In order to help Merrick Towle clients wrap their minds around the importance of using social media within their strategy, we developed a simple analogy. Basically, traditional advertising is like running a screaming classified dating ad and hoping someone responds. “HEY, YOU! DATE ME!” The goal in the old media landscape was to “push” your dating message into the consciousness of an individual. The communication was a one-way street. The date talks, you listen. You can’t talk back. Unless you say exactly the right thing, you never get that second date.

In the new digital world, conversations can take place all during the dating process. Not only can you talk about yourself, but with “pull marketing” the date can ask questions too. The recipient of your communication is in control of the message and it is their decision to act. And when they do act a relationship is formed.

So what does this mean for brands? They need to date their customer. And Web 2.0 tools provide the means.

• Ask customers about themselves. Utilize surveys – phone, mailer, SurveyMonkey – to find out what your brand is doing well and what can be improved. Listen online to conversations happening about your brand.
• Highlight your brand’s special qualities. Create promotions that highlight unique benefits versus discounting price. Encourage brand enthusiasts to participate in promotions. Invite brand novices to join in on the conversation as a fun point of entry. Give prizes for those who participate and add value.
• Develop a common interest with your users. Not all of your brand’s users are interested in the same thing. Social networks provide a great opportunity to segment various conversations to develop different benefits of your product. Blogs, Facebook, and Twitter are all flexible enough to allow multiple conversation paths.
• Wine and dine your brand users. Online social forums are a great way to learn about your brand’s users, but seeing the group interact in person is much more telling. People act online much differently than they do in “real life.” Utilize events to create a first-hand conversation about the brand.

It’s easy at any point to revert to using social media tools as a “push” medium. At Merrick Towle we remind ourselves that the goal is to always ask questions of the brand’s users and ensure that the brand is always connecting with their needs.

by Amy Weedon, Account Planner, aweedon@merricktowle.com