Twenty (20) Simple Ways To Integrate Social-media & Traditional Marketing
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It is becoming less and less often that I see a national brand, or even a local Mom and Pop store without some form of social media profile. This is a good thing. However, more often than not they are only using Facebook and social profiles are not integrated with other marketing communications, or worse yet, not even tied to their traditional marketing strategy.
Wherever there it the potential to communicate with a consumer, there is the potential for integration. In teaching my graduate level social media marketing courses, it is often noted students can see so many potential areas their employers could integrate a social element. Many times a quick assessment of the competitions social media presence can incite a few ideas.
Traditional marketing and social marketing must be integrated and nurtured in order to realize the full potential of a very powerful combo. Without fully integrating the two, businesses can take on great risks related to over-dependence on one or over-use of another. Businesses must define their strategy, roles, and expectations of social media before both integration and implementation of a social strategy.
This day we visit one of 15 Social Media Concepts to Make you a More Marketable Social Media Professional:
The importance of integrating traditional with social strategy. This is often easier said than done and involves a lot of time, people, and patience.
Social is also a great way to help clarify the messages you send through traditional marketing. With social media, you can create a dialogue with your customers to ensure the right messages are relayed. The key is consistency and relevancy. Integration of social media with traditional marketing requires the understanding that there are differences between the ways we communicate. Keep in mind, anywhere communication becomes interactive can be considered a form of social media. With social, we are now talking with our customers as opposed to at them via traditional methods. Likewise, social media is both outbound marketing and inbound marketing.
The following are just a few ways you can easily integrate social with existing traditional Marketing initiatives. Note that not all are suitable for all readers:
* Create an App
* Optimize your website for mobile
* Use social to promote inbound marketing
* Link all social profiles
* Incorporate social icons/links to the brand website/blog
* Incorporate social icons/links to all email marketing
* Offer the ability to share/like via share buttons/widgets
* Utilize social media for a virtual event
* Utilize social media at live events
* Promote Marketing events ( trade shows, seminars) via social
* Create video content/infographics
* Utilize Qr Codes (only if it makes sense for you, I do not suggest QR Codes on moving objects. Yes I have seen it done.)
* Use social media engagement for market research
* Use Facebook/Twitter (or other platform) touch points on advertising
* Incorporate your brand image/personality in all social platforms used
* Utilize Social for employee recruitment and retention
* Utilize social for sales team communication/prospecting
* Open up customer service channels through social media
* Include a ‘Call to Action’ in all communication (spark an action), give them a reason to go to a social touchpoint
* Utilize Google Analytics to track visits and possible conversions
If you would like more information on any of the above tactics, please let me know in the comments below or contact via Twitter @drjrogers.
Integrating social media and traditional marketing can be challenging. The right mixture of social and traditional ensures maximized positive results. Keep in mind, if multiple people are representing the brand on social, tone of voice should be uniform across all marketing communication and should represent the brands image.
What local businesses in your area are “doing it right”? What about national brands? Comment below.
Jessica is a Dallas based Adjunct Marketing Instructor at Texas A&M University- Commerce and Full time Faculty at Southern New Hampshire University. She is currently working on her PhD in Business with an emphasis on Marketing; her dissertation research is focused on Social Media. Jessica teaches both undergraduate and graduate level courses in Marketing, including Social Media, and has 16 years of field experience in business and marketing before starting her teaching career in 2009. Jessica holds a BS in Business Administration and an MS in Marketing. +Jessica Rogers
INFOGRAPHICS: Social Media vs Traditional Media (Give it a few seconds to load)
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