoughts about getting into SMM

From Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to PR Marketing Releases, Video Optimization Strategies, and online Marketing Blogs, Social Media has the capability to produce new business if it is married to already proven marketing strategies to form a mix that wins.

One reality applies to SMM.  Social Media platforms require users to give up elements of control over what’s said about your company, your products and services.  There are risks.  If you include in your marketing strategy knowledgeable management and staff – or expertise (outsource from companies like SPIA), the risks are much fewer.

One thing that’s critical:  Don’t give up on the integrated approach – bringing SMM into the fold as a important element of what makes your company successful.

For More Information contact Craig Stimmel, President – Strategic Planning & Implementation Associates, Inc. @ (978) 640 0803 or email Craig @ cstimmel@spiainc.com.  Check out http://www.blog.spiainc.com or SPIA’s Social Media blog at http://www.excelsocialmedia.com