1) Social marketing has become a buzzword that means different things to different people, creating both opportunities and challenges with lack of shared understanding. 2) Social media tools are now widely used for communicating information and engaging audiences, often with lower budgets than traditional media, but evaluation of social marketing effectiveness remains an area needing more development. 3) For social marketing to be successful, strategies should clarify how social media fits into broader goals and consider social media's role in development, delivery, and evaluation, not just as a delivery mechanism in itself.

1. Social Marketing
What conversation
should we be having?
Julie Houston
Nitty Gritty Social Marketing Insight and Research
June 2 2011

3. Social marketing has exploded with people using the
term to mean quite different things – which is a good
and bad thing
This presentation is about making mileage from this fact ( and keeping us on our toes)

4. The buzz word
Everyone is keen to
apply social marketing
It crosses sectors
It crosses professional
boundaries
Takes marketing out
the „marketing group‟
control
Its dynamic
‘Social Marketing’ is the new ‘hat’

5. Everyone is a mini expert on ‘social marketing’
plus there are few rules to follow even if you wanted to

6. Marketers, NFP, Government are backing the trend
towards social marketing tools
Marketing/comms budgets
have switched to social
marketing budgets
Social marketing managers
are being employed
Community managers are
evolving
Greater investment in digital
technology and services than
before
Expect to cost less, gain more

7. Social marketing tools are now used traditionally
Used for communicating
news, information and
benefits
Usually instead of mainstream
media
With lower budgets
Short term cycles
Notion of campaign is now
evolving into a mini campaign
or series of events
Source Brainmates

8. Most are planning to use Social Marketing tools
More
Source Brainmates

9. The ‘Media is the Message’ (and the Response)
Social Marketing is also taking
on the evaluation/feedback
role
Gauging feedback this way
sends a message too
Source Brainmates

10. Social Marketing Tool Evaluation is on the rise
Source Brainmates

11. Social Marketing Social Marketing
 Social networking  Behaviour change
 Digital  Individual or groups
 Online tools (  Mindshifts
Twitter, Facebook, Linked  Engagement
In, YouTube, Blogs, vlogs)  Media and non media
 Youth focus
 Community/influencer focus Social Marketing
 5Ps
 individuals
 Comms
 Campaigns
Different Emphasis = Some Confusion

12. Communications
campaigns
Social Good initiatives
Behaviour Change
Methods
Social media
Digital applications
Online engagement
5Ps of Marketing
Leadership
Capacity Building
In practice, good Social Marketing is multifaceted –
social media is just one component for some programs

13. Stopping/
Engaging Switching Maintaining
 Interest • Suggestions  Reminders
 Inform • Alternatives  Rewards
 Influence • Enforcement
Social Marketing is generally concerned with
a behavioural continuum

14.  Suddenly social media has
swallowed social
marketing
 Many approaches are
„unproven‟ and may not fit
 Does it mean a “down-
tools” for other traditional
social marketing
methods/evaluations?
Social media is the ‘tempting’ fruit within the social
marketing fruit bowl

15. This hat doesn’t always fit the original Social
Marketing
Sometimes a complex level of
information/discussion to convey
Transience of online
information/messages
Targeting Individual vs. Group or
household?
Not „in the moment‟
„Word of mouth‟ rather than „Word
of Mouse‟

16. Trust in networks in decline?

17. So what does this mean for best practice in
‘contemporary’ social marketing?
How should we tread with little shared understanding, language and few shared
evaluations?

18. Basic Questions to ask ourselves as social
marketers
1. What is the social marketing
strategy trying to achieve (and how
does social media fit within it)
2. What would social media offer the
social marketing, if anything
3. Could social media develop the SM
program (co-creation) rather than
deliver it
4. Could social media evaluate the SM
program rather than deliver it?
5. Is intended use of social media a
means, an end or result area? For
e.g. what will 1500 followers
deliver?
LOTS OF CONSIDERATIONS
BEFORE HEADING OUT!

19. Characteristics when it
works:
 Seamless
 Movements not campaigns
 Organic
 People powered, not agency
run
 Owned by community
 People-speak (not corporate
speak)
 Conversation not
information
Strategic use of social media

20.  Social media can be used an entry point
to achieve better social marketing
(behaviour change)
 If its all about the social media its
probably not going to work in all
situations
 Learn from social media
 Explore the possibilities for numerous
roles
 Test and evaluate what role is possible
 Train and educate staff on the philosophy
not just the mechanics
Conclusion is Exploit the confusion ! We can have our
cake and eat it too

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