View on Social Media
Social media platforms are not marketing tools. They are relationship tools and provide a way for people to share information. Facebook? People are there because they want to hear the latest about people they know – not really to “like” pages. Twitter? People use it get ahead in their industry or connect with others that they normally don’t have access to. It’s not to follow their deodorant of choice.
The reason why I feel icky; as a marketers, we’ve helped clients build their Facebook “likes” by giving away free samples or entering them into a draw to win something. We’ve used these platforms as a way to pitch stuff for our clients to an audience which is relatively disengaged. It’s another medium to bombard the consumer.
I get this question from clients: Should we be on [Facebook/Twitter/Etc.]? My answer. Absolutely. But only if you are willing to humanize your brand. Being human means being 100% real. It means screwing up and ‘fessing up to it. It also means talking to each individual as an individual. No pitching. If you can’t do it, then stay away from it.
