Organization Name: Marketers on Demand Inc.
Industry: Recruiting Industry
Name of contact if available: Marcie Pollack, President
Web references: Marketers on Demand Inc.
Not so long ago (going back just a few years), marketing departments used to rely on traditional media channels to actively promote a service or a good – which is to say radio, TV and print.
Enter social media.
As Bob Dylan famously sang “The Times, They are a Changin” truly describes the morphing of the marketing industry as a whole. I remember walking down the street to work when people walked in crowds looking up, staying clear of each other and making facial contact. Those days are gone. People now walk without looking ahead, connected to their iPads, iPhones, iPods or other “essential” devices. They are high on social media and can’t get enough – it’s their oxygen.
This “buzz word” is commonly used but it would be important to define it. Social media is defined as a series of media channels that facilitate enhanced speed and breadth of information dissemination.
Make no mistake about it: social media is here, it’s there, it’s everywhere. It is evolving and at the same time expanding. It IS the future of marketing communication.
You’ll be hard pressed to find a company’s website that does not incorporate social media tools such as Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter to engage with their customers or business partners.
Think for a second. How many of your friends and acquaintances do not use any of the above mentioned applications (at work or for personal reasons)? I will assume that the answer is either zero or a single digit number.
Social media has become an integral part of most company’s marketing efforts – and it’s here to stay.
“An increasing number of businesses are engaging in social media every day and the only way to reach out to them about your brand is to make your online presence known. You can’t run from social media any longer so you might as well embrace it.” – The Marketing Donut
Here are some eye-opening statistics surrounding social media and it’s relevancy in today’s marketing world:
- According to SocialTimes, social media marketing budgets are set to double within the next five years.
- An incredible 83% of B2B marketers are investing in social media as a way to increase their brand exposure, 69% to get more clicks, and 65% to gain additional market insights.
- Google+ and Facebook receive an incredible 2 billion combined visits every month.
- Nearly two-thirds of global Internet users research products online prior to purchase, and much of that traffic moves through social media channels.
- Approximately 83% of marketers believe their social media profiles are important to their business; and 42% assert that Facebook is critical to their success.
The most common benefits of using social media as part of a marketing campaign are:
- LOW COST: A company can integrate a social media campaign at a very low cost (at least much lower than the cost incurred, should that company engage in print advertising, radio or TV ads). Using common applications such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn is free and will allow the company to disseminate their “message” and engage with their customers at no cost.
- CONSTANT INTERACTION: Customers live online, in their own digital community. In order to interact with them frequently, social media proves to be the best platform. It allows for increased visibility and brand awareness (and of course, dialogue).
- SEARCH ENGINE: Social media is an ideal way to improve a company’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO). If you want key words to be associated with your business (so that when those key words are entered during a search your company’s profile will appear), then adopting social media is mandatory (i.e shares, retweets, likes are a deciding factor in search engine ranking).
I recently contacted Marcie Pollack, an expert on all subjects related to marketing and President of Marketers on Demand Inc. (MOD) to discuss the key issues surrounding the role of social media in marketing.
1. Is your company relying more and more on Social Media and if so, to what end?
Not at all, that is a recipe for disaster and so is putting all your eggs in one basket.
Social Media is like a fashion trend, one minute your safe bet is a little black dress (Twitter), the next it’s a Bold Vibrant pantsuit (Facebook). You can’t rely solely on social media as a business, just like your company, social media is forever changing and you need to stay ahead of the game.
2. How important do you think social media is as it relates to overall marketing for a company? (i.e. where does it fit?)
I believe it is very important for a company to incorporate social media as part of their overall campaign. MoD uses social media as part of our entire strategy in sourcing marketing/creative talent at all levels.
3. What are your thoughts on companies that are not adopting social media?
Some companies are not right for social media, not everyone wants to follow a Garbage Disposal Company, (that stinks). We want to be followed by relevant followers vs. playing a numbers game.
4. In your opinion, what is the key difference between social media and marketing?
I feel social media is just an outlet for one’s marketing. You have to have a marketing strategy first, before you can use social media successfully.
5. What is the future of social media?
Ever changing, ever evolving and ever sustaining.
Marcie Pollack
The MoD President of Chaos
Marketers on Demand Inc.
Soon, you will not hear the terms social media and marketing as separate words. Today, marketing represents the brochure and social media the telephone. The “blurry line” will vanish and the term social media marketing will be a common term (actually, it already is!). Professionals who don’t embrace this new concept will become the Robinson Crusoe of today’s modern marketing age.