Traditional media has definitely proven for decades that cleverly crafted marketing copywriting can build brands and influence consumer buying patterns. There is no doubt that this form of selling and communicating will continue to have its day in the sun.
The Dazzling Effects of Social Media
However, with the Internet, a new day has dawned with a potential form of copywriting and marketing that will shine even brighter. If the rate of adoption is any indication, online social media is already dazzling, turning unknowns into global names (did someone say Lady Gaga and her posse of “little monsters” who were grown from MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube?) and small businesses into “buzz-worthy” powerhouse companies with the profits to go with it.
Even the big box brands are turning to social media strategists and social media copywriters to create the right content to leverage the power of this new form of media, which places much of the control in the hands of consumers and creates a quick and effective way to reach the target audience on a viral basis and use less resources.
Social Media Successes
For example, consider these UK and European social media success stories:
- British Airways used social media to promote its Open Skies programme. This included creating a blog where customers interacted with the company’s executives to learn about this new service. The results were increased sales for BA.
- Not all social media has to be for external customers. Take British Telecom’s introduction of internal social media tools to reach out to employees, partners, and suppliers, creating a two-way form of communication for a better working environment and satisfied staff.
- Amnesty UK has built a digital activism community to get its message out to more people, including the use of videos, social networking feeds, blogs, and other interactive content.
- UK snack company, Marmite, used social media to form the Victorian-inspired Marmarati society as a way to have consumers put their own mark on the company’s brand in order to build brand equity and strengthen customer loyalty.
- Even U.S. President Barack Obama used social media as part of his campaign efforts to mobilise citizens into his cause, share his campaign messages, and get in touch with what Americans were thinking about in order to seal the 2008 election race.
Social Media Draws Customers to You
Having the right social media strategy and drawing upon the talent of social media copywriting experts mean that you can draw in your target audience and others they interact with for even greater business opportunities, find out what your target customer really wants and discover what excites them. Social media can also fuel a higher rate of traffic to your website and offline business locations. And, it can help you exponentially grow your brand equity – not to mention enhance that bottom line profitability that you are constantly craving.
Don’t Experience a Social Media Misstep!
Not every attempt at social media has been a raving success for companies. There are plenty of blunders out there that come from the fact that social media is still new and not everyone realizes what type of copywriting and messages are the most effective for this new marketing frontier. That’s why it just might pay to find a social media writing partner or online social media strategist that can help guide you successfully toward the largest return on your investment.
Tell us your thoughts on why social media has become so popular. Have you tried it? What has worked for you? We’d love to share your ideas with our readers.