Opinion: Online Communication
Every week I grill the Base Creative team on issues affecting the online world. This week's hot topic: Online Communication.
Social networking sites have changed the way we communicate and are central to many peoples lives. So how has this changed the way we communicated online previously, and should it be a vital ingredient in your marketing strategy? Here is what the team had to say.
Before Facebook and Twitter, internet users communicated mainly via messenger services such as MSN Messenger. Have social networks outdone the usefulness of such services?
No. Social media messaging doesn't always expect the level of immediacy often found in messaging and instant chat apps. Instant chat on websites can be found more and more.
Social networking sites allow users to do more than simply chat in real time which is the attraction they offer. Many online services have incorporated instant chat into their services, such as Facebook and Gmail, so while stand alone options aren't always attractive the concept will live on. On the go there's no substitue to messenger services - BBM anyone?
People will choose the easiest communication system they know about for a particular task. Simple messenger services are fading out because younger generations have access to an ever increasing number of devices and applications that have communication built in. Managing a single-service messenger app is not appealing when all-in-one solutions are available.
As you know I am completely down with the kids and my sources say yes. With the facebook chat function there is just no need for msn and the like anymore. Keeping a single point for all your social webitivities makes sense. I don't really see Twitter in that category though. That, for me, is much more of a trend watching exercise.
It really depends on who the user is – it can be difficult to explain the purpose of Twitter and Facebook – IM services are easier to understand. Additionally, IM services are still frequently used for internal communication within companies – where Facebook/Twitter might be blocked.
How important have social networking sites become for getting your message across?
Social networking works when you network in the right circles. People who use social networks to talk exclusively at their target audience fail to realise that it should be used to talk mainly within their industry. From an SEO point of view, this enables Google to understand the 'circles' one is involved in.
It's a great way to get interaction and that very valuable word of mouth from users if done right. Take the time to communicate with your audience and you'll reap better rewards. We're all to wary of the sales person!
Social networks can be a very powerful marketing tool if people are interested in your product and promotions on a regular basis. Unless you're of the Apple, Groupon and Starbucks calibre this won't be the case. The fact is people don't use social networks to consume advertising, but they do talk about brands that impact their lives and interests. Simply having a social profile, regardless of how many 'friends' or 'followers' you have will be a wasted investment if you don't do anything with it. The vast majority of businesses will never fit into social marketing.
Ok, so how many people do you know who have NO facebook account? Exactly. Social media is only going to grow as a factor in online marketing and SEO, so my recommendation is to fully embrace it in your marketing strategy.
The only social networking site I use is Twitter, and it’s not for getting a message across. To my mind, that’s not what social networking is for – it’s about communicating.