Hey, Social-Media Marketers, Shut Up Already

This past Halloween, I hosted a costume party at my home for 120 of my closest friends. We all had a blast -- we laughed, we drank a lot, some got sick, etc. You know how the story goes.

But in the middle of my party, a friend of mine came over and started telling me about his new startup business. Was it a good business idea? I don’t know, I wasn’t listening. Would I buy whatever it was he was selling? Again, I wasn’t listening and don’t care.

So why do I sound like such a jerk? Because I was at a party, that’s why. Let me drink, crack a few jokes and be obnoxious without you bothering me about your new business. Is that OK, buddy?

Which brings me to the point of this column.

When social-media marketing became a “thing” a few years back, companies got all excited. I know because I was one of them. It was a new way of reaching out to the customer. No longer did I have to wait to send my monthly email to my customers. No longer would I fear that reaching my customers would be costly and time consuming.

I was now able to reach my audience daily -- daily! -- for free. That’s right, I did not have to pay a nickel to post a new Facebook status about our recent GQ placement, tweet out a new sale or post a picture of our new products on Instagram. I could now do it every single day and it was free. Marketing had never been easier or less expensive.

Fast forward to 2015.

Because it’s (mostly) free, social-media marketing is now everywhere. It’s in your Facebook feed. It’s on the side of your Facebook feed. It’s in your Twitter feed. It’s promoted in your Twitter feed. It's in your Instagram feed and now promoted Instagram photos.

Sheesh, I’m exhausted just listing them all. Now, imagine how the customers feel.

Here we are, at least five years into social-media marketing, and the results are still inconclusive as to whether companies make any money off this stuff. With advertisers so heavily invested in social-media marketing now -- through hiring, promoted posts, endless time -- they continue to try to break the code on maximizing their return on investment for their social-media efforts. To date, these efforts still aren’t working.

Why? Let’s go back to my Halloween party.

I’m hanging out with my friends. A little buzzed. Having fun. And then someone came over to me and wanted to talk business with me. He didn’t give me a hard sell. It wasn’t even a lengthy conversation. But still, I wasn’t in the mood to be sold to. I was talking to friends.

And that’s how I feel when I am on Facebook or Instagram, and to a lesser extent, Twitter.

I am hanging out online. Talking. Socializing. Not looking to be interrupted. Not looking to be sold to. And yet, that’s all these brands want to do. Interrupt my time with my friends. I’m tired of it.

Most brands, because of its low (or no) cost, market on social media daily. Which means we are not only bothered when we want to be left alone, but we are bothered multiple times a day.

That’s why I conclude that we are about to face a social-media burnout unless some industry-wide change is made.

Social media, at its best, is a brand enhancer. It is a new “two-way” communication tool between brand and customer. “Two-way” meaning the customer can initiate dialogue with the company (traditional customer service/engagement) or the company can initiate dialogue with the customer.

But that’s all it is. Social media is not a new sales channel, and it is time for companies to stop treating it like one.

I may not be a millennial, but I sense a change in the air. The constant noise of advertising (yes, social-media marketing is advertising despite its "marketing" name) is causing people to tune out the marketing messages. Some do it is consciously (unfollowing a company) and some do it subconsciously (scrolling quickly past the message). Social-media marketing, in my uncalculated/speculative opinion, is becoming like print advertising in newspapers -- we all just look right past it.

No, I am not calling for the death of social-media marketing. It will be around for the near future, for sure. But I do think we are nearing an era of customer apathy and it’s time for some kind of a reinvention by the industry.

Article curated from Entrepreneur

Who Are the Social Media All-Stars?

Major league baseball just played their annual All-Star Game last night in Kansas City.  The National League dominated the game and won 8-0.  At IES Marketing, we’re sports fans.  We even have sales packages named “Arena” and “Stadium” so it shouldn’t surprise you that today’s blog post is related to sports in some fashion.

Baseball’s All-Star Game got me thinking about the All Stars of Social Media.  It’d be easy to say that Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are the superstars of Social Media Marketing.  For the most part I’d agree with that statement because the numbers back me up.  Facebook just passed the 900-million user mark and Twitter and LinkedIn are growing as well.  And newcomer Pinterest is quickly growing to become a major player as well.  But those big user numbers don’t mean a thing to your business if they’re not following you.

The one and only Social Media All-Star is you!

Do you have a social media marketing plan?  Do you have the resources to execute your plan? Marketing your business with social media is an ongoing process and it’s also interactive.  It’s the best way to engage with current and potential customers.  But you have to make the time and have the expertise to make it work for you.  And if you don’t have either of those, find someone who does and hire them!

If you need help marketing your business with social media marketing or even with email or mobile marketing, call us at IES Marketing at 855-IES-MARK.  That’s 855-437-6275.  Or email us at sales@iesmarketing.com.

What Social Media Really Is

Webster defines social media as:  forms of electronic communication (as Web sites for social networking and micro blogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content (as videos)

The first known use of social media was in 2004 and in only 8 years has become the number one activity on the internet.  In fact people spend nearly 25% of their time online on social media.  In many cases social media has even replaced standard forms of interpersonal communication.  Many of today’s tech-savvy youth spend more time communicating via mobile devices and social media networks than with interpersonal communication.

What does all of this mean for your business? 

Some contend that social media presents an enormous challenge for businesses because most business owners are used to marketing by talking at potential customers.  Marketing via social media means listening and engaging with your customers and prospects. 

The most important elements of using social media to engage with your customers are the ability to share information, build your reputation as an expert in your field, listen to what your customers are saying and to maintain a visible presence.

Social media marketing become effective as you become a “social authority” in your field.  You want prospective customers to think of you when they need information about your industry.  This provides you with “top of mind awareness” that has been a key to successful advertising campaigns for decades.  However with social media you can’t control the message but rather participate in the conversation.

It’s a delicate balance to be sure and that’s the main reason why your business needs to have a solid social media marketing strategy.  If you don’t have someone on staff that knows social media marketing you owe it to your business to hire someone who does.  The growth of your business depends on it.