Take a walk on the wild side: Social Media Marketing

The bigger the company the more cautious for experimenting with new methods in marketing and sales and thus they will use the traditional channels further on as they know and control them:
Advertising, Press Releases, Advertorials, PR and even paid reviews.

Only a few of the larger companies will take the risk of entering the Social Media Marketing.
Especially public traded companies have issues to use social media as all their communications need to be controlled and in line with their other communications due to (internal) regulations and SOX.
This requires a long approval process. So long the market or marketing opportunity has probably passed by a long time ago.

Due to the shorter and less hierarchic approval process, the smaller or medium sized companies will be leading in social media marketing. Whereas bigger companies are sitting on the side, not being able to make any movement or take any decision.

Social Media Marketing: reluctance to engage

On the other hand there are more reasons why companies don’t take a walk on the wild side of social media marketing:
- The scary image
- The uncontrolled magnitude
- The required time
- The 2-way communication

The scary image of social media marketing painted by consultants
In order to sell at a high price and make themselves indispensable, consultants will paint the image of many dangers and hazards of social media marketing.
If they make it look simple, then there is no reason companies would pay for their services.
Thus mainly larger companies will have fear using social media marketing.

The uncontrolled magnitude
However it is partially true as the effects, the reactions and the magnitude of social media marketing can reach far beyond the traditional marketing channels.

Social media marketing takes time
Instead of immediate results like email marketing or advertising, social media marketing requires time as it needs to grow on a large number of people.
Social media marketing is not hit an run like many other marketing methods.

The 2-way communication
Companies were used to have one way communication using the interruptive marketing of advertising and email marketing.
Social media marketing is two way: social interaction;

This is something new and difficult to handle: especially for companies that have been used to one way communication since many years and their sole feedback was a controlled customer service facility.

The time is now to embrace Social Media Marketing

Still the time is here for all companies to take a walk on the wild side of social media marketing.
Experiment and start small in order to learn.
Don’t fear social media marketing – embrace it for the better.
Be the Transformer of your company.

This is especially true as the economy and thus companies are coming out of a recession and a new era lies in front of us all.
Don’t stay behind.
A new world with different rules of the game of Marketing.

Said, hey babe, take a walk on the wild side.
Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo

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