Jason Falls
I’ve always considered myself a bit of a purist when it comes to social media. I believe strongly that it’s more important to engage in conversations and build relationships with people, both as an individual and as a company or brand, than it is to come at them selling product. If you build relationships, the products will sell. Sure, it’s a longer build, but with it comes longer benefit.
But I am also a social media consultant who counsels businesses on how to use social media successfully. Each time I discuss the business goals or reasons why a client wants to use social media, the answers come down to one thing: selling more stuff. It’s a harsh business reality. If you don’t make money, the business goes under. If you don’t make more money, people lose their jobs.
Blogs and social networks emerged because people (i.e. – individuals) wanted to connect on a more personal level using technology … or perhaps because the technology barrier was lowered enough to allow people to connect on a more personal level using it. These interwebs were not invented for business purposes. (They were invented to help Al Gore fix the ozone or something … I forget.)
As a result, the social media purists have laid down the law and, so, to participate in social media as a business, you must do things like, “participate in the conversation,” “engage your customers,” and “talk with us not to us.”
I’ve got news for you. In the world of business, all that talk will get you exactly nowhere. Conversations do not ring the cash register. Engagement does not sell more product. Talking with people just means you have to take time to listen which prevents you from spending valuable time selling more product.
(I’ll pause a moment so my social media friends can curse a bit.)
No, I’m not turning my back on the social media community or mindset. But I am trying to make a point all the social media evangelists out there need to grow up and face: If you don’t stop selling the fluff and start driving the bottom line, you’re going to have to go back to whatever you were doing in 2005. It’s not about convincing the curmudgeon. It’s not about waiting it out until digital natives are calling the shots. It’s about making social media drive business for your clients or companies. If you don’t, you’ll soon hear, “You’re fired,” and it won’t be from Apprentice reruns.
I’m all for your principles. I’m a big fan of The Cluetrain‘s “markets are conversations,” notion. But I can promise you a conversation never paid the damn electric bill.
Make your company blog drive search results to the keywords you want to win. Present calls to action that lead your Facebook fans to buy your product. Entice Twitter followers to subscribe to your e-mail newsletter where you can present similar calls to action for purchase. And if you think doing that turns consumers off, look at the millions of dollars Marriott racks up from Bill Marriott’s blog. Look at the sales Southwest Airlines attributes to it’s social media activity. Look at the $3 million Dell reported earning from its @delloutlet Twitter account. Look at Wiggly Wigglers, which has 90,000 worldwide customers, largely because when they talk about a product on their blog they put an “order here” link along with it.
They don’t do this because they hug and kiss everyone. They do this because they make a compelling argument and persuade you to buy things, then they give you the opportunity to buy them. It doesn’t mean they aren’t social. Just that they’re smart.
Share your content, engage your audiences, talk your talkity talk all you want. But walk the walk, too. Move the needle. And not the UV meter on your virtual stereo, grasshopper. Move the one that makes the cha-ching sound.
Then, and only then, will you last.
My vest is on. Fire away. The comments are yours.
IMAGE: By Vladimir Agapov on Shutterstock.com
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Excellent input, James. Interesting to widen the lens a bit and see
the internal sales function, customer retention and what-not come to
light. Certainly those areas shouldn't be ignored. Again, the post was
aimed more at the social media enthusiasts or consultants to remind
them that actual business goals need to be the payoff of what they're
doing and I used sales as a broad goal, but you're absolutely right –
there's a lot more to do with it than just the cha-ching. Thanks, man.
Excellent input, James. Interesting to widen the lens a bit and see
the internal sales function, customer retention and what-not come to
light. Certainly those areas shouldn't be ignored. Again, the post was
aimed more at the social media enthusiasts or consultants to remind
them that actual business goals need to be the payoff of what they're
doing and I used sales as a broad goal, but you're absolutely right –
there's a lot more to do with it than just the cha-ching. Thanks, man.
Excellent input, James. Interesting to widen the lens a bit and see
the internal sales function, customer retention and what-not come to
light. Certainly those areas shouldn't be ignored. Again, the post was
aimed more at the social media enthusiasts or consultants to remind
them that actual business goals need to be the payoff of what they're
doing and I used sales as a broad goal, but you're absolutely right –
there's a lot more to do with it than just the cha-ching. Thanks, man.
BRAVO
I am from the old media school. A Press Secretary for Australia's Former Finance Minister, and now love social.
Notwithstanding, there's as much spin coming off social as there's ever been from any media.
Yours is a compelling argument for social to grow up.
BRAVO
I am from the old media school. A Press Secretary for Australia's Former Finance Minister, and now love social.
Notwithstanding, there's as much spin coming off social as there's ever been from any media.
Yours is a compelling argument for social to grow up.
BRAVO
I am from the old media school. A Press Secretary for Australia's Former Finance Minister, and now love social.
Notwithstanding, there's as much spin coming off social as there's ever been from any media.
Yours is a compelling argument for social to grow up.
Thanks so much, Catherine. Honored you would pay us a visit.
Thanks so much, Catherine. Honored you would pay us a visit.
Thanks so much, Catherine. Honored you would pay us a visit.
Shelly, you and Jason are right on. This is one of the truisms that has become abundantly clear to me since entering the agency world. Conversation alone is just that. Must be integrated with some call to action. And call to action needs conversation too. Without it, call to action is one-way marketing and closing in on what some call spam.
Jason, I will argue one point with you. Conversations do indeed ring the cash register and engagement does sell product. The problem is its damn-near impossible to measure the correlation.
I flew Southwest Airlines initially because the fares were chaep. But I have formed an affinity to Southwest, champion them at any chance I get and try to never fly any other airline (except when I have to for work) because of the people and the experience, both online and offline.
For those reasons, I will fly Southwest over another airline even if it's a bit more expensive. But how is Southwest supposed to know that (unless they read this comment and one like it for all similar cases) or track when I made that conscious decision.
Finding that ROI isn't worth the effort, isn't exact and doesn't translate to the “what have you done for me lately” business world we live in. But that doesn't mean that ROI doesn't exist. Great post. A topic all PR pros need to consider. Welcome your thoughts.
Shelly, you and Jason are right on. This is one of the truisms that has become abundantly clear to me since entering the agency world. Conversation alone is just that. Must be integrated with some call to action. And call to action needs conversation too. Without it, call to action is one-way marketing and closing in on what some call spam.
Jason, I will argue one point with you. Conversations do indeed ring the cash register and engagement does sell product. The problem is its damn-near impossible to measure the correlation.
I flew Southwest Airlines initially because the fares were chaep. But I have formed an affinity to Southwest, champion them at any chance I get and try to never fly any other airline (except when I have to for work) because of the people and the experience, both online and offline.
For those reasons, I will fly Southwest over another airline even if it's a bit more expensive. But how is Southwest supposed to know that (unless they read this comment and one like it for all similar cases) or track when I made that conscious decision.
Finding that ROI isn't worth the effort, isn't exact and doesn't translate to the “what have you done for me lately” business world we live in. But that doesn't mean that ROI doesn't exist. Great post. A topic all PR pros need to consider. Welcome your thoughts.
Shelly, you and Jason are right on. This is one of the truisms that has become abundantly clear to me since entering the agency world. Conversation alone is just that. Must be integrated with some call to action. And call to action needs conversation too. Without it, call to action is one-way marketing and closing in on what some call spam.
Jason, I will argue one point with you. Conversations do indeed ring the cash register and engagement does sell product. The problem is its damn-near impossible to measure the correlation.
I flew Southwest Airlines initially because the fares were chaep. But I have formed an affinity to Southwest, champion them at any chance I get and try to never fly any other airline (except when I have to for work) because of the people and the experience, both online and offline.
For those reasons, I will fly Southwest over another airline even if it's a bit more expensive. But how is Southwest supposed to know that (unless they read this comment and one like it for all similar cases) or track when I made that conscious decision.
Finding that ROI isn't worth the effort, isn't exact and doesn't translate to the “what have you done for me lately” business world we live in. But that doesn't mean that ROI doesn't exist. Great post. A topic all PR pros need to consider. Welcome your thoughts.
Nicely said, Jason. I talk to clients a lot and all they care about is trying to make the sale. I believe that there needs to be a mindset change about how people view the internet, but this bit of wisdom will never change.
Brian Schuster
cleverwebtech.com
Nicely said, Jason. I talk to clients a lot and all they care about is trying to make the sale. I believe that there needs to be a mindset change about how people view the internet, but this bit of wisdom will never change.
Brian Schuster
cleverwebtech.com
Nicely said, Jason. I talk to clients a lot and all they care about is trying to make the sale. I believe that there needs to be a mindset change about how people view the internet, but this bit of wisdom will never change.
Brian Schuster
cleverwebtech.com
Thanks B. Appreciate the comment and thoughts.
Thanks B. Appreciate the comment and thoughts.
Thanks B. Appreciate the comment and thoughts.
GASP! I did not curse you out at the pause, I was too focused on what was coming next. The question keeps coming up of how to measure ROI in social media and you just answered it for sure. Sure we can say that it is a conversation and that we have to build relationships but I find it hard to build relationship with the a company as I have no idea to whom I am conversing with.
If companies do not tell me of new offerings how will I know that they have a new product? If I am on twitter or reading blogs and if a new product is not discussed then how will I know about it? We talk about going to where your customer hangs out and if I am chillin on twitter or FB then you have to alert me to something new or a sale or something as that is where I am.
I 100% agree with you and have had clients do this all along. I violated the “rules” I guess but I have not been fired for doing so.
Great thought provoking post. I love it!!!!
GASP! I did not curse you out at the pause, I was too focused on what was coming next. The question keeps coming up of how to measure ROI in social media and you just answered it for sure. Sure we can say that it is a conversation and that we have to build relationships but I find it hard to build relationship with the a company as I have no idea to whom I am conversing with.
If companies do not tell me of new offerings how will I know that they have a new product? If I am on twitter or reading blogs and if a new product is not discussed then how will I know about it? We talk about going to where your customer hangs out and if I am chillin on twitter or FB then you have to alert me to something new or a sale or something as that is where I am.
I 100% agree with you and have had clients do this all along. I violated the “rules” I guess but I have not been fired for doing so.
Great thought provoking post. I love it!!!!
GASP! I did not curse you out at the pause, I was too focused on what was coming next. The question keeps coming up of how to measure ROI in social media and you just answered it for sure. Sure we can say that it is a conversation and that we have to build relationships but I find it hard to build relationship with the a company as I have no idea to whom I am conversing with.
If companies do not tell me of new offerings how will I know that they have a new product? If I am on twitter or reading blogs and if a new product is not discussed then how will I know about it? We talk about going to where your customer hangs out and if I am chillin on twitter or FB then you have to alert me to something new or a sale or something as that is where I am.
I 100% agree with you and have had clients do this all along. I violated the “rules” I guess but I have not been fired for doing so.
Great thought provoking post. I love it!!!!
Jason loves to stir the pot! I can tell you that as a business-person (as opposed to a consultant or agency guy) that everything you said is true. It is, absolutely and without question, how I can either make more revenue or more profit (preferably both).
But I also think that companies who are focused on revenue and profit (e.g., ringing the cash register) BEFORE they have “joined the conversation” and “engaged their customers” are doomed to fail. In my business, I can be perfectly honest about something: I spend a lot of time on community-oriented activities without having a clear understanding of how it's going to make the cash register ring. I do it because I have faith that, by adding value to communities in good faith, it will position me effectively with the buying public. They're not even going to think about who to buy from; they're going to buy from me because they know me.
Should companies have infinite patience with community-for-community's-sake? No. But they need to have some – maybe a lot. It's my hypothesis that the companies who invest now in sowing strong relationships are going to do very well when it comes time to harvest them … even if they don't know today exactly when that harvest will come or what it will look like.
Jason loves to stir the pot! I can tell you that as a business-person (as opposed to a consultant or agency guy) that everything you said is true. It is, absolutely and without question, how I can either make more revenue or more profit (preferably both).
But I also think that companies who are focused on revenue and profit (e.g., ringing the cash register) BEFORE they have “joined the conversation” and “engaged their customers” are doomed to fail. In my business, I can be perfectly honest about something: I spend a lot of time on community-oriented activities without having a clear understanding of how it's going to make the cash register ring. I do it because I have faith that, by adding value to communities in good faith, it will position me effectively with the buying public. They're not even going to think about who to buy from; they're going to buy from me because they know me.
Should companies have infinite patience with community-for-community's-sake? No. But they need to have some – maybe a lot. It's my hypothesis that the companies who invest now in sowing strong relationships are going to do very well when it comes time to harvest them … even if they don't know today exactly when that harvest will come or what it will look like.
Jason loves to stir the pot! I can tell you that as a business-person (as opposed to a consultant or agency guy) that everything you said is true. It is, absolutely and without question, how I can either make more revenue or more profit (preferably both).
But I also think that companies who are focused on revenue and profit (e.g., ringing the cash register) BEFORE they have “joined the conversation” and “engaged their customers” are doomed to fail. In my business, I can be perfectly honest about something: I spend a lot of time on community-oriented activities without having a clear understanding of how it's going to make the cash register ring. I do it because I have faith that, by adding value to communities in good faith, it will position me effectively with the buying public. They're not even going to think about who to buy from; they're going to buy from me because they know me.
Should companies have infinite patience with community-for-community's-sake? No. But they need to have some – maybe a lot. It's my hypothesis that the companies who invest now in sowing strong relationships are going to do very well when it comes time to harvest them … even if they don't know today exactly when that harvest will come or what it will look like.
Excellent thoughts, sir. I think your points are a perfect statement
of the brands stuck in the middle of participating and figuring it
out. They are laying the foundation, and rightfully so, even if they
don't know how many stories the building will be. Thanks for bringing
it home for everyone.
Thanks Suzanne. Appreciate the thoughts here.
Thanks for sharing this insight Jason, I think now though companies are aware of the fact that they need to get into right conversations to engage with people, but they still want to make sales on the time spent on the talk.
The mentality behind this is an old one, it relates to up-selling things on inbound services for example when people call credit card companies to activate their cards they up-sell protection insurances.
All in all they think they should get a fantastic ROI on every minute spent with there customers.
Thanks Akash. I agree with you. The magic is balancing the customer
want to not always be marketed to and connect with the brands they're
interested in while still having conversion points you're hitting
along the way. It's a delicate balance but can be done. Thanks for the
comment.
There's nothing wrong with getting to transactions, but with social media I think the relationship has to be there, or the people formerly known as the audience will turn off. The progression is something like “conversation –> relationship –> transaction”. For people who aren't in social media for the business (perfectly valid) the last step is optional, but for those in business the last step is mandatory BUT can't be put first …
Well said. Thanks for this.
Excellent article! For all the hype regarding the online community relationship, the bottom line is, and always has been, the same. Your target market does not want to be your friend, they want something from you. They want a product or a service, not a life affirming relationship. I do agree that there needs to be conversation, however the conversation needs to have a point on the order of “Here is what I can do for you based on what you are saying”.
Well put. Thanks for chiming in.
I agree building a relationship is as much as listening as it is talking to your audience. You first have to understand what they need before you begin engaging them. Which is why I find it funny that many companies are not willing to spend the time researching and understanding their customers. Its like they would rather fire first before aim and ready (shot gun approach).
True, true. Thanks for chiming in.
My take: if you're using social media for business and you're not selling, all you have is a hobby. Balance promotion with relation and you have a winner.
Fair enough. Thanks for the point, Rob.
Great thoughts here. I once would have agreed with you whole-heartedly
on the immeasureablity of ROI in social media. But the more I work
with clients, the more I realize that as long as you have a good idea
of what you want to measure, then connecting the dots is not has hard
as you might think. Yes, I agree that the true, lasting and universal
impact of any conversation anywhere is impossible to track and measure
and directly connect to the bottom line, but if you are trying to
measure social media's impact on your online sales, for instance, you
can present calls to action in your social channels, traceable and
trackable to your conversion points on your website and have a direct
connection. Will it be 100-percent inclusive? No. (I can remember to
go to your website because of a conversation on Twitter, but not
click a link.) But it at least can give you a minimal measure. Move
that needle and you're going to impress your clients/bosses.
Thanks for the thoughts!
Jason
You make a very valid point about how in order to maintain a business relationship it is about the (duh) “relationship” itself, the balanace between being human with each other and being in business with each other. I am new to exploring the social networking integration into developing business relationships, but my sense is that it can be the way to maintain and grow the relationship but only as an adjunct, never in place of the face to face or voice to voice connection, which is the true connection. I look forward to exploring more of your ideas and perspectives. Thanks
Thank you, Jay. Appreciate the feedback.
Understandable, and I am glad you wrote the message that sure, like any marketing tactic there are going to be reasons why social media tactics don't work. Yet, social media can ultimately drive home a loyalty to a brand, product and service that can't be done by just hard selling. Social media has expanded the natural community to a more convenient space to further the most powerful type of marketing – word of mouth. I think when our lives begin to slow down, we get to know our neighbors and only buy local then I can see that social media as a communication tool for any sort of information couldn't drive traffic, interest, loyalty and income. My two or three cents
Thanks Lyndi. Appreciate the comment.
The proactive way that retailers used Twitter on Black Friday is proof that sometimes all the relationship a customer wants is “How does this work”, “Is this on sale?” or “Where can I find a parking space”. Customers don't need to love you. Just make it easy to shop your store. Thanks for the insights.
Excellent observation. Thanks!
Great post. Rings true for me at many levels.
Thanks Clark. Appreciate the comment!
Great post – I've often compared SM to traditional brand building exercises such as advertising, sponsorship etc. which are designed to raise awareness, build relationships and loyalty. All good marketing strategies however, involve two strands of communication – the call to action often integrated into the above (usually via a phone number), but more often in other environments (a promotion instore/newspaper ad informing of short term deals etc. but using a similar creative device) in order to create an integrated holistic campaign. It seems to me that the various strands of SM can be used in a similar ways – blogs & Facebook to build the relationship and communicate the brand values, Twitter & bookmarking sites to deal with the tactical, cash generating message. No-one was ever able to prove an exact ROI on advertising (the most expensive form of marketing) – it is measured via increased awareness/perception of desired attributes. If the sales go up, and nothing else has been initiated as part of the campaign then yes, you can put an ROI on it – but it's very rare for a company to advertise and not underpin that investment with other activity. So, ROI is put against the whole campaign, with both quantitative and qualitative research often used to assess the most successful bits. SM needs to be viewed as another part of the marketing mix, and evaluated as such.
Amen to that, Carrie. Thanks for the ideas. I think the uses for each
network vary by company, product, brand, personnel, etc., but I can
certainly see how your ideas can work for a lot of folks. Appreciate
the perspective.
Great post – I've often compared SM to traditional brand building exercises such as advertising, sponsorship etc. which are designed to raise awareness, build relationships and loyalty. All good marketing strategies however, involve two strands of communication – the call to action often integrated into the above (usually via a phone number), but more often in other environments (a promotion instore/newspaper ad informing of short term deals etc. but using a similar creative device) in order to create an integrated holistic campaign. It seems to me that the various strands of SM can be used in a similar ways – blogs & Facebook to build the relationship and communicate the brand values, Twitter & bookmarking sites to deal with the tactical, cash generating message. No-one was ever able to prove an exact ROI on advertising (the most expensive form of marketing) – it is measured via increased awareness/perception of desired attributes. If the sales go up, and nothing else has been initiated as part of the campaign then yes, you can put an ROI on it – but it's very rare for a company to advertise and not underpin that investment with other activity. So, ROI is put against the whole campaign, with both quantitative and qualitative research often used to assess the most successful bits. SM needs to be viewed as another part of the marketing mix, and evaluated as such.
Amen to that, Carrie. Thanks for the ideas. I think the uses for each
network vary by company, product, brand, personnel, etc., but I can
certainly see how your ideas can work for a lot of folks. Appreciate
the perspective.
great post man,thx..
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