posted by Savage @ 4:14 PM
Knowledge Networks released a poll this week that found that fewer than 5 percent of social media users between the ages of 13 and 54 “regularly turn to these sites for guidance on purchase decisions” in a range of common product/service categories. So in spite of the fact that marketers are spending hour upon hour of working on their social media campaigns, they are making little headway in converting visitors to buyers.
There is more to be seen in these numbers, however. 16 percent of social media users surveyed claimed that they are more inclined to buy brands that advertise on social sites. As with most forms of advertising, the mere presence of an ad helps build brand awareness so that when a user is in need of a particular service, he or she turns to a particular company because it happens to be the first company that comes to mind. While many fear that ads are unnecessary evils, the truth is that 63% of users think that the presence of ads is a “fair price to pay” for the value they receive on social sites.
This draws the question of how to make your social media work pay off in a bigger way. Here’s some food for thought:
54 percent of users cite “staying connected” as their primary reason for using social media sites. This includes family, friends, and most important to our purposes, meeting new people. Utilize your time on social media sites to meet the people you are dealing with. Make your interaction constant and personal, and work on developing the relationships that will help your business grow.
Think of your online relationships in the same way you think about your offline relationships: make people feel valued. Help them feel like their work is important, and support them before you try to sell to them. Spend 90 percent of your time supporting the people you want to network with, and 10 percent of the time selling to them. This will keep them engaged on a personal level and aware of your business so that when the time is right, they think of you first.
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5.13.2009
posted by Robin Tooms @ 5:55 PM
Ok, conference organizers, take note: start putting Twitter handles on your conference nametags. At recent events, I’ve witnessed a lot of attendees exchanging Twitter information at the social or networking functions. Sure, I still carry my business cards, but now I’ve also started handwriting my Twitter information on my conference badge so that when I do talk with someone, they know how to link up immediately. And when you’re at a conference, this is also good way to make sure you don’t miss out on any tweetups!
When I do get a business card from someone, I look them up on LinkedIn and send my follow up note and invitation to connect that way. If you care enough about the person you met to follow up with via email, then why not add them to your online network? With a LinkedIn connection, you may be doing both parties a favor – you never know how your extended networks might be able to help each other.
What does this say about the way we interact in person? As professionals, our networking is not just about exchanging your information, it’s about participating in an extended conversation and perhaps knowing that person on a more human level too. Online social networks make these conversations so much easier now! But if you do participate in social networks in this way, make sure that you are developing a good personal brand online (and by association, being a good ambassador for your company’s brand too).
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3.04.2009
posted by Robin Tooms @ 3:35 PM
Just a few weeks ago, The National Association of Women MBA’s (NAWMBA) hosted their 9th Annual Women in Leadership Conference at the Rice University Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management.
I was fortunate to participate on the panel titled “Grassroots Marketing: The Importance and Influence of Social Networks.” The panel had an interesting mix of other seasoned marketing and PR professionals, including
- Mary Bourne-Marth, Vice President, Key Account Marketing, Showtime Networks
- Julie O. Griffith, Owner, Griffith Public Relations
- Samira Salman, Founder Salman Solutions
My contribution to the panel was to speak to the importance of building a social network along with some tips on how to get the most out of (online) networking. See for yourself:
Social Networking Tips for You and Your Business
View more presentations from Robin Tooms.
