Do retailers belong in social networks?

You’ve got to have more than a basic online presence to make it in the Web world these days, marketing experts say. The latest Internet applications stress interactivity. There has to be a two-way conversation. A forum to state opinions. A place for people to express themselves.

Enter the world of social media -- a virtual sounding board and, some say, the newest strategic marketing tool. The online encyclopedia Wikipedia (itself a type of social media) defines this phenomenon as “online technologies and practices that people use to share opinions, insights, experiences and perspectives with each other.”

Are these sites nothing more than a virtual meet and greet? Or do they offer a real opportunity to position your business? They jury is still out.

Different strokes, different folks

Hundreds if not thousands of social media sites are operating today. Each platform targets a certain group of people who may or may not be receptive to your message. Here’s an overview of some of the top sites.

Social utilities: MySpace and Facebook. Web sites like MySpace and Facebook let users create pages dedicated to personal interests and affiliations. Both sites allow users to create a vast network of “friends” by sending and receiving online invitations.

High school and college students are most likely to use these social platforms. Visitors can (hypothetically) find people with similar interests by joining affinity groups. Beware: some group descriptions are misleading. For example, many groups on Facebook contain the tag “gardening.” Upon further investigation you’ll find a lot of these pages are dedicated to the cultivation of a certain illicit weed.

Professional networks: LinkedIn. Professional networks also allow users to create personalized Web pages. In this case, the information is restricted to the business realm. Sites like LinkedIn target the white-collar, professional crowd. Users are most interested in connecting with colleagues, making deals and vetting job offers.

Blogs. These online journals can be business or personal in nature. Authors create posts that often include written and audio-visual elements. Visitors solicit feedback using a “comments” link. Demographics of bloggers vary. Studies show teenagers are most likely to read blogs. But this platform is slowing winning the attention of older users.

Twitter. This service bills itself as a social network and microblogging service. It lets people stay “hyper-connected” by posting short updates on their activities throughout the day. Using a browser application or mobile device, friends and family can read what a person is doing at any given moment.

Image sharing: Flickr and Picasa. Web-based photo sharing applications are ideal for presenting visual messages. These services let people upload and organize images so they can easily be shared with others. Both Flickr and Picasa are often used in tandem with blogs.

YouTube. This video-sharing platform allows users to upload video footage and comment on clips already posted. YouTube is also used with blogs to communicate with Web surfers.

Working the network

You already go to the hassle and expense of maintaining a Web site and e-newsletter. Do you really need to reach out to customers via social media? If so, which element?

First you’ve got to find out if anyone worth reaching is listening. Brent Leary, a business blogger and co-founder of consulting firm CRM Essentials, encourages business owners to talk with existing customers and see if social networks have any appeal for them.

“What I tell people is, first, go in your customer database,” Leary said. “See who your customers are. Survey them. Ask if they’re involved at all. I can’t stress enough the need of doing a little research. Just because you know how to spell ‘Facebook’ doesn’t mean you know the best way to utilize it.”

Anita Campbell, editor of the blog Small Business Trends, echoes Leary’s advice.

“Social networking is not a one-size-fits-all approach,” she said. “You have to pick the right social media site to fit your business. Some social networking sites could be a complete waste of time, if it’s the wrong social site.”

Campbell also cautions against making social media the centerpiece of your marketing efforts. It takes time to set up pages and build networks. It can take even longer to see any tangible results from your efforts.

“If you try to make social networking your entire marketing approach, or even the largest chunk of it for retail, you are bound to be disappointed,” she said. “Marketing should be made up of a number of activities, carefully chosen for your particular business.”

Joining the conversation

Both Leary and Campbell think blogs are a good first step for retailers. Free services like Blogger.com let you dabble in this medium without spending a dime. After users get comfortable with this platform, they can branch out and add other social media elements to the blog.

Leary is quick to remind people that social media requires a significant time investment. Blogs allow users to start slow and gradually build networks. Leary encourages business owners to get in the habit of posting something regularly -- once or twice a week. Then send links to your entries to four or five colleagues. Ask them to comment on the blog posts and forward the information to other people they know.

It’s also important to ditch the “if you build it, they will come” mentality. People aren’t going to flock to your Web site or profile page in the beginning. Set small, attainable goals for your social marketing efforts.

“You have to have your expectations set properly,” Leary said. “I see people get really frustrated quickly. You have to take very small steps. Know that it’s about building a community; building a following. It’s going to take a while.”

Social media directory

My Space: www.myspace.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com

Blogger: www.blogger.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/

Flickr: www.flickr.com

Picasa: http://picasa.google.com/

YouTube: www.youtube.com

Vital statistics on social media

96 percent of online teens and tweens have used social networks.

71 percent connect to social networks at least once a week.

Source: Alloy Media & Marketing

87 percent of consumers polled said very few or none of the ads placed on social networking match their interests and preferences.

Source: Prospectiv

Only 12 percent of senior marketers said that social media platforms are very important to their marketing mix.

Source: PRWeek/Manning Selvage & Lee Marketing Management Survey

Who’s blogging?

54 percent of bloggers are younger than 30.

30 percent are 30 to 50.

14 percent are 50 to 64.

2 percent are older than 65.

Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project

Fiskateers, a case study in social marketing

This spring, Advertising Age reported on a social networking project launched by Fiskars, a manufacturer of craft and garden tools. The company created an exclusive online community for crafters called Fiskateers (www.fiskateers.com).

Four avid hobbyists serve as crafting ambassadors on the site. They help facilitate conversations between other users. More than 4,000 people have joined this online community, 20 times Fiskars’ original goal. The band of Fiskateers has mentioned the company’s products on other sites, resulting in increased visibility of the brand.

Fiskars has also begun to certify Fiskateers to do in-store demos of products, which tend to produce increased sales for retailers.

For more: Brent Leary, CRM Essentials, bleary@crm-essentials.com; www.brentleary.com. Anita Campbell, Small Business Trends, (330) 424-1893; www.smallbiztrends.com.

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- Sarah Martinez

August 2008