Know-How Exchange : Social Media

I agree that the objectives have to be defined first. The question is quite broad, so I will try to provide a generic response.

One needs to think in terms of marketing communications mix - each media and form of communication has a specific role in the consumers purchase cycle and decision process. As you think about integration across media, consider the stage in the communication process where each media plays a crucial role.

1. If you use traditional media/marketing for building brand awareness, as the consumer moves from awareness towards purchase, social media can takeover and play a crucial role in creating brand engagement. Traditional media campaigns can direct people to Facebook, YouTube etc. Contests, customization tool and even encouraging some co-creation through social media can create engagement. This approach works if you believe that you must go from awareness to engagement/commitment.

2. If you use social media in the early/launch stage (which allows for reaching a smaller group of engaged customers first and lowers the launch cost), traditional media can play a supporting role later as you move from your core/engaged customer group to a mainstream audience (where familiarity/attachment to brand may be lower).
This approach is less conventional, but one that many firms are employing (e.g., Labatt).

There is enough evidence to indicate that social media creates greater brand engagement. Communication from peers (WOM) is also seen as being more credible that brand initiated communication. On the other hand, traditional marketing can still buy you reach (and greater control over the message).

I would say that you should never treat social media marketing and traditional marketing as two disparate activities. If at some level they are not connected, that is not effective marketing. Depending on who you are trying to reach, the purpose and objectives, use the appropriate communications mix. Leverage the strength of each media/method.

Very broad question. You might find it more effective to reply here with some info on what you are trying to do, so we can provide more useful responses to you.

beyond that, you can find a bunch of blogs and such online that talk a bit about this. Such as:
https://www.marketing-helper.com/2009/07/adding-traditional-marketing-to-yo...

I am certainly no expert on social media, but it seems to me that social media makes it possible to personify a brand. For example, in the past, we might learn to trust Betty Crocker or Harry Homeowner or Mr. Goodwrench... but today's technology allows us to communicate with them, to ask them specific questions, and to be referred to service providers they recommend. today, Betty Crocker can not only be an image on an advertisement, but she can write a blog, she can post to other blogs, she can send and respond to e-mails, she can maintain her own face book page... again, I'm no expert, but it seems to me that I see too much focus on CEOs writing blogs, and not enough focus on social media by the brand itself.

Dear BigMoney,

How can you incorporate social media into traditional marketing methods?

In a word, relationally.

No one's going to buy from you, or me, or anyone else UNTIL that buyer feels, or is made to believe that they know you, like you, and trust you.

Social media can help you deliver specific, targeted messages based on value, benefit, specificity, and significance OVER TIME
that are PERSONAL because the person you are communicating with has reached out to you or you to them and made a connection that traditional media may NOT make.

Social media can deliver video, podcasts, links, opinions, rants, hints, and suggestions RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW. More traditional media cannot do this, or, where it can do it, it takes longer and it can cost more.

Social media is more instant. This means it can be used to deliver specific messages that relate to an event that, in certain cases, happened only a short time ago.

This is huge. This permits marketers to enter into conversations that are going on in people's heads and worlds NOW. Unless it's linked to an outside feed, try doing that with a billboard, or a press ad in a newspaper or a magazine.

I hope this helps.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA