Go Ahead and Jump on the Social Media Wave–But Don’t Forget Your Marketing Umbrella
By Debbie Laskey, MBA
Marketing and Brand Specialist
Buzz. We’ve all heard the word, and we all know what it is. What’s more, we all want to create buzz for our products, services, and above all, for our brands. However, today, all anyone ever seems to talk about is social media. While social media has much to offer the marketing arena, too many business leaders are allowing themselves to be caught up in the social media buzz at the expense of traditional marketing.
The bottom line is that social media is one just aspect of a comprehensive marketing plan. Without any of the other initiatives that fall inside the marketing umbrella, social media ALONE cannot sustain a company’s marketing efforts. Consider a business that creates and launches Facebook and Twitter pages. Sure, lots of people may initially “like” the Facebook page and check out the updates as well as “follow” the Twitter page. But what happens when there is too much information to post on the Facebook page? What happens when there is too much to say in 140 characters? There are no main websites, micro-sites, or customized product or campaign landing pages. There are no brochures, no advertisements, no press outreach, no strategic partnerships, and no tradeshows. Without implementation of the other elements that fall under the marketing umbrella, the impact of a company’s social media will fall flat – no doubt about it.
The marketing umbrella contains many elements, depending on whether a business is targeting consumers or businesses – or is a non-profit that depends on fundraising. Other niches offer differences based on whether a service rather than a product is being promoted. But, there are key elements found inside anyone’s marketing umbrella:
- Brand strategies and corporate identity (creative direction for logo/tagline that showcases the brand personality, style guidelines, brand consistency across all media – including letterhead/business cards/web/collateral/customer give-aways)
- Corporate communications (annual reports, brochures, facts sheets, case studies)
- Competitive research/analysis of industry and trend research/analysis
- Internet marketing (SEO, PPC, search strategies, email marketing, banner ad strategies)
- Website creation and regular maintenance, traffic analysis, landing page creation and analysis (including links from email marketing and banner ads)
- Direct mail (themes, schedules)
- Advertising (design, copy, analysis of placements based on costs and eyeballs)
- Public relations and media outreach (press releases, media alerts, media advisories, online press kits, expert interviews, online press kits)
- Events (tradeshows, seminars, webinars, special events, product launch road shows)
- Evaluation metrics and budget analysis
- Social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Flickr, WordPress, delicious, StumbleUpon, Digg, Foursquare, Gowalla, Plaxo, Skype, etc.)
Check out these marketing campaigns that included social media as just one aspect:
- Kimberly-Clark: As cold and flu season got underway, Kleenex launched its “Software Worth Sharing” campaign. Consumers could send samples of a new product to friends and family by signing up on the main website (Kleenex.com). The campaign was promoted via TV, print, digital, and social media advertising (Facebook and YouTube).
- Jackson Hewitt: To inject interest in the 2011 tax season and generate interaction with Jackson Hewitt Tax Service online and offline, Jackson Hewitt launched photo sweepstakes. Contest contestants were invited to choose images from the Jackson Hewitt Big Check Facebook page and to videotape themselves passing it along to another person. The campaign combined the main website, social media (Facebook), and actual Jackson Hewitt locations around the country.
- McDonald’s: To promote three new drinks and re-introduce a seasonal product, McDonald’s combined social media and fundraising. During the fundraiser (limited time of three weeks), customers can check in on Foursquare at any restaurant in Philadelphia and send their check-in to Twitter with a @McDPhilly mention, and for every check-in received, McDonald’s will donate $1 to the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Customers who participate with receive a coupon for a free McCafe Shake. This new product launch featured social media (Foursquare, Twitter) with visits to the actual restaurants.
There is no debate as to the value of social media. It is a useful tool to develop two-way conversations with existing customers and also attracts prospects. It creates awareness and generates exposure. And it builds a loyal following by driving traffic to a company’s main website. In the words of Matt Dickman, “Social media isn’t the end-all-be-all, but it offers marketers unparalleled opportunities to participate in relevant ways. It also provides a launch pad for other marketing tactics. Social media is not an island – it’s a high-power engine on a larger marketing ship.”
Debbie Laskey is a brand marketing and social media consultant to non-profits and start-ups in Southern California. Recognized as a “Woman Making a Difference” by the Los Angeles Business Journal, Debbie served as a mentor for the Strategic Technology Program sponsored by the California TeleMedicine & eHealth Center as well as a board member for numerous non-profits. Since 2002, Debbie has served as a judge for the Web Marketing Association’s annual web award competition. Debbie can be reached at debbie@marketingandmore.net. Her website is www.marketingandmore.net.
