In short order and forever, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites have changed the ways that individuals seek and find information about products, people, and organizations. Creating a Facebook or Twitter account is only the start, of course. Real change comes from a long-term vision of content creation and management that is customer-centric and adaptable.
Social media succeeds best when it engages most, forging a lasting community of enthusiastic fans and followers. Digital strategy consultant Susan Halligan recently shared with CCC’s Chris Kenneally tips for publishers and authors for “a social media audit.”
The single biggest marketing challenge facing organizations in 2013 – even some of the biggest “heritage” brands in the world, from the Nobel Institute to the Olympic Games – is the struggle to be heard. “In order to be heard, organizations really need to understand the digital dynamics and trends. Today, 58 million people in the United States use social sites. They’re communicating in new ways, and customer behavior is radically changing,” said Halligan, who specializes in integrating social media into traditional marketing and communications channels. Previously, she was the award-winning Director of Marketing for the New York Public Library.
“Marketing, sales, and customer service are being utterly transformed. In fact, marketing now is about customer service, which is really about building and nurturing relationships with existing customers and potential customers,” she added. “The lesson is that people have to interact with their customers more directly now. And the more you can focus on your fans and followers in these channels, the more you engage with them, the more they’re going to come back for more.”
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