It’s fascinating to see how increasing numbers of Brands are now giving out their Facebook page on advertisements, posters, billboards and in other public places as their main online contact point. More often than not they no longer even include their main website address in their advertisements.
Even BBC Breakfast now gives out their Facebook page as the place to make contact and to ‘interact’ with the programme.
So what’s going on here?
Undoubtedly there are many brands who feel that their products will sit very comfortable amongst the Facebook demographic, or it could be that the functionality provided by the social networking site offers an exciting new way for customers to engage with them. Or perhaps it’s simply because it feels like the ‘trendy’ thing to do to be seen to giving out your Facebook page instead of your main website address. For sure, you don’t see too many Brands giving out any of their LinkedIn pages as their main contact point.
It could also be just plain laziness on behalf of some Brands, in that they can’t think of new ways to attract customers to and to retain them on their websites. And after all, Facebook seems to offer something different, so why not just give it a try.
This brings up challenging questions for organisations:
Do you have a clear and robust enough Internet strategy that stands up in its own right, or are you just going with the flow?
What does the future hold for how a Brand or company (large or small) represents itself online?
Either way, by the way many firms use Social Media, it’s pretty clear to see that there is very little strategy behind their online presence. The trouble with Social Media is that it’s just so incredibly attractive and fun – and with some new tool appearing seemingly every day, it’s just extremely tempting to give it a try. And before you know it, another tool has been retrofitted onto any strategy that you might have had and you have a mishmash of Social Media activities cluttering up your online presence.
There’s nothing wrong with a bit of trial and error to see if a particular tool might have some value, and very often unexpected benefits appear over time as if to justify its use in the first place. The fact is that Twitter might not have value for some Brands, and it might be that Facebook pages are not right for your business – particularly if you are just following the crowd.
Ultimately, Social Media can be used in a variety of different ways; it is not all about Marketing, and Brands should take the time to investigate in depth how each Social initiative fits within their overall business and communication strategy.
Yes, have fun with Social Media by all means – but don’t try to kid yourself that it’s the golden key to online riches. I know of many businesses who have been using Social Media for several years who now wouldn’t dream of stopping or changing what they’re doing – but who at the same time really struggle to justify exactly why they use it. What’s more, they’re also too scared to stop ‘just in case’ they miss out on that huge business opportunity that’s just around the corner.
Closely examine your business strategy, your online strategy and then be honest with yourself as to whether you’re getting real value from these tools or just following the crowd.
Philip Calvert
Founder of IFA Life and Social Media Conference Speaker
No comments:
Post a Comment