| Social Media Revolution |
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What do Queen Elizabeth, head of the British Monarchy, Pope Benedict XVI, the Vatican pontiff, and Tony Hsieh, CEO of the immensely successful web store Zappos.com have in common? Yes, they are all “personalities” in their own worlds but there’s more. All three of them have taken advantage of web 2.0 – otherwise known as social media – to broadcast their messages to a local and global audience.
Social media is a new and critical way of marketing. No longer can you be successful marketing “to” your prospects – it’s a two-way street these days. Your guests and prospects want to be part of the conversation. They want to connect, share information, build relationships, have their voices heard – talk amongst themselves and with you. And don’t be fooled by generational differences. A recent study from Forrester Research found that “more than 60 percent of those in the boomer generation (born between 1946-1964) are actively consuming socially created content like blogs, videos, podcasts, and forums.”
So while the kids may be texting and playing video games, mom and dad – even grandma and grandpa – may be participating in online forums and park review sites, reading and commenting on blogs, catching up on e-mail newsletters, watching online video, sharing photos, downloading a podcast onto their iPod or even joining social networks.
While we’ve all come to accept the rapid tech-adaptation for the younger generations, Accenture, in their annual Consumer Technology Research Findings, discovered that “boomers increased their uptake of popular consumer technology applications at an average of 50 percent last year, nearly 20 times faster than Generation Y.”1
Why it matters to you
You no longer have the exclusive power to direct the message about who you are, what your brand stands for. Your customers and prospects are online, “talking” about you, their experiences, and this industry. The world-wide-web is now our neighborhood coffee shop and a few minutes at the keyboard is much more powerful and persuasive than chatting over a hot cuppa joe.
Today, right now, you have a golden opportunity to engage your customer base and be part of the conversation. Use social media platforms to:
· Generate exposure for your business · Brand your business · Create a communication channel · Develop customer relationships · Build customer loyalty – creating customer evangelists · Broadcast specials, news, events about your park · Understand what’s being said about your business and industry · Have the opportunity to respond to dissatisfaction · Drive business to your website/blog · Increase your search engine ranking · Decrease your marketing budget
Getting started with Social Media Marketing (SMM)
It all makes perfect sense and seems like a great way for you to market your business, right? So how do you get started? Just like any other marketing plan you must: · Understand your audience – who they are and what they want · Define your goals – are they website visits, link exchanges, reservations, etc. · Be clear about your time commitment – 5, 10, 20 hours/week · Be clear about your budget – will you outsource this work or use an insider · Choose the platforms that best help you meet your goals · Determine how you will assess ROI Once you’ve thought it through and have decided to take the plunge you’ll be ready to stop, listen, join the conversation, and engage your customer. In upcoming articles we’ll discuss the various social media platforms (blogging, Twitter, video, Facebook, email marketing, etc.), why they will or will not work for you, and how to create and/or put them into play. Begin to formulate your SMM plan today and prepare to take action. The revolution has begun!
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