Ads or social? Depends on what kind of conversation you’re trying to have.
In ye olde days of B.S.M. (Before Social Media), your options for marketing and advertising were kind of limited. Mad Men ad men could pitch you creative ideas for print, TV, or radio spots– but once the copy hit the papers, the conversation stopped. Sure, traditional ads are quick to ramp up and can produce immediate results, but they also stop producing those results the second they’re turned off. Not to mention they come with a hefty price tag and little control over when and where they appear to potential customers, really only succeeding when they intersect with the “moment of need.” And once the transaction is complete, so is the conversation– if you can really call it that.
Ads are one-way conversations: companies to the public. They can be loud, fun, and attention-grabbing, like a megaphone 📣 But what if instead of a marketplace full of companies barking over megaphones to crowds of people who may or may not be interested, everyone had two-way radios and could engage in meaningful interactions that lead to informed customers, better products, and instantaneous customer service?
Enter social media ↔️
Social is more of a slow burn compared to the quickly sparked/soon extinguished fires of traditional advertising. It takes longer to ramp up and produces results more gradually, but you can gain an audience before they’re at that aforementioned moment of need. By consistently feeding content about your brand onto your targeted channels and engaging with your current and potential audience, you put yourself on their radar and keep your brand top of mind before the moment of purchase arrives. With each post and opportunity for engagement, you’re handing out walkie-talkies tuned right to your brand’s channel.
The opportunity for conversation is key here. Say that someone likes your product but isn’t sure how it works, or if it can be used in a particular way. Instead of hoping they’ll find your website FAQ, you can react in real time to those questions and give them the feeling of being seen and heard. That potential customer’s trust in your brand goes up, and when they’re ready to buy, they’ll likely remember that your brand is responsive, helpful, and stands by its product. Wouldn’t you want to buy from a company that you know cares about your experience?
When you put down the megaphone and pick up the walkie-talkie, you open up so many more opportunities for marketing your brand than traditional advertising affords. We think even Don Draper would have been on board.
Excited by the possibilities? We can help you make a solid Social Branding plan that gives you that two-way connection to your customers. Let’s get started.
