Chapter 2
Making the Case for Social Media: The Five Ws+H+E
THE RISE OF UNMARKETING
Fueled by a combination of popularity, curiosity, necessity, strategy, and trendiness, marketers are embracing a new recipe that injects a proactive, social approach to outbound communications and engagement—with or without all of the answers before they jump in. This approach, while courageous, requires faith, conviction, and champions who don't necessarily have access to metrics and case studies at the sole proprietor, small and mid-sized business (SMB), and enterprise levels. Many of the most, and also least, effective campaigns are implemented as a method of learning. As we all know, some social media campaigns excel while others publicly flop, which fosters cynicism and fear of embracing a transparent form of open and public dialogue. Some words of advice: Do not jump in to social media without fully understanding the five Ws and an H and E of social media.
1. Who: Define the brand personality and what it symbolizes.
Social media is about people connecting with people, not avatars. Bring your business and your brand to life. Give it a persona, personality, voice, and presence. If your company was a person, how would it look, behave, speak, respond, or lead? Also, make the brand stand for something that's worthy and desirable. Give it a mission and a sense of purpose.
2. What: Listen to online conversations and learn from what's said.
Assess how the brand is perceived today using search tools ...
