If you haven’t figured it out already, and we suspect that you have, social media can be used for a number of different traditional marketing functions. What we love about it, is that social media always challenges you to use your imagination. It can also make your more standard responsibilities simpler, and fun. Lets take a look.
Research and testing
General Motors recently invited a large number of consumers, analysts and journalists to get an advanced look at future car designs and test current models. These weren’t your average customers though, they were people throughout the country who have a very loud and respected voice online. Take Joel Feder. If you look at his Twitter profile, he’s clearly an auto enthusiast and has been recognized for his influence. One particular car on display was a proposed compact crossover from Buick. The car was so poorly received and openly criticized online, they decided to pull the plug just two weeks after it was announced.
Smart move by GM and it sounds like an even smarter move to kill the car. We can safely say that the “new” GM is living up to their new promise of listening and reacting to their customers. They’re using social media to improve their tarnished image, change perceptions and make calculated business decisions.
Even when things aren’t going bad, sometimes you just need a little help from your friends. Take Kodak for example. They have a great new pocket video camera expected to compete with the Flip, but the name, Zi8, has been anything but well received. Kodak is taking this opportunity to not only connect with their customers on a deeper level, inviting them to contribute to the marketing process, but also seeding the product to spurn some good old-fashioned word of mouth. Consumers were invited to submit their entry via a blog comment or through Twitter. Kodak will award Zi8 cameras to 100 random contestants. The winner will get a trip to Las Vegas to attend the unveiling of the new camera, and have their picture in each new camera.
Re-engage your audience
Do you subscribe to the Home Channel News Hardware Store Digest? If you do, you should have seen New Product Juggling featured. It’s pretty simple and entertaining. And definitely original. Editor in Chief Ken Clark discusses new products and then proceeds to juggle them. This is a great example of enhancing your content and the method of delivery (YouTube) to continue to entertain your audience, in this case both the readers and product manufacturers, and hopefully pick up a few new fans through social media engagement. After watching you’re stuck wondering what other unusual building industry products he could possibly juggle without hurting himself. Captivating…
The final word
The final word today comes from Jeremiah Owyang. Jeremiah was the first blogger to become an analyst (for Forrester Research), and probably the most prominent example of advancing your career through social media. In an interview last week with ReadWriteWeb, he really grabbed our attention when he explained his work philosophy:
“I believe you have to pay yourself first. When you open your email you pay someone else, because it’s usually people reaching out to ask you for something. Taking the time to read blogs, synthesize and add value, that builds your community. That’s paying yourself first.”
Lesson learned. Pay yourself first tomorrow morning, it pays off in the end.
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Tags: Jeremiah Owyang, social media, social media marketing, social media tools, Twitter, YouTube