Who Are we Talking to, Anyway?

I think one of the biggest mistakes we make as marketers is forgetting that we're not marketing to ourselves. This is especially true when it comes to social media. I don't know about you, but being in front of a computer has taken over my life - I'm on a computer (or my iPhone when I'm on the go) at least 12 hours each day, usually reading emails and feeds, writing, and spending time on social networking sites. Nothing makes me more insane than not having access to a computer, except, possibly, when Twitter gets hacked. Do you know many other people like this? So what makes you think your clients and customers are like that?

Social media rock star Chris Brogan says that there are five things every small business owner should do online immediately:

• Start a blog. Yes, blogs are cheap and easy. Should every business blog? Probably not.
• Start listening. In other words, find out what others are saying about you. Fair enough - recon is always a good idea.
• Try Twitter OR Facebook. These are both great ways to find potential business, but choosing one of these vehicles must be strategic - Who do you want to reach and why? Is this site where you will find people who will genuinely want your product? Is using this site appropriate for your brand? Can you bring something to the social media party and not just talk about yourself?
• Get the word out. If you're going to blog or have a social media presence, you need to let people know you're out there, whether you're putting your blog's URL in your email's signature line or your Twitter ID on your business card. I'm very fond of referencing the line about the proverbial tree in the forest - if no one knows how to find your blog, does it really matter how brilliantly it's written?
• Try moving the needle. Invite social media-types into your world by enticing them with promotions and let them promote you through good word-of-mouth.

This is all well and good, but if I ran those suggestions past a guy I know who runs a historic restoration business, his head would explode in much the same way mine would if he lectured me on the benefits of hooks versus nails for roofing tiles. My world is social media and marketing, while his is blueprints and mortar. He is not me, and I have to remember that when making suggestions as to how he should market his business.

I think that in marketing, we develop tunnel vision. Our client's business would be so much more successful if only they would devote as much time to social media and marketing tactics as we do, right? Wrong. We need to take off the blinders and remember that we're hired by our clients to do more of what we do, so they can do what they do.

Comments

[Andrew Ballenthin]

I love the way you ended your blog Sara about how reminding marketers that our job is to make it easier on the client. With social media being an internal function for most businesses (writing blogs, publishing, tweeting, networking, commenting, etc) the challenge we have is HOW DO WE MAKE IT EASIER?

For me its about simplification. If the client wants to be in this channel they need to be clear on how much time they are willing to allocate. The next thing is to get them into the right social medium for their industry. Next it's about making one thing a success before going in ten different directions.

Another factor is being realistic, SM is about building relationships not direct sales. Relationships can have far higher paybacks but tend to require more work. As long as this is understood realitic time management help keep things simple.