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Fear stifling social media advertising, says CIM
Marketing News |
15/08/2012
Fear is preventing some companies from capitalising on the benefits of social media marketing, it has been claimed.
Writing for the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) blog, course director Daniel Rowles said he is "amazed" that some firms are still not embracing the channel.
He noted that networking has quickly become "an ingrained part of our lives" and businesses cannot afford to ignore the trend.
Mr Rowles said businesses need to focus on the positive aspects of social advertising, rather than worrying about what can happen if things go wrong.
"It’s only natural that we would be keen to avert such a disaster from befalling our own carefully crafted public image," he stated.
But this should not mean that companies steer clear of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the like altogether.
Mr Rowles noted that social media is not for everyone, but business leaders need to realise that their brand is already being talked about online.
"Staff, customers and competitors are already discussing the brand with their friends, family, contacts and customers; they’re just not part of the conversation," he added.
"And not being part of it means they have no influence over it whatsoever."
However, if company bosses do sign up accounts on behalf of their businesses, and start engaging with members of the public, they can create a positive impression for the firm.
"While there are always risks when using social media, used correctly it can open up a whole new world for you and your audience to engage with one another, share experiences and receive some of the highest levels of customer service," Mr Rowles stated.
This can build not only reputation but an emotional connection that can breed loyalty and advocacy in a way that very few other channels can offer, he said.
"By deciding not to use social media to engage online, what we are actually doing is missing possibly one of the biggest opportunities to understand what our audience and our customers want and how we can improve our relationships with them," he wrote in the blog.
"And by staying out of the conversation, companies are allowing others to dictate how their brand is represented within social media."
Posted by John Lynes
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