A Match Made In Heaven

The recent explosive adoption of Social Media and Technology amongst consumers has provided unmatched opportunities for marketers. But it has also created the need to be ever more vigilant about your message. It's tempting to react to a client's demand that they want a Facebook page or Twitter account. Maybe they've requested an enormous QR Code on the side of a bus. As a responsible digital marketing partner your first question should be, "Why?"

That first impression in the social media space is (like anywhere else) critical and should always have a solid foundation in good marketing. It's the match made in heaven. Social media has provided a treasure trove of access to your existing and potential customer base. Just existing on Twitter however won't give you a successful social media presence. Got a Facebook page? Happy with your number of 'likes'? That cannot be your only yardstick of brand affinity. The marketplace is currently saturated with Social Media Experts and Social Engagement Gurus misleading clients and even their agencies with social buzzwords such as "likes", "follows", "retweets", and "favourites". They may sound familiar, but how much are they worth to your business? The ROI on a social-only campaign is difficult to track and simply having a social presence not tethered to a traditional strategy will leave you scratching your head, and down a few (hundred?) thousand on your budget.

So you've gone ahead and commissioned a ginormous QR Code and bought some Out of Home media. The QR Code points right to your home page. What's the first impression you've just made? Technology-forward? Progressive? Social?  Did you remember to update your homepage? Is your site mobile and cross-platform friendly? Now that consumers are there, what do they see and why should they stay? This is likely your first impression - how did you do? You simply cannot forget or ignore the importance of engaging content and on-brand messaging. Social Media and Technology advancements in the industry are growing exponentially but they certainly do not replace the need for solid, grounded marketing. To perform successfully they must be married to traditional marketing fundamentals and sound planning, not serve as a replacement.

Any marketer that exists today would be foolish to ignore the impact and penetration of Facebook, but it is not an end unto itself. You could save the salaries of a few experts and analysts and point your Facebook fans to your corporate-owned, corporate-controlled website. No confusing rules to follow, new code to learn or policies to make sense of. It's your message delivered in your way. Facebook should be your messenger, not your message.

Whether it's Twitter, Facebook, Digg or Reddit, simply slapping "Like", "Share" and "Follow" icons on your website is not social media/technology advancement for your message. Marshall McLuhan said, "The medium is the message". Don't fall into this trap - remember your message first and foremost. Only then can it be matched with the appropriate medium.