This part of the Social Media Seminar is going to be very theoretical and will act as an underlying for everything that we will be covering today and tomorrow. Because of that I don’t want to be standing here and preaching rather I will want you guys to participate and I will involving you in what I cover throughout the lecture.
Now before I start talking about Social Media Strategy it is important for me to clearly define what Social Media is. And for that reason I want to start with a small exercise. Can anyone volunteer to and define Social Media for me.
So the way you defined it is that: Social Media has always existed. I mean lets go back 100 years ago. The way people communicated is different, but they still did. They still sent letters to each other, going to each others houses to socialize… What really has changed is the immediacy of this exchange of information that was brought by the evolution of technology. Social Media today is where conversation continuously happen in real time, day and night, 24/7. They never stop. And this has obviously the change that it brought to the way brands communicate with the consumers.Ithas turned what used to be a controlled, one-way message into a real-time dialogue with millions.Now why do you think this happened?consumer-generated media (CGM). A common thread running through all definitions of social media is a blending of technology and social interaction for the co-creation of value.http://www.digitalstrategyconsulting.com/intelligence/2013/07/the_social_media_landscape_in_2013_how_to_make_less_noise_and_more_buzz_infographic.php
It is because Social Media gave consumers the chance to eat their bacon and tell the world about it. Making us slightly self-centered if you ask me. Orgy of self importance. A chance to express themselves, share what they think, feel, give their opinion, debate…heard by many, Social Media gave voice to people and the power of influence as citizens and consumers. What are they doing with it?
And it’s incredible to see what what happens when people are given such power.But where is all this information coming from?
In our lifetime 5 billion people will come online (now approx. 2billion)With the amount of content available ‘online’ we will have far more predictive capabilities that we see today and will be a huge factor in the future –
Making consumers increasingly in control and our culture today demands participation on an immediate level through technology and different social media channelsSo we have to look at consumers in 3 different ways…
Well what does this increased control mean?In 2010, Forrester observed that almost 70% of people using social media simply consumed contentThey did not comment, they did not post, they kept the information they found online to themselves
- The old 1 percent rule assumed that only one percent of an online audience created the content with 90 percent are consuming it.- While an additional 9 percent modify or edit that content.- But anecdotal evidence suggests that there’s a paradigm shift going on, with many more creators (and curators) popping up.
The internet is becoming more participatory, thanks to the development of democratizing tools like Blogger, WordPress, Tumbler and now Pinterest.While micro blogging and micro media (twitter, youtube etc..) have blurred the lines between creation and curation…There is still a comparatively small number actually ‘creating’, and whilst it is not quite creation, the role that curation plays on information commerce (which we’ll get on to in a moment) is pivotal.And here is the bad news… Content curating is ‘passé’ so 2011 – content creation is the next big thing and has become part of a 21st century participatory culture - Pew’s American Life 2011.While creation is the next big thing online and will take the form of immediacy – live broadcasting from phones for example.. It is important to understand the drive for curation…
Quite simply people are looking for experiences , they are looking for a deeper meaningful connectionIt commands a new way the brands and consumers interact. - So we want to create highly salient meaningful experiences – AND actualizing it across as many touch points as possible in order to ensure that the experience is enjoyable and memorable and shared with peers- We all know that advocacy drives growth – namely positive word of mouth helps in driving sales – so as creators of consumer experiences we need to drive positive meaningful experience to drive advocacy - Positive / meaningful interactions will drive advocacy, which is important as consumers are not loyal to a promise per se - they are loyal to an experience
As a brand you want to take active part in creative or being part of this experience.But how? Remember that consumer is in control and just because you decided to join in on the fun does not mean that you will be let.
People don’t follow you or flock to you for no reason… example of unknown person entering a room and getting someone to follow…The insights gained from online conversations and the audience segmentations and conversations understood must NOT conflict with business objectives but must complement them and be imbedded in the overall company strategy – business units productionYou need to have a clearly defined social media strategy…
What happens if you don’t have a social media strategy or a non-directional social media strategy?Companies are still taking a small-scale, experimental approach to social media – long term success is rarely found without clear strategic direction and focus and clearly defined objectives – deploy one clearly defined strategy and devise specific policies, practices and metrics for increasing conversations with people
But before we start talking about Social Media Strategy you need to have a certain mindset about it and there are 4 important things you need to consider:Social Media Strategy should not be confused with your Business Strategy. While the later is about your short term and long term goals and sounds for ex. I want to increase my sales by 20% this season, or I want expand to Dubai by 2015. While Social Media Strategy is about one consistent long term goal. Create (not even maintain) but develop strong relationship with your consumers.Social Media is something you have to do everyday. You have to immerse yourself in it. It has to be become a daily part of your brand. Keep in mind there is no one perfect strategy for your brand. Actually no one really has yet nailed social media strategy. There are what I would call SMS Guidelines. So what works for one brand might not work for another. Social media is a new thing and it is continuously evolving things. Last but not least start dedicating a master plan to your brand’s social media presence, you must understand and know that you will have to be patient.Be prepared if you make a few failed attempts, it takes time to develop a solid base, a solid following, and to understand and post content that your followers and fans want to see
But don’t panic, ill make it really easy for you. I will give you 5 main strategies to follow for your social media that are actually more catered to the fashion brands.
A lot of fashion brands have this fear of opening up and being more accessible to the public. They fear that from being on social media and being too much exposed will make their brand somewhat less exclusive. In order to democratize without downgrading digital conversation by engaging more aspirational consumers and including them in a controlled brand dialogue.On the other hand, the brand must prevent brand downgrading by embracing cleverness and avoiding mimicry, by ensuring innovation and not stealing from their traditional campaigns, and by treating digital media like the marketing powerhouse that it is.All the while, luxury brands must strive toward the highest creativity, elegance and production quality. Only in this way can luxury brands both cultivate desire and maintain exclusivity, and thus, grow in the digital world safely.- Simply, if luxury brands want to remain luxurious, they have to I engage not only their paying customers, but also people who want but can’t have – this is where the democratizing power of social and new media comes into play.- A luxury brand generates exclusivity by cultivating a block of consumers who wish they could buy the brand’s products, but cannot afford them. Social media enables luxury brands to build tremendous clout among the aspirational set. In some cases, social media may be the only place aspiring consumers can reach the brand at all. This, in turn, builds tremendous prestige among the affluent set.
Luxury brands worry that if they allow interactivity or user- generated content, if they initiate a conversation between brand and buyer, they will lose control of the brand image. This is simply not true.- There are many ways to encourage interactivity while still maintaining control of the brand.- Luxury brands must learn that they can create digital campaigns with embedded brand control. Killing the conversation outright is not the answer.- Look at Burberry’s “Art of the Trench,” a photo-sharing destination that primarily features Burberry-commissioned, high-end photography of models in the brand’s seminal trench coats. What’s more, it also allows consumers inside access if they upload their own pictures (which are vetted and selected by the brand). Therefore, Burberry successfully reaches a significant audience while maintaining brand control.
If luxury brands indeed fear brand dilution, they must first stop diluting the quality of their digital media. Digital luxury marketing is only as luxurious as the brands are willing to make it- Just like the luxury products & services themselves, the quality of luxury digital marketing relies on ideation & execution. - A dress is not inherently luxurious; the difference lies in its design and high-quality manufacture- The same is true of digital marketing media. Luxury brands must decide whether their digital marketing is luxurious or commonplace, and they must commit to making their digital messaging more beautiful, more innovative and more elegant than anything else out there. Only then can they preserve their up-market brand values.
The primary reason luxury brands fail at social and new media is because they haven’t bothered to understand it, a lot of brands, more often than not, they take media developed and produced for traditional deployment and force it onto their social and new media platforms – big no no- This blanket strategy weakens the perception of luxury brands. Just as one wouldn’t put a 30- second static print ad on TV, so should one avoid stealing traditional media by hawking it in the digital space - Luxury digital media requires a development, production and deployment strategy specific to its digital channels. Nothing less will do.
Just because one luxury brand is successfully utilizing a particular digital approach does not mean another luxury brand should follow the same strategy - As an example, take Vera Wang’s Weddings app, or Tiffany’s Engagement Ring Finder app. Both are directly motivated by a core brand value / idea or consumer need- Only those platforms that spring directly from a core brand ideal or customer need can succeed without diluting the brand itself
Easier said than done. So how to do it?Where do you start? Who are you in that sphere? What are you saying?Create experiences?Measure it all?
How to choose which Social Media Channels to be present at. Because remember managing all those Social Media channels requires a lot of time and resources to be done properly and effectively. There are few parameters that you need to consider before making this decision:Usual assumption in networking is need a big network to be a good network – which is very similar to the approach to social media – No. of facebook fans rules?! – wrongTo deploy each social media platform to best effect, you must first understand that it isn’t one size fits all. It is important to have a presence and once you are able to master your social media schedule, you will be a super social media expert.So, when choosing which social media channel you want to be present on remember to:
If you have enough resources, time and money to actually be present on each of these social media channels then great. You will have a wider reach and be able to appeal to different target audiences (which is not bad). However, if you are limited with your budget and time, then choose the network wisely. Choose the one that answers your objective and where your audience is and which you think you can manage more easily.
Every Social Media Channel has its own objective. Increase your SEOTraffic to the site Brand Exposure Customer Engagement
Different Social Media Channels attract different audience. And it’s important for you to understand the difference between these audiences. The demographic that tends to appear on Twitter for example – tech users – is different from that on Facebook, which is sort of for everyman. Instagram is more of a niche market. Now if you can be present on all of these different Social Media Channels all the better but you have to understand how to segment their messaging to they’re able to talk to different key interests.
If youhavent defined your brand make sure you do before you jump on a channel. Define who you are. But who are you on social media.Don’t assume that because you decided to join the conversation people will flock to you. To be able to connect with yourpotential customers first of all they need to understand your brand and to understand the designer, the heritage, the mission, vision and everything in between.Successful brands understand that to create this connection consumers they fundamentally need to act the same way as people.
To start off, tell them who you are. Everybrand has a story to tell – be it customers who have overcome obstacles, humble beginnings or a glimpse inside the lives of leadership. Tapping into emotions and giving people a reason to share your story is one of the most effective ways to build word of mouth and deepen customers relationship with your brand. Unlike with traditional media, social offers the ability to tell new stories instantly and with little cost.
Sharing your story is only the beginning. You need to stay true to who you are all throughout the relationship. This will show through what you say and how you say it. What visuals, news, videos you share… that will reinforce what your brands stands for. This will help you connect with your followers on that personal level and will be part of what gives you their attention when you have something to say about yourself. Don’t be afraid to be personal. Let your followers become friends and they’ll support your success and forgive your failures. Connect with your followers and fans in a tongue and cheek humor, a casual and fun approach.So don’t be afraid to get visual, get viral and show the world who you are.
What you say and how you say it and when you say on Social Media Channels will affect the way you relate to your audience and hence how much you can connect. What you say is the Content: and this will be covered extensively in the coming lecture. How you say it will differ from one social media channel to the other. When you say it is called Content Management and this Very hard to sustain a large volume of network connections you want to resonate amongst your key audience without resonance, conversations evaporate quickly- Brands fundamentally need to act the same way as people - the conversation they are having is their conversation capital…What are you saying? How you are saying it? When you are saying it? Do more listening than talking.
What you post or share on Social Media is called Content. A good social media strategy doesn’t just display products or push services. It targets a clear target audience and appeals to their needs, interests, and inspirations…Tomorrow, Marilyn will talk more icontent that will resonate deeply with your audience. Include posts about products and content that sparks conversation about relevant topics of the day. Be a persona, talk aboutyourintersts, don’t be like a desperate salesperson. Remember people are on social media because they want to connect with people that share the same intersts. Use engaging content and keep the conversation going.
How you are saying it? How you share things on social media will affect the level of engagment. Remember people are bombarded with soo many messages every day. They open their newsfeed and bom thousands of messages. But something def pops up. Become a storyteller by sharing and inspiring stories.Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways we as people communicate. A great story captivates and engages emotionally, leaving people inspired to share. Social brands can now tell their story – and stories of their customers – easier than ever before. A 6-second Vine from a customer anecdote can ignite community-wide excitement, and sharing the faces and voices behind your company’s four walls can connect customers with employees on a personal level.customer and tells a story that appeals to that person. Nasri will be taking through Story Telling later on in more detail
When you are saying it? Remember people dontavtually live on social media. When you post and share stuff on social media be sure that there is someone who is listening. Timing is very important. The level of interaction and engagement that you get is highly dependent on timing. For example people are less active on Saturdays and Sundays. Think about what people are doing at the time you post. Timing can actually break it or make it
Do more listening than talking. Socialmedia is a two-way street: “Successful social media strategy is more about listening than talking. The right message interjected at the right time at the right person can lead to bigger ROI. Listen what people are saying about your brand, about your industry about a specific event
Be creative, be clever and be crazy on social media.The battlefield is open to explore and it is better to explore ideas, try new ways to engage with users and to spark fans attention.So start creating a content plan, don’t do the same thing over and over again, monitor and find out what works best, as we all know the digital landscape changes every day and what your followers want to see will change everyday, but never forget to post news about your brand.Always incorporate the latest news inside of your content plan. Social media is the easiest and most efficient way to share your fashion brand’s latest news, whether it is a new point of sale, a sale, or a new product launch.You get immediate reactions.
Engage and engage with your audience. Don’t forget they are there and they are open to talk to you.
Consistently implementing creative social media campaigns that effectively generate huge social buzz and engagement around their brand. But what is your Role in that. “You can buy attention (advertising). You can beg for attention from the media (PR). You can bug people one at a time to get attention (sales). Or you can earn attention by creating something interesting and valuable and then publishing it online for free.” –David Meerman Scott, Best-Selling Author & Speaker “Our head of social media is the customer.” –McDonald’s
Fuel conversation by responding and engaging. Instigate and respond to conversations. In today’s connected world, when customers take the time to engage in conversation with your brand, they often expect your company to take the time to respond back. As a result, brands can no longer get away with being unresponsive on social channels. Responding to, and engaging with, your social customers signals that your brand is invested in each individual relationship. Acknowledging negative feedback provides an opportunity to turn a negative customer experience into a positive one. Engaging with customers to answer a question or send appreciation can instantly turn a good experience into a great one.Dave’s words of wisdom here: “the 4 most important words in social media are Thank You and I’m Sorry.” Even the smallest acknowledgements reinforce your dedication and focus on building long lasting relationships with your customers.Fashion brands are great at corralling the fan base. A lot of other types of brands arent. These companies respont to fans on social media host contest start hashtags, and generally ask users to engage. This is something that started in the fashion industry and ive seen a dton of brands widley adopting this. Putting their fans out there as the advertisement. The excitement of fans is to be feeatured by a beloved company. Its not just to get free content but also to elevate that dan and make them feel sepcial. And it arries over to other fanc. If a fan takes the time to ask a qusetion, post something about the cmopanuy take the time to asnwer and thank them publically.
Because at the end of the day you need to assess is the effort time and money that you have spent on your social media was worth the return. Obviously you will have to define the metric. Tomorrow you will hear a lot about measuring your social media efforts. This gives you the chance to evaluate and restructure.
- Experiences that must take into account the bedrock of continuity and therefore the continuity of the experience and brand integrity.- Reputation is the result of the relative proximity of three factors to one another – the closer these factors are to one another i.e – the more continuous and integrated – the more likely a brand is to enjoy positive WOM – the further apart they are the more likely one’s reputation is to sufferThis demands a far more active role – understand what people are saying about your brand and engage them in conversation rather than a pure passive role through market research - this enables you to facility the brand experiences people are after
So this is the end of the lecture and I want to leave you with 2 interesting points to think about as a conclusion. Social Media is about people. Not about your business. Provide and the people will provide for you.
