Remember the 4 p’s of marketing – product, place, promotion, price? They’re still important as you plan your social media strategy.
We all know that social media is a vital part of every company’s marketing campaign. There is no argument about the necessity of these outlets and the great benefits they can bring. However, social media is only a part of what a company’s marketing department does.
Without Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, Google+, and any of the other social media platforms out there, companies will not be able to reach their target audience and interact with them.
While social media must be a part of any company’s marketing plan these days, a company will succeed only if it uses these outlets based on core marketing principles. There must be a strategy to utilize such powerful outlets, and there must be consistency in messaging.
As Barnaby Wickham recently told us, “To start, social media isn’t free, although basic use of the platforms is free. They can be a tremendous time suck. Also, social media influence can be difficult to measure, making it hard to justify. For many companies, social media is a better customer service/listening tool than a marketing tool.”
Social media is only a tool to let you engage with your audience, who is allowing you the privilege to interact with them. It is about creating relationships, and as in any relationship, there must be trust. Combined with traditional marketing methods, it’s a part of your outreach.
Whatever service or product you provide in a B2C or B2B relationship, no amount of social media can replace the human interaction and good experience your audience should have.
