Traditional Marketing versus Social Media
Posted by Patrick Murphy on Sat, Nov 21, 2009
Traditional marketing gives the illusion of control, because it doesn't require you to listen, respond, or accommodate people who don't agree with you or don't care for what you've said, or modify your communications based on peoples' reaction to it.
But an illusion of control is actually a dangerous thing. We've all been in situations where we've been on the receiving end of a traditional marketing pitch and have rolled our eyes, or decided on the basis of that communication alone that we'd never in a gazillion years do business with that particular company.
Far better to be willing to engage customers and prospective customers in actual conversations -- which is what social media allows us to do. It humanizes corporate communications -- and gives companies opportunities to gather market intelligence as a value-add.
People who are looking for "cast iron proof that social media works," are missing half the point. Social media, as a space, is already there. Ignoring it won't make it go away. Ignoring the fact that people are sharing information about products or services in public forums is a fact in today's world. Sure, you want to commit resources in areas that will give you ROI, but a better approach would be to consider execution (how to do it right!) vs. whether to do it at all.
I heard a great response when some asks about the ROI on Social Media. The reply was "What is the ROI on your mobile phone?" Your phone is an integral tool of business the same as social media today and tomorrow.
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