CHAPTER 7
Social Media: Connections That Count
“We spend the majority of our time engaging with people on these networks, not advertising on them.”
—Scott Monty, head of Social Media, Ford Motor Company, in an interview with eMarketer
“If you do not listen carefully, you are a fool—not because the crowd is a threat (although, of course, it is) but because it is your greatest resource. What if its wisdom were harnessed and its power unleashed . . . ? Here’s what: payday.”
—Bob Garfield, former ad critic, Advertising Age
Facebook, Twitter, Ning, Stumble-Upon, Loopt, foursquare, Gowalla, and new social media sites popping up like dandelions every day—it’s enough to make a marketer’s head spin.
Ever since the early days of MySpace, before Facebook or Twitter came on the scene, social media has dazzled marketers with the allure of connecting brands with consumers on a deeper, more nuanced level. But while dreams of adoring brand evangelists, exploding viral pass-alongs, and Twitter-induced purchases dance in marketers’ heads, the reality is that most brands don’t have a firm grasp on their strategy for social media, nor do they have a clue about how to measure success in this channel.
In this chapter, we will seek to answer these three vital questions:
1. Why, as a marketer, should I care about social media?
2. What are the best ways to use Magnetic Content in social media to engage customers and prospects?
3. How can I measure my social media efforts and achieve a return on investment ...
