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Social Media is just one tool, not the whole box

Posted by: Mason Zimbler

Date added: Fri 25 Mar 2011

Mason Zimbler MD James Trezona reminds us that social media should not be used as an 'absolute' tool; it's just one part of the marketing mix.

At Mason Zimbler, our offering is very much fully integrated. That means we’re not digital specialists or mobile specialists, we believe it’s about creating the perfect marketing mix of whatever ingredients it takes to create an effective campaign. So the current obsession with social media: is it important? You bet. But it’s just one ingredient, it’s not everything.

I was on a panel last month at a B2B Marketing seminar, “How To Maximise ROI From Digital Marketing”; these are my five takeaways on how to get social working for you:

1. Don’t look at social media in a vacuum. If you send someone a letter, you wouldn’t leave it at that. You might follow up with a ‘phone call. It’s the same with how you use social media. It will not work in isolation – integrate it!

2. Don’t believe the hype! Brian Solis created this colourful infographic showing the social media universe. Okay, it’s pretty but also pretty impenetrable. With such a daunting array of platforms and social networks, where does a brand start? Social Media feels a little alien and aliens need treating differently, it’s not one-size-fits-all.

3. ‘Free’ doesn’t mean it looks after itself. So, the platforms might be free but they still need time, content care and attention. Make the same investment as you would with any other medium. Don’t throw your marketing principles out of the window for social, you still need to keep them.

4. Listen. Engage with your customers through the sales funnel. Your content has to be of use. Don’t be like the guy who turns up a dinner party, shoves out their business card and talks about their product. Listen. B2B is all about trust – provide value and don’t shout.

5. You can’t measure everything. ROI is essential but recognise you can’t prove it on everything. With B2B brands we’ve found social to be a great tool for understanding the customer and for providing user feedback to shape product development. And that return is invaluable because in web 2.0 people will tell you if they don’t like something.

So make sure you embrace social media, make it part of your strategy, but don’t use it as an absolute tool. It’s just one ingredient of many. 

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