Sow the “Social” in Social Media

Early last year, ForeSee Results, based on a high-quality survey of 10,000 U.S. adults, concluded that social media campaigns appear not to be worthwhile for retailers. Only 8% of survey respondents named social media as their preferred method of interchange with a retailer, and only 5% of visits to a retailer’s website were attributable to social media.
     Today, Larry Friedman, chief research officer at TNS, North America, proposed what might be an explanation for those Foresee Results findings: Retailers place too much emphasis on the word “media” and too little on the “social.” Writing on an Advertising Age blog, Dr. Friedman views the contract with the consumer as changing significantly when moving from traditional to social media. And Dr. Friedman’s views carry particular weight, considering his training as a Ph.D. in social psychology at Columbia University.
     With traditional media, people accept the retailer’s marketing message as a necessary nuisance to get the content of interest. The advertiser is paying the bills. However, with social media, the consumer expects to be listened to as much as spoken to. In the TNS “Digital Life” survey, about 60% of a representative sample of U.S. consumers said they consider social networks a place where they don’t want to be bothered by companies or organizations. Dr. Friedman cautions against pushing the message, given this view.
     I agree. The metaphor I recommend is one of sowing the seeds. Tossing instead of pushing. If you’ve cultivated the ground properly, the prompts you’re distributing will take root and arouse the consumer’s thinking. A dialogue results.
     On a related point, though, I do disagree with Dr. Friedman. Sowing the seeds is also a good metaphor when it comes to traditional media. It’s no longer that different. With how social media has permeated consumer culture, your prospective shoppers often want a dialogue with retailers to whom they’ll give their business.
     Still, not always. Sometimes it’s best for the retailer to be less approachable. Based on their results, advertising agency Wong, Doody, Crandall, Wiener says this holds for luxury goods, as contrasted with “fast moving consumer goods.” FMCGs are characterized by low prices and relatively frequent repeat purchases by consumers. Soft drinks, cleaning supplies, and toiletries are examples of FMCGs. Luxury brands in the study included Giorgio Armani, Burberry, Cartier, and Gucci.
     Always sow the seeds for social, but provide more opportunities for mutual interaction when you retail FMCG items.

Click below for more: 
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Limit Social Media for Prestige Appeal