The new found gold rush

Social Media Marketing (SMM), also known as Internet marketing, describes the use of social networks, online communities, blogs or any other online collaborative media for marketing, sales, public relations and customer service. Common social media marketing tools include Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook, Orkut, Word Press and Youtube. “It’s a stream of knowledge flow, discussion boards, messages, forums, sharing, collaboration and collective generation of content, which has now matured to social media. Here content in every way - images, videos, mobile messaging, is being shared through networks of known and unknown people online,” explains Ms Sheetal Goel, Social Media Manager, Quasar Media Pvt Ltd.

Tools and their purposes

SMM tools enhance the brand visibility and value but their implications and practices vary. Twitter gives an opportunity to tweet as Facebook does to write on a wall or in Orkut you put a scrap. It is a message that is seen by all. Twitter and Facebook enable following people and trends, which is a great idea for publicity, and putting your ad on the most followed page increases visibility by manifold. Wordpress, on the other hand, helps you to comment on blogs, which means maximum and quick interaction with active feedback. Youtube allows viewing channel videos from many channels which adds on the ‘recall value’. Lately Linkedin has been a revolution, becoming a connection between corporates, making contacts and giving recommendations.

As a potential strategy

The advantage of these sites is its wide accessibility, and their commercial utilities have come into being recently. Social media has enabled the companies and their consumers to listen, talk and interact on a one-to-one basis. “People have taken control of how they communicate 24/7, the channels and tools they used, the response they receive - everything is in the hands of an individual. Social media has emerged as a new platform, which is simple, quick and involves low cost and high returns. Social media today is used to create relationships with customers on a one to one basis, unlike other medium where the approach is one to many, and plays a pivotal role for building communication for both B2B and B2C brands,” says Mr Rajiv Dingra, Founder and CEO, WATMedia Pvt Ltd.

Target audiences

The aim of SMM is to build a two-way interactive relation by providing interesting, relevant and perfectly timed content. “Our target audiences are the young at heart people who engage heavily with the digital medium, as much as 12 hours a week on an average. So, over the course of time, it became almost impossible to ignore this medium as an effective form of communication with our customers,” opines Mr K Ramakrishnan, President - Marketing, Café Coffee Day.

Innovative approach

SMM has come as fresh air in the whole marketing scenario; current marketers have got a genie to grant them three wishes- less expenditure, more visual appeal and greater value. “On Facebook we are getting great responses to our weekly contests like tagging and puzzles that are engaging in nature. We ensure interactivity through all our social media channels with regular updates and feedback forums,” comments Mr Saurabh Swarup, Head - Marketing and Product Development, Barista Coffee Company Ltd.

Agency at work

In the SMM campaign, 60 per cent of the work is done by social media marketing agency and 40 per cent is briefed by the brand itself. Strategies are built based on the research and the type of content, which can be created or has been received from the client. “The strategies are of two types: one being short term (3 months) and second being yearly. Social media is constantly evolving and involves flexibility to adapt to these changes. Hence, the yearly strategy will consist of the final goals to be achieved by the brand whereas the 3-month strategy is flexible where we can change styles of execution if necessary”, informs Mr Dingra.

SMM is a great marketing strategy, which helps the brand to reach out to its consumers in a way which is liked by them the most. However, it has to be taken seriously, since a badly designed social media marketing campaign can potentially backfire for the organisation that created it. To be successful, SMM campaigns must fully engage and respect the users.