Selling in social media is not social
January 16th, 2009 by Jon Clements
Social media provides a conundrum for advertising.
Some advertising campaigns have talkability, but rarely – if ever – fit comfortably into a social environment. Ads sell, they do not socialise.
Hence the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising has commissioned a report into how the advertising industry needs to adapt its way of working in light of the social media explosion, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
The FT’s digital media correspondent, Tim Bradshaw, fingers the problem precisely when he notes that users of social media sites “are logging in for communication rather than commerce”. The traditional advertising model – even adapted for the web as banner ads and click-throughs – is considered intrusive in social media. My colleague, Mark Hanson, refers to it as “like sticking a billboard in someone’s front room while they’re watching TV”.
Where advertising’s “telling and selling” struggles in social networking, PR should flourish for a number of reasons: firstly, it’s about creating content that’s useful, portable and shareable. Also, there should be a better appreciation of the need for two-way communication and an understanding of what goes and what doesn’t go in a particular social situation online. From our own experience at Staniforth, a PR-led approach is also good for persuading senior executives to get involved directly when there’s a crisis in customer confidence being played out online.
That said, Todd Defren over at PR Squared has rightly questioned the dubious practices that some PR people are bringing to social media, and this blog has also visited the topic recently, but seeing more encouraging signs that PR is cleaning up its act in time to claim a worthy place in the social media sphere.
Companies and brands will continue to advertise, but in thinking about how to unwrap the riddle of marketing to people who are pre-programmed to resist your advances, a closer collaboration with PR is essential.
About Jon Clements
Jon Clements is a Chartered PR consultant specialising in B2B PR, corporate and marketing communications and is the founder of Metamorphic PR. Connect at: JonClements 'Jon Clements'
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Mark Hanson Says:
Its always hard to sell to people in a social situation, which social media is.
You have to justify your presence, build a relationship and then use appropriate etiquette – makes it harder to apply an advertising model.
zia namooya Says:
It truely is. And with recent research it is vital that we understand the ‘blogger’s mind’ or the plainly the insight of the blogger. This will and most definitely give you the idea of ‘do’s and don’ts’ when interacting with bloggers or anyone across social media platforms, when it comes to business.
my firm is conducting some further research on this and would be delighted to make this privy..watch the space.
zia namooya Says:
In relation to my last post..I thought to myself last night that ‘ I’ve got a few rules which I’ve been made aware of when it comes to blog relations..and by the time I get the analysis which we are conducting, I thought why not? Here we go:
10 Best Practice Tips for Pitching Blogs
Bloggers have very much evolved their own customs and expectations of conduct when it comes to marketing, PR and public affairs professionals making contact. In order for Social Media Affairs to be effective for you, please follow these guidelines when communicating with any of the bloggers listed in the directory:
1. Don’t Spam! Bloggers do not appreciate being contacted with form letters, press releases or any type of correspondence that is filled with ‘PR Speak.’
2. In the political sphere, a relatively small proportion of bloggers are professional journalists. While it’s important to treat them with the respect you would give a journalist, you must remember that they are normal people with normal jobs and a normal life.
3. Do your homework. Make sure you get a feel for the blog before you contact the writer. Read for tone, context and character. Search for anti-PR posts, your competitors and you or your client’s company.
4. Research the blogger by checking where else he or she may be active online. If you’re not researching his or her online presence, you’re only listening to one half of the conversation.
5. Check the dates. Make sure the blog is up to date with posts. Social Media Affairs aims to map the blogosphere, which is ever-changing. Don’t pitch a dormant blog.
6. Contact the blogger to ask if they would be interested in working with you first. Don’t assume they’ll automatically be interested
7. Be completely open and transparent. Let the blogger know exactly who you are and what you’re proposing. Don’t assume that they know how it all works.
8. Don’t pitch in the comments section. Send a personal and open e-mail. If a blogger does not list contact information, assume that they do not wish to be contacted.
9. Assess whether or not the pitch is relevant to the blogger. If possible, it’s best to have a concrete example of or reason why the blogger could be interested in your pitch.
10. Social media relations is not ‘free advertising’ – Everyone needs to get something out of the deal. Remember that you’re representing the blogger’s best interests too!
I will be posting a guest blog on our findings in the Public Affairs sector, with regards to social networking by early Feb.
Jon Says:
Zia
Thanks very much for that.
I think it’s worth remembering that a good pitch will translate into a story whereas a bad pitch runs the risk of becoming the story itself.