The Year of Going Social 2009

For years, marketers have talked about 'listening' to the consumer. At the same time, Web 2.0 tools (social media and social networking tools) have been springing up all over the Internet. These social networking tools and widgets enable conversations to take place AMONG consumers. That conversation has evolved into video, picture, text, audio files ... and can be shared and passed on. This is what is called "viral marketing". Blogs, podcasts, YouTube, Twitter, Wikis, and social networks are the social media tools used to engage in conversation with one another. Clearly, a fundamental shift in the way we communicate has occurred. Welcome to the new world of "social media and social networking"!

Tap into the new world of social media marketing

The bad news for business? If you haven't tapped into the new world of social marketing ....You're late. The good news? You're not too late. It's true that many of the innovators and early adopters out there are screaming that you're going to be out of business if you don't hop on the social media bandwagon today. Not true.

If your doors are still open during the current economic conditions, you're doing something right! That said, your customers and clients are online communicating. Tapping into online social media gives you the opportunity to be a part of that conversation.

Social Media is a critical part of marketing

Fact is, most businesses haven't even thought about social media as a viable part of their marketing mix – until now. The adoption curve is a lot like the growth of websites in 1999. Do you remember when having a business Web site was novel, and then suddenly one day became critical? That's what's happening with Social Media. It's just beginning to hit the corporate radar screen as a part of an integrated marketing plan.

Social Media practitioners would be surprised at what's holding businesses back. Product managers and reputation management executives are worried about policy, privacy, and lack of control. They are puzzled by the openness and the transparency that is the currency of social media. Most of them don't even know what RSS feeds are or how to use them, let alone how to launch a blog.

"Customer Engagement" is the #1 reason to launch social media campaigns.

But, clearly, not everyone is an early adopter. Don't wait too long to get your feet wet and be prepared to catch up fast. Bottom line is that companies will be successful in 'going social' not because they were first, but because they're paying attention. Then, when no one is looking, they'll catch up fast, and could even take the lead.



By Beverly W. Macy and Troy A. Peterson, eMarketing Association Network Group