Delivering is key. You set a goal as increasing your customer base, your sales numbers or your margins. You use the tools available to you and achieve your goals. Now, in Social Media discussions and sociaty, there is a large amount of discussions and talk about the Socail Media it self. Not the goals, the media.
I have been involved in a number of projects and had communication with both small and large firms providing Social Media marketing and “presence”. They spend as much trying to convince you about the value than actually show you results.
Show results rather than talking about the results!
If you were in the IT business back in 1998-2001 you remember how everyone was talking about the power of internet. Companies and projects popped up everywhere and they failed. It was a gold rush! Now, I get the same feeling.
Not all companies need/should have a social media presence!
Not every company and business needs different channels. First of all the marketing department should be dedicated and have a long term strategy using the social media. The most important part … the customers. If you provide surgical tools, well are your surgeons on Facebook and Twitter?
Are you providing value using the different channels for marketing?
The last important subject, that has got so obvious to me, is; do you / can you provide value? If you have a Facebook page for your product or company. Are you able to provide value? Not just a copy of your webpage. Is Facebook, Twitter, Google+ etc. providing anything unique?
In summary, there is too much discussions about the meta-business or the meta-discussions rather than showing the results. There is a interesting quote I read somewhere is about … 80/20 rule… if you use more than 20% of the time to explain your business, then your business idea is not good enough!
Any comments?
This is very interesting, You’re an excessively skilled blogger. I have joined your feed and look ahead to in the hunt for extra of your wonderful post. Also, I’ve shared your site in my social networks!
Thank you for your comment.
Cheers,
Shahram
You make a valid point here, Shahram. ‘Facto non verba’ is a term that immediately springs to mind, roughly translated it means ‘deeds not words’ or ‘actions not words’. While the meta talk you describe is good and well (and perhaps even necessary, to a certain extent) amongst those of us in the industry, I feel as strongly as the others who have added their thoughts here about actually making a difference to a client in terms of (as Christopher said) solving a problem, for instance, or any other number of concrete means that you and the client may have agreed on and set out to achieve.
I must agree with Dane though when he speaks of the client education process. In my limited experience, this has certainly been one of the biggest challenges so far. And perhaps explains a need for the meta talk that I would really rather choose to forgo. Sometimes it makes me wonder if it doesn’t come across as ”trying too hard”, whereas the purpose is simply to get them on the same page.
Thank you Jacqui for your comment. I agree as you write that there is a level of educating the customer that needs to be done. As well as, get them to a level where they see the value of the “new” technology or media within their realm of business and sales.
You make a valid point and I appreciate your insight.
Cheers,
Shahram
I would say that is the biggest challenge facing digital marketing consultants right now… their potential clients require so much education *in the proposal process.*
Potential clients think they might need a social media presence, but other than that: most of them don’t-know-what-they-don’t-know, and there is a lot of time and energy devoted just helping them to understand what they really need in order to grow their market share in the
digital era (and it often *is* more than 20% of the consultant’s free time.)
Then, after all that time spent educating the potential client about what they need, many clients are surprised to discover that it will cost them. Then the consultant has to start the next education phase: about “investing in the building of a new infrastructure.”
You have to *really, really* love social media and digital marketing in order to face these challenges with a light heart and a wide smile!
{ twitter = @danenow }
Thank you Dane for your insight and comment. As you mention the proposal/education/sales/development/delivery process is far from easy and self-explanatory.
I sometimes get the feeling, that people expect “social media” to make the business transaction easier. It is almost the opposite.
As you write it is a challenging and tough environment, energy and drive is what separates the different companies and individuals in this business.
Thank you again for the comment,
Shahram
As a small business owner, I use social media to connect with people (clients, prospects, other industry leaders). Social media allows you to interact with people you would not otherwise have a conversation with. Everything you do in your business should be about creating and delivering value. If you aren’t doing that, you won’t have any clients. This includes what you do with social media.
Thank you Chris for your comment. It is always good to get confirmation from professionals working daily within this industry. Glad that you liked the blog and I am as well, looking forward to more discussions.
/Shahram
Shahram, This is fantastic! I was actually thinking about this very idea for the last two days, and have even begun to write a post about it. Where is our focus? Are we providing value, actually helping the business, or just creating a presence? I love your example of a company that sells medical tools. Is your target market using the specific social media you are participating on? If not, then get off that service, put your efforts to better use somewhere else.
I think there is a time and a place for talking about the tools, or the techniques of social media. But, we also have to look at how to really provide value, solve someones problem, and not just get a re-tweet. I look forward to more discussions on this friend, glad to hear you talking about this idea. Cheers!