How to make the most out of social marketing

It seems there is no getting away from social marketing because more and more consumers are turning to social platforms, not only to meet people but also to make purchasing decisions. A new study from TNS Media Intelligence/Cymfony could help marketers with a social media strategy.

by Kristina Knight

Before we get to that, let's take a look at social platforms. MySpace is still the top dog of social networking with nearly 56 million unique users (4% growth year over year), followed by Facebook with 20 million uniques (102% YoY growth) and Classmates Online (12 million uniques). Another high growth social marketing entity is LinkedIn with just over 7 million users (271% YoY growth).

Smart marketers are paying attention to this area of growth but many want a little direction. This is where the report from TNS/Cymfony comes in. According to the report there are three steps that should be taken before a social campaign is launched.

First, before launching listen to what your patrons want. Check similar manufacturers to see what their social entities are doing well and how consumers are reacting. If you can improve on those offerings, you'll be in good shape when your social platform launches.

Second, educate your staff. Decide what you want to accomplish with a social platform and stick to that direction. Inform the team who will be working on the project and make sure they are on-board with the direction you are taking.

Finally, determine the message you want to send through the social platform. Social messages should not be a carbon copy of a newspaper or television campaign; it shouldn't even be a copy of an online video campaign.