I recently ran across an interesting article in Advertising Age about “Reaching Out to Conversationalists.” Conversationalists – who are they? I asked the same thing. According to Merriam-Webster, it is one who converses a great deal or who excels in conversation. But wait, a new meaning has emerged! According to Forrester Research, it is the group who has the behavior of rapid back-and-forth discussion in social media networks (like Twitter and Facebook) at least once a week.
The group’s demographics might surprise you. You might picture college age, male – well, guess again. 70% of this group is 30 or older, 56% female, household income is $2000 higher then the average online consumer, and their level of engagement is sky-high!
To me, the biggest shock is the number of online consumers who are NOT using social media, which is down to 17% and dropping at a quick rate. Are you using social media to its full potential to reach possible clients?
As we all know, social media is a successful way to market your business. It’s a great way to expand your blogging efforts, gain exposure to your products and services or find a new salesperson for your organization.
For example, consider Ford using social media to promote a new Fiesta model. They invited dozens of social media users (with a specific demographic, of course) to live with the car for six months. Not only are they receiving valuable feedback, but they are also building a broader awareness of Ford. This really shows Ford cares about what their customers (and potential customers) think.
Or retail chain Target’s charity campaign. The company launched “Bullseye Gives” an online voting application on Facebook. Users select one of the ten charities listed they would like to see funds allocated to. The money is given out on percentages; 10% of the votes gets 10% of the money. Because these social media applications are so smart, the vote is published on your Facebook feed which means your friends will see it – and more and more will become fans of Target. Very clever!
How can social media campaigns work for you? What are your organization’s strategies using social media?
