Part 2 : Operational Social Media Marketing
PART II
Operational social media marketing
The introductions to each chapter ...
Chpt 8 Introduction
It reflects the rather confusing state of social media definitions that I think it is worth while me starting this section of the book by reiterating that throughout social media - and writing about it - there is little to help with offering finite definitions for the various element and practices within it. I have decided to make informed decisions with regard to which chapters I include the assortment of platforms. I can put forward valid arguments for my choices in this regard, but I also fully appreciate that not everyone shares my opinions. If that is the case it should not be a concern in either the study or practice of the various elements. Ultimately, an academic text must be divided into chapters, sections and subsections in order for it to make sense to the reader (imagine how difficult if would be to use as a study-aid if it were presented as a novel with only a series of nameless chapters and no sections or subsections). If you so wish, think of my various elements of social media marketing as chapters and sections that make the reading easier rather than definitions of those elements.
Chpt 9 Management and staff
Although this section is included in the operational section of the book, it does include some aspects that are strategic in nature. However, with regard to the subjects addressed here, they are inextricably linked - and so they are covered here in one section.
In my book Digital Marketing - a Practical Approach (2014) I emphasise how important it is that for any website to be effective it must have input from people with a variety skills - my so-called 'dream team'. The list of skills for the website dream team is extensive, being made up of programmers, graphic designers, usability experts, content writers, copy writers, search engine optimization specialists, sales staff, merchandisers and marketers. However, no dream team will be effective if its management is not addressed as a key component to social media marketing success.
Chpt 10 Viral Marketing and influencers
From a commercial perspective, the concept of word-of-mouth marketing is developed around the marketer putting out a marketing message and then encouraging, or persuading, people to pass that message on to other people. Preferably these will be people who are potential customers for the product, brand or organization. Customers might even be offered an inducement to do so - free or discounted products if a set number of 'friends' are introduced to a product which they subsequently purchase for example.
In the digital world, any word-of-mouth communication is likely to be transmitted via the Internet - and the most popular media for that is any or all of the social media platforms. If the digital marketers have done their job effectively, the marketing word-of-mouth message spreads from social media user to multiple other users - digital media allowing the message to spread like a virus. Hence, word-of-mouth marketing is now commonly referred to as viral marketing. That said, some authors and practitioners still refer to the practise as word-of-mouth marketing, though in this book I will treat them as - essentially - the same thing.
Chpt 11 Blogging
I'll preface this chapter by referring back to the previous chapter and making the point that it is, perhaps, within the blogging fraternity that influencers wield the most influence. Why is this the case? The answer lies within the content of the previous chapter, but by their very nature, bloggers tend to be honest and sincere in their reviews of products and services, talking about both negative and positive aspects of a brand, product or organization.
Although it is the likes of Facebook and Twitter that garner the most publicity, both of those media are limited in their ability to get across more than a fleeting message. As Brown and Fiorella say in their book Influence Marketing (2013); 'blogging offers the medium where a brand can be truly itself and offer the exact messaging for which it wants to be recognized and respected'.
Chpt 12 Consumer reviews
Like blogs, consumer reviews receive far less publicity than social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter - but it is a reasonable argument that the most significant impact that the Internet has had on both consumers and sellers is in the way that it enables the general public to make public their own comments about products and services that they have experienced.
Chpt 13 Social networking and online communities
As I say in the preface of this book, I fall into the same trap as many others by using the likes of Facebook and Twitter as examples. This is because they are well known to the majority, if not all, readers.
One aspect of the concept we have come to know as social media is that it is difficult to differentiate its various elements - and making a distinction between social networking and online communities is perhaps the most difficult. Suffice to say that the digital marketer should concentrate on how to use all such sites rather than getting involved in pedantic definitions.
Chpt 14 Social sharing
As with the networking aspects of social media covered in the previous chapter, defining the various elements of social media is far from being an exact science - and so it is for social sharing. Social sharing is commonly described as the broadcasting of our thoughts and activities - which suits the concept of Twitter's short message format because marketers actively use the messaging site to communicate directly with their target audience. The informality of Twitter - and its immediacy - allows marketers to be perceived as real people rather than faceless brands, products or organizations.
Chpt 15 Social service and support
Although this chapter considers how social media can be used to provide service and support, there is little in the subject where the basics principles have not already been addressed in other sections of the book. Similarly, identifying which 'concept' practices belong to is problematic. This being the case, this subject can be broken into two elements - though the two are so inter-related that it is impossible to consider them to be different subjects (or chapters). Those two elements are proactive and reactive service and support.
Chpt 16 Real-time social media marketing
In the preface of this book I made the point that differentiating many of the elements of social media marketing was nigh on impossible - and this chapter is yet another example of this conundrum. The reasons for this are primarily that; (1) no new social media platforms are introduced, and (2) some might argue that the titular subject of this chapter is actually what social media marketing is all about. Nevertheless, I have decided this deserves its own chapter and readers should be aware that they will not understand the contents fully without reading the earlier chapters - for they lay the foundations of the practices covered in the following sections.
Real-time social media marketing, considers how the social media marketer can react to happenings in the 'outside' world to the benefit of the product, brand or organization they represent.
Chpt 17 Event social media marketing
It is the case that an event cannot be organised and delivered purely by social media - but its marketing could be. And social media can certainly be used to enhance the experience of the customer. Which takes us back to the argument I presented back in chapter one with regard to social media being used as customer service and therefore is part of the product they are buying? So how can social media be used in event management? Obviously, the actual answer depends very much on the type of event. However, there are four stages to consider.
1 Organising an event
2 Promoting an event
3 Enhancing the live experience
Chpt 18 Online public relations and reputation management
It is worth pointing out (1) why I decided to include the subject of public relations within a book on social media marketing, and (2) why in a book on social media marketing, I have widened the scope of this chapter to cover online public relations - that is, not limited to social media platforms. My reasoning for these issues is (1) it is becoming more and more the case that social media is the platform for public relations to be practiced, and (2) with the exception of a section on the corporate website, online public relations is practiced on almost entirely on social media.
Chpt 19 Advertising on social media
Some readers might consider that this chapter has no place in this book, the subject being advertising rather than social media marketing. And to some degree, I would endorse that view.
In my book Digital Marketing: a Practical Approach (2014), I have a chapter on social media marketing and a chapter on online advertising. In the latter, I cover advertising on all online platforms as one subject. This decision was based on the fact that the development, instigation and maintenance of any digital advertising strategy or campaign is best practiced as just that, ie advertising. The skill set required is that of advertising - and not, for example, social media or search engine marketing. In the same way as you would not expect an experienced advertiser to know how to develop a social media marketing strategy, why would an expert in social media (i.e. everything covered in the previous chapters of this book) also be an expert in the development of online adverts? Obviously, an effective online advertiser would need to have some knowledge of the platform in which the ad is featured (e.g. the different mind-set of a user visiting Facebook as opposed to the same person searching on Google), but this is related to advertising expertise, not social media expertise.
Chpt 20 Epilogue
This epilogue is included to remind you that effective marketing is holistic in nature. The concept of the marketing mix reinforces this, where each element is interdependent on the others.
