Comments on: 3 Reasons Big Brands are Wary of SMM http://seminsights.com/opinions/3-reasons-big-brands-are-wary-of-smm Search Engine Marketing Insights Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:07:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Links of the Week April 18th, 2008 | .eduGuru http://seminsights.com/opinions/3-reasons-big-brands-are-wary-of-smm#comment-46 Links of the Week April 18th, 2008 | .eduGuru Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:27:53 +0000 http://seminsights.com/?p=82#comment-46 [...] 3 Reasons Big Brands are Wary of SMM - An extensive article with lots of statistics and some key points to jumping the hurdle to the new age. [...] [...] 3 Reasons Big Brands are Wary of SMM - An extensive article with lots of statistics and some key points to jumping the hurdle to the new age. [...]

]]> By: Scott http://seminsights.com/opinions/3-reasons-big-brands-are-wary-of-smm#comment-39 Scott Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:15:38 +0000 http://seminsights.com/?p=82#comment-39 One of the things we've found in our SMM efforts is that it's a great way to value-add to a customer's existing investment in the brand. It opened up a direct link between our very small marketing department and the folks we were selling to. As a smaller brand, we often focus less on demographic and more on psychographic. SMM gives us a chance to do both. Especially for smaller brands, this isn't an ROI issue, it's a way to give people a new way to experience a brand. Charlene Li notes that Facebook is "about communicating, not advertising". Perfect! That said, it really is a task for a nimble department. You need to moderate comments, upkeep your efforts and communicate with users. Having to go through legal everytime you want to respond to Joe User probably looks like a huge time/money sink to a bigger brand. One of the things we’ve found in our SMM efforts is that it’s a great way to value-add to a customer’s existing investment in the brand. It opened up a direct link between our very small marketing department and the folks we were selling to. As a smaller brand, we often focus less on demographic and more on psychographic. SMM gives us a chance to do both.

Especially for smaller brands, this isn’t an ROI issue, it’s a way to give people a new way to experience a brand. Charlene Li notes that Facebook is “about communicating, not advertising”. Perfect!

That said, it really is a task for a nimble department. You need to moderate comments, upkeep your efforts and communicate with users. Having to go through legal everytime you want to respond to Joe User probably looks like a huge time/money sink to a bigger brand.

]]> By: Shane http://seminsights.com/opinions/3-reasons-big-brands-are-wary-of-smm#comment-38 Shane Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:47:29 +0000 http://seminsights.com/?p=82#comment-38 This is another area where the "old school" big brands are showing their age. Most corporations deny access to practically all of the social media websites from within their network, which practically renders social media non-existent. To them, all of the social media sites are time-wasting, money-sucking, places for their employees to get distracted from work. Most...wait, no...ALL of my big brand SMM takes place out-of-the-office and off their network. It's unfortunate, but why is it that trying to explain the use of various social media sites to top executives often feels like a child begging his parents for a toy? One major issue with SMM is the measured ROI (or lack of)....it's simply difficult to relay ROI in terms that are beneficial to key stakeholders. Our video went viral? Oh no! ...is there a vaccine? sigh. Then there's the issue of "bang for the buck." Is time better spent on a marketing campaign that will be on billboards, magazines, and television.....or should the same amount of time be spent social bookmarking, sharing videos, inter-linking, and slipping anchor text links throughout various forums, blogs, walls, etc. Which do you think an executive would want to put resources on? With a big brand, there are sooooo many projects that come down the pipeline that make something like SMM seem too small to bother with...therefore, it doesn't get involved in the entire marketing plan. Things will change...especially when reputation management comes into play! That's a whole 'nother story... This is another area where the “old school” big brands are showing their age. Most corporations deny access to practically all of the social media websites from within their network, which practically renders social media non-existent. To them, all of the social media sites are time-wasting, money-sucking, places for their employees to get distracted from work. Most…wait, no…ALL of my big brand SMM takes place out-of-the-office and off their network. It’s unfortunate, but why is it that trying to explain the use of various social media sites to top executives often feels like a child begging his parents for a toy?

One major issue with SMM is the measured ROI (or lack of)….it’s simply difficult to relay ROI in terms that are beneficial to key stakeholders. Our video went viral? Oh no! …is there a vaccine? sigh. Then there’s the issue of “bang for the buck.” Is time better spent on a marketing campaign that will be on billboards, magazines, and television…..or should the same amount of time be spent social bookmarking, sharing videos, inter-linking, and slipping anchor text links throughout various forums, blogs, walls, etc. Which do you think an executive would want to put resources on?

With a big brand, there are sooooo many projects that come down the pipeline that make something like SMM seem too small to bother with…therefore, it doesn’t get involved in the entire marketing plan.

Things will change…especially when reputation management comes into play! That’s a whole ‘nother story…

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