Most marketers know that social media is big, but not every company can launch a blog or create a Facebook page. Nor should they. But even if your company doesn't have the resources for a dedicated social media strategy, here are five social media sites and tools you can't afford to ignore.
1. Twitter
First it was MySpace, then YouTube, then Facebook, now Twitter is the "hot" social site that everyone is buzzing about. Twitter can be a difficult tool to explain if you've never used it. Think of it as being similar to IM (instant messaging), but instead of talking to just one person you can talk to many people at once. So it's similar to IM in functionality, but also has elements of a chat room, albeit with more control over whose messages you see.
Why you should care: Twitter enables your customers to leave almost real-time communication. That means if your site suddenly goes down your customers will probably be using Twitter to discuss it. If you aren't there to address their concerns about why the site is down, they could also be discussing that. Think of Twitter as "Word of mouth on steroids." It is an excellent tool for facilitating real-time communication and letting people share ideas and collaborate. Which can be good, or bad, for your company.
What you should do NOW: Start monitoring Twitter just as you are (hopefully) monitoring blog mentions about your company and your industry. Start watching how your customers are using Twitter to interact with each other and what they are discussing. Earlier this year, at the MarketingProfs B2B Forum, I was showing an attendee how to monitor Twitter for company mentions. We discovered that someone had recently tweeted that they were upset with the service they had received from the company and had asked whether there were alternatives. A competitor had seen the tweet and reached out to the customer. If the company had been monitoring Twitter, it could have quickly reached out to the unhappy customer and tried to remedy the situation.
2. Google Sidewiki
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Mack,
Great job identifying the top social media tools. Any company that wants to be competitive in the next five years needs to start now. The tools may change, but social media is here to stay.
If a leader wants to take his/her company to the next level, social media tools have to be integrated with other marketing channels. The best way to do this is to start with a strategy. I hope that your readers take your advice so they can see the benefits of incorporating social media into their marketing mix.
Mack,
Excellent post. I would definitely add LinkedIn. Not only is LinkedIn a personal branding tool, it's a great way to raise your company's profile, establish expertise, and drive visitors back to your site or blog. I had a client that was doing some work in micro-fluidics and nano-technology. Last I looked, there were 39 LinkedIn groups that she could potentially participate in.
LinkedIn is also a great way to get your field sales team involved and driving opportunities. Marketing doesn't always have to be the driver behind social media involvement.
My current project is Sidewiki. I'm not sure whether I'm excited about it or fearful that it will take off in a big way. Either way, it's best to get ahead of the curve on this one.
All the best!
Melissa
Identifying Facebook and Twitter as social media platforms to keep an eye on is pretty break-through thinking. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Melissa! If I would have added one more tool, it would have probably been LinkedIn. I agree, it has a ton of potential for all the reasons you mentioned!