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If you follow Emogen on Facebook (FB) you might have caught the blog we posted from Craig Daitch, “Why Facebook Can’t Be Trusted.” That post came amid some discussion (both internally and on FB) about the value of FB and other social media venues.
The main issue we’ve been gnawing at is the value of traditional media in light of social media.
It’s easy to think social media is “all that.” It’s nimble. It’s cheap. It meets people where they are. But it’s not perfect.
One of the biggest issues I have with social media is control… or lack of it, to be more precise. A good portion of control lies in the hands of the venue… FB, twitter, whatever; so a marketer is at the mercy of the platform as to what can and cannot be done.
Another reason that it can’t be the end-all-be-all is that, believe it or not, there are still people out there who don’t utilize social media. Traditional media is still the most effective way to reach those guys way back on the tail end of the distribution curve.
In no way am I implying that social media isn’t valuable. I’m also not saying traditional media reigns king. Both have limitations, and because of that they must both be a part of the marketing mix.
-Sarah, Emogen marketer
Showing posts with label social media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social media. Show all posts
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
I Want To Ride My Bicycle, I Want To Ride My Bike!
I love Queen. Of course they made great music, but I also love them because I have fond memories of my then 3-year-old daughter forcing me to play Bicycle over and over and over every morning en route to daycare.
And, for whatever reason, Bicycle also makes me think of tandem bicycles. You know: those silly bikes made for two. I’ve never ridden one and I’ve always wondered if having two peddlers makes it easier or harder. I assume it’s easier provided both riders are coordinating their efforts.
I don’t recall exactly how it came up, but this morning I was thinking about tandem bicycles and how they are a good analogy for advertising campaigns.
For example, consider a traditional ad campaign… print, TV and radio. Traditional advertising can be very powerful. As days go by, though, that is less and less true; but it still has value.
Traditional advertising, IMO*, is more useful when it’s working in tandem with other efforts… direct marketing (mail/e-mail), special events, online advertising, social media, nontraditional (guerilla) tactics, etc. However, those efforts are usually less potent without traditional advertising supporting them.
The key, though, is coordinating the message, tone, call to action, etc. of traditional and nontraditional advertising to maximize reach and effectiveness.
So the picture we arrive at is truly like a tandem bike: you really do need both peddlers to make the thing work, but when they are coordinated it’s much easier to produce the desired outcome.
-Sarah, Emogen marketer
*in my opinion (thanks to John K. for my new favorite acronym)
And, for whatever reason, Bicycle also makes me think of tandem bicycles. You know: those silly bikes made for two. I’ve never ridden one and I’ve always wondered if having two peddlers makes it easier or harder. I assume it’s easier provided both riders are coordinating their efforts.
I don’t recall exactly how it came up, but this morning I was thinking about tandem bicycles and how they are a good analogy for advertising campaigns.
For example, consider a traditional ad campaign… print, TV and radio. Traditional advertising can be very powerful. As days go by, though, that is less and less true; but it still has value.
Traditional advertising, IMO*, is more useful when it’s working in tandem with other efforts… direct marketing (mail/e-mail), special events, online advertising, social media, nontraditional (guerilla) tactics, etc. However, those efforts are usually less potent without traditional advertising supporting them.
The key, though, is coordinating the message, tone, call to action, etc. of traditional and nontraditional advertising to maximize reach and effectiveness.
So the picture we arrive at is truly like a tandem bike: you really do need both peddlers to make the thing work, but when they are coordinated it’s much easier to produce the desired outcome.
-Sarah, Emogen marketer
*in my opinion (thanks to John K. for my new favorite acronym)
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Social Media Alphabet Soup
(Apologies are in order for not posting anything Monday or Tuesday. It's been pleasantly busy in the Emogen camp this week!)
As we have discussed in previous blogs, social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter offer many benefits in terms of generating awareness and connecting with customers in ways that were impossible even a couple of years ago.
However, several industries have “alphabet soup” to deal with… regulatory agencies like SEC, FINRA, FDA and HIPAA.
These agencies have very strict guidelines governing, among other things, what language may be used in marketing literature, how prospects and clients may be contacted, what information can be presented, and so on. There are also rules regarding how data from marketing communications must be retained, which can be tricky if you have numerous employees posting frequently to several different sites.
And, of course, failure to comply with these regs can entail severe penalties, including steep fines.
Before letting employees or marketers embark on a social media adventure, a company governed by any of these agencies MUST develop corporate policy and procedure with respect to the regulations applicable to their industry.
-Brian, Emogen sales strategist
As we have discussed in previous blogs, social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter offer many benefits in terms of generating awareness and connecting with customers in ways that were impossible even a couple of years ago.
However, several industries have “alphabet soup” to deal with… regulatory agencies like SEC, FINRA, FDA and HIPAA.
These agencies have very strict guidelines governing, among other things, what language may be used in marketing literature, how prospects and clients may be contacted, what information can be presented, and so on. There are also rules regarding how data from marketing communications must be retained, which can be tricky if you have numerous employees posting frequently to several different sites.
And, of course, failure to comply with these regs can entail severe penalties, including steep fines.
Before letting employees or marketers embark on a social media adventure, a company governed by any of these agencies MUST develop corporate policy and procedure with respect to the regulations applicable to their industry.
-Brian, Emogen sales strategist
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