Holding Hands in Social Media Marketing

Let’s face it, sometimes as marketers we need to “hold the hand” of our audience. Otherwise our message gets lost or is even misinterpreted. I’ve been chewing on this for a while. For as long as I can remember people have been using social media logos in attempt to increase users to sites like Facebook and Twitter. The concept behind this is that if the consumer sees the social media icons, they will remember to go home and like them on Facebook and start following them on Twitter. If only it were simple. I’m sure Big Tom Callahan could come up with some great lines on how this is a waste of visual property.

Have you every done this? Have you? Raise your hand right now if you have?

GUILTY!

Have you told your marketing department or designer “slap a Facebook and Twitter icon on our ad” like it gives your company some Klout or will magically increase your social media numbers? I’ve done this for clients, only because they insisted on using this method. Like telling your children to clean their room while they are watching a movie, the message doesn’t fit the response you are looking for. If you have and still use the logo icons on your marketing materials I want to ask you some questions.

Have you been able to measure how many new followers you have based upon these methods? It’s already very difficult to gauge ROI (Return On Investment) on social media, especially in traditional media.
If you are comfortable using the Facebook and Twitter icon on your marketing materials, would you useto signify you have a website instead of giving your domain name? I mean why not, a globe is the symbol for the internet. Easy pickens, eh?
Would you use instead of giving your phone number to people? Do you trust your clientele to go to their phone book or the internet to find your phone number?
Would you use instead of your address on your marketing materials? Google maps is pretty accurate you know so why not trust them to find where you are.

These are silly questions, yes, but put some thought into them. You are openly marketing to potential customers and wanting show you have a social media presence yet fail to deliver them to the area you want them to go. It is very difficult to find a business on Facebook or Twitter and you may end up leading them in the complete wrong direction.

Proof flavored pudding.

Before the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation set up a Facebook profile, many local people would search for them and like the Hancock County Community Foundation. They may not have realized though that this is a community foundation in Hancock County……..Indiana. There is still 8 people in my Facebook circle who have liked this page, only because they believed that had found the Findlay, Ohio Community Foundation. By using a unique username you can direct people to the correct area rather than having them search for your company name.

Another great example, one my wife can humorous attest to, as to why you need to be direct with your audience is from Dicks Sporting Goods. Dicks had treadmills on sale and when Emily heard about it, she immediately went to the web and assumed their website was dicks.com. Why wouldn’t you, the radio commercial made it sound so easy. We’ll to Emily’s surprise, it didn’t lead to Dicks Sporting Goods! This was before DSG purchased the rights to that domain, I’m sure you can guess where it lead. But still, be direct, cut the nonsense and inform your audience.

Hold the hand of your audience

If you want to effectively capture as many new leads as you can for your business you need to hold their hand to your social media profiles. Using icons is a waste of visual real estate, instead use these methods to increase your leads.

Sign up for a Facebook username. Did you know you can create a custom username for your Facebook page and profile? Just go to www.facebook.com/username and fill out the information presented. Then you can tell people to go to facebook.com/armarketing to like us on Facebook rather then giving them the Facebook logo and hoping they find you.
Don’t just give the twitter logo, give your twitter ID. The ‘@’ symbol has become synonymous with Twitter so on your marketing materials use @jayyeater along with the twitter logo.

Here is a great example of effectively using social media in a traditional media form by another designer friend Jason Crocker. Jason is a designer as well and puts a lot of thought into what he creates. A while back he had created some media for Fresh Brewed Tees that I felt fit perfectly into what my message is here.

Notice how Jason associated the links with the Facebook and Twitter social media channels but also included the page and twitter IDs as well.

It’s common sense and I hope you will start to notice this more and take action in correcting your marketing materials.

Thanks for reading my little rant on Facebook and Twitter in traditional media marketing. I really enjoy what we as marketers dream and create, but with dreaming comes responsibility. Hope this opens your eyes, inspires or even better, causes you to mail me a check like I’m your long lost royal cousin in India. Thanks friends, now share, tweet and +1 it.

My next blog post will be on QR Tags and why they are a fad.

Stay Nerdy My Friends