Marketing and PR are becoming more and more integrated with the prevalence of social media. How can you make the most of it?
- Advantages of having your online marketing in-house? The best advantage is quick turnaround times and actions. Also, your team can talk to one another easily and adapt quickly to opportunities and trends. Plus your team knows your company better than most outside agencies ever will. It also comes in handy during crisis situations. In-house truly cares about your company.
- How have your other skills transferred into the PR profession? My experience with programming and database administration allowed me to understand how search engines work long before most PR firms. They are basically giant databases so knowing what pieces were important helped me optimize client’s content for better placements and coverage in the right areas. A background in sales is a huge help too because you can speak like a salesperson, but with marketing lingo. Sales and customer service experience can help you understand how to craft messages for different audiences. Patience is a must. You don’t want to show that you’re close to losing it. What skills do you have that transferred in the PR profession and how did they help? Even the most un-related job fields prior to your current profession can teach patience, critical thinking or leadership. Think about things you are good at and transfer those to your current role.
- Best practices for mobile marketing that we should consider when developing a strategy: Make sure that all your information on any social site that has a profile on you is correct because people are looking for your information. They want it in a quick manner so make it very easy for them to get to you. You should have your phone number, hours of operation, and most important, make it easy to share via mobile device because people love to share great experiences. Compatibility is essential for mobile marketing. All marketing channels must work together. Mobile is not simply an add-on. Make applications that are simple and easy to navigate. Mobile markets are expanding all over the world so if someone can’t find your site on their mobile device, you’re missing out on an entire market. Consider separate mobile usages instead of optimizing your main site for mobile. Timeliness of information and data is critical for relevance in mobile.
- Future of mobile marketing: It will become increasingly more social. Companies will really starting having to pay attention to how users are consuming their media and adapt to increased mobile usage. That means making your content easier to find and share by mobile. It will be the primary means of reaching customers because social media is mobile. The future of mobile marketing is true integration: one screen, seamless communication regardless of service. The power of mobile marketing is being able to deliver the message at the point of purchase.
- What is important for companies to consider when building relationships through social media? People want to connect with other people, not things or entities. They want to share their experiences. You have to listen. It is also important to know that even though you can’t control the conversations, you can influence them and build a great fan base. Social media isn’t for broadcasting, but for engaging and building relationships. Don’t promise too much just because it sounds good. Make your word good. Transparency in social media will naturally engage your customers and show them the human element in your company. Fill a need by building trust. Sales will be a byproduct of your social media efforts. Constantly analyze your market and fan base so you can create content that’s valuable to them. Do less “pushing” and more educating.
- Favorite aspects of social media: Researching conversations and discovering the different ways communities share experiences. No two communities are the same so no two social media strategies are the same. It’s fascinating how different communities share. There is an element of surprise to social media too. It’s interesting to see which tweets garner response and engagement. It’s always on so you can drop in anytime. You have the ability to connect with people regardless of space and time. We can share and be shared in a chain reaction. You can get to know your customers on a more personal level through social media.
This blog featured Q&A from the latest #PRWebchat on Twitter with @PRWeb and @storyspinner, Liana “Li” Evans. Evans is the creator and primary contributor of Search Marketing Gurus. She also wrote a social media marketing book entitled Social Media Marketing: Engaging Strategies for Twitter, Facebook, and Other Social Media. She is currently the Director of Social Media for Serengeti Communications.
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