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10 Communications Objectives of Social Media

Posted: 01 Sep 2008 08:34 PM PDT

Douglas Walker has an interesting post where he wants to talk about metrics for social media. That’s great, and I encourage you to go over there and dig in and discuss that, but I have a question for you, for my own understanding. (Remember that I’m a technologist and not a marketer, so I sometimes come at this from a different direction.)

Walker says these are the 10 communications objectives for using social media (in a marketing sense):

Generate awareness.
Drive Trial.
Product Launch.
Establish Need/Want
Product/Service Comparison.
Positive Association.
Form/Change Opinion.
Influence the Influencers.
Drive Action/Traffic.
Establish/Regain Trust.

Now, maybe this language mirrors Marketing/Communications 101, and because I’m a technologist by trade, I just haven’t heard this. But if not, I found the list an interesting model/framework around which to contemplate the execution of social media marketing. I’m thinking there’s one missing to the tune of something like “community good will” or the like, or whatever one might call it when you’re not trying to sell, but instead are just proving that you’re a contributing human.

And that’s my question to you: do those 10 goals/objectives make sense for how you’re using social media?

I think it’s an interesting and worthwhile list. And like I said, go to Douglas’s site and comment on the measurement aspects, for those of you who are into measuring.

What’s your thoughts on those goals, though?

Photo credit, Foundphotoslj

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Noise Reduction

Posted: 01 Sep 2008 06:48 AM PDT

What if there’s a lot of congestion in a certain market? What happens when there are too many of the same conference to attend? Robert Scoble points to the question of whether startups should attend DEMO or TechCrunch50. He cites the extra power TC50 has by way of Michael Arrington’s platform, and what that means to startups. In technology, we find ourselves with a lot more noise to sift through, and several more choices than the typical person. This example says that the possible deciding factor between two conferences is the additional media value of one over the other. I’m thinking there’s something there to consider for other situations and settings.

Standing Out

If there are five realtors in town, with one on top of the heap, sales and marketing-wise, what will you do as part of the rest of the pack to stand out? Would having a media platform behind you help? What if you built the town’s community events calendar and blog? Further, what if you became the place to go for people to see pictures and video of the latest houses on the market. Would having a media property aligned with you make a difference? I suspect it might.

The Inclusive Play

What if you’re trying to differentiate your product in a marketplace of similar products? If you’re Fast Company magazine, you might add a community website ( they did), and start promoting the people in the community around you. Further, you might run a video show that interviews all the interesting tech and business players ( they do) such that people feel like they’re part of the action at your property. Is that play working for Fast Company compared to its competition? I don’t have numbers, but it feels like it’s working.

Personality

For every pale imitation and clone out there, someone is shining bright and delivering an original piece of value. Getting there first and doing your own thing well adds value. There are many venture capitalists out there, but only one Guy Kawasaki. For every dozen investors we don’t know, there’s only one Fred Wilson.

It’s not that everyone must blog, but if you’re looking to stand out, to reduce noise, to share your perspective in a crowded space, it can certainly help.

Does every business need to make social media and dive into this space? No. But would you readily throw away a tool that helps your product or service or company stand out, help your customers feel included, and highlight the unique personalities within the organization?

What’s your take?

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