In today’s business especially where social media is concerned, many companies, irrespective the sizes of their portfolio are quite wary in spending.
Money begets money — If you’re “penny-wise, pound foolish” in your promotion efforts, instead of engaging audiences in your region, or elsewhere {and why not?} particularly during this crisis that’s constantly leaching its way into Asia Pacific, you’re likely to see a diminishing interest in your products or services.
As much a hype there is about thousands of others out there who are similar to your’s, and why your’s shouldn’t be any different from their’s is in how you implement your strategies to get your audiences hyped and buzzing like busy bees all ready to evangelize your brand.
Branding is one thing, lovemark another.
Just because you’ve got a business doesn’t mean the world needs to buy from you! – Just because you’ve found Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook, the world is your oyster? Spending money and supporting Causes {or current issues} that your Customers care for will direct these audiences to you, rather than spending money on commercials gloating on how yours’ is better, bigger, longer, more effective etcetera than your competitors. Customers are getting more, and more sophisticated and educated. Some of them may even be your stockholders. They can easily tell why your’s is not making the cut! So what do you do? Where do you go? Get them buzzing about something, which is of irrelevance to your brand – putting you a-top, it all!
Sponsor or organize a regional event and get the best self-development Guru out there, the likes of Deepak Chopra, Robin Sharma or even Anthony Robbins. When you really care for your audience, they will, in turn care for you. It’s just a few dollars as compared to the long-term effect that you reap in the end. Talking about caring is different from implementing it.
Build relationships — getting to know your audience is easier said than done.
Just do it!
Your CSR activities should not just co-relate to business. Give when you can, but do not disintegrate into one thousand, and one excuses when you’re not giving. Being transparent is better, than bluntly shooing-off beneficiaries telling that you do care for the world, just not theirs’.
Giving is not about branding. Neither is marketing, selling. Set your priorities right.
What is your 2012 Sustainability plans? How are you leveraging your local science and technology agencies, or partners in reference your industry? How do your viewers relate to your future? How do you relate to your audiences in reference sustainability issues?
Create a series of remarkable events leading to your 2012 sustainability. Create regional or local workshops, and forums in areas where you would likely want to tap most potential, and future customers. Invest in their future, as you would have invested in yours’. There’s a lot of hype these days about sustainability, and climate change, let alone poverty – invest in these areas, and see how you as a caring entity can improve the lives of others.
Why should you?
People do go to those who care for them. People do talk about those who care for them. People do support those who care for them. People just do.
The Human Element
Does your company propagate human progress? The 21st century is about giving and caring. Nothing ventured nothing gained is the old adage – these days, a penny well spent is a World worth saving — that’s when the world becomes your oyster. Creative and innovative customers can blog about an idea that could spark your next product version – or tell your competitor how they can beat you to the punch. Online evangelists for your company can invite hundreds of thousands of prospective customers to your company – or scare them away.
Customer Service
Where customers are, there you should be. If they are on Twitter, you should be there servicing them — Likewise if they are on Facebook or LinkedIn. Do you just plaster a toll-free number on your website hoping your customers will call in to get pre-taped directives leaving them frustrated? Or do you settle the score using social media in real-time, virtually?
Creating Talkable Brands
Attract & Engage: “Engagement is driven by good design and good content. The biggest explosion in this area has been the growth of online video to drive the message of business and products across in a dynamic way. A recent survey by Yahoo Pew has shown video can increase e-commerce purchases by up to 40 percent.
Engaging Audiences through Social Media
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