A couple of thoughts on social media:
Social media has been the “it” channel for a while now. There are dozens of books that will teach you how to do social media, or tell you why it’s important. There are even more blog posts and websites. Advertising associated with social media is sky rocketing—approaching $1.7 billion this year.
The thing that makes social media work is the feedback loop, or “conversation” as the gurus like to call it. And because companies can’t control the customer’s half of the “conversation”, social media can create significant problems for some brands.
Todd Wasserman recently pointed out in a Brandweek article that alcohol brands are having difficulty with this very thing. Fans post messages to Facebook that don’t exactly fit the marketing message:
“I have a problem having just one,” says one commenter.
“Get drunk,” says another.
These aren’t exactly messages that fit with the “drink responsibly” warning at the end of most beer commercials.
And to make matters worse, social media sites don’t make it difficult for minors to gain access to these pages. (Although the cynic in me thinks that this may be exactly why alcohol brands have jumped into social media, despite the risks.)
So, should sin brands do social media?
Probably not. At least, not without some way to limit access or control both sides of the “conversation” which eliminates the purpose of social media in the first place.
But that begs a wider question: who should do social media and why?
My guess is that most brands don’t ask those questions before they jump in.
What exactly will a Facebook page, Twitter account, or company blog do to help meet business objectives? How will you measure it?
Social media can be a great tool for customer support. And public relations. It can be a good promotional tool as well—seeding your most ardent fans with the latest news, promotions, and special offers. It can be a good way to solicit feedback and ideas.
But when it comes right down to it, social media is just another tool.
Brands need to think before they jump in, then use it wisely once they are there.