9 Principles of

Marketing

By Asams V.K

Social media marketing is changing the marketing landscape so fast that companies are struggling to adapt their strategies and tactics. What worked in 2001 or even last year is becoming less and less effective.

Planning to publish a PR article in six months with traditional print media could mean completely missing the marketing window of opportunity. Booking bus or outdoor advertising  takes time you might not have and not be able to measure.

So what are some key elements you need to keep in mind to market on a social web?

“Think sharing. What do people want to share?  Then publish and promote it. This starts with a shareable and compelling headline.”

1. Share

Share, what audience like to share

Social media marketing involves publishing in real time, not next week or next month and topical posts and tweets will help you catch the trend and viral wave.

It also means you need to respond in real time to complaints, issues and inquiries. The days of publishing 3 months or 6 months in advance are fast disappearing as the market may have changed in that time and people want their information now!

2. Go Real Time

People no longer want to be “sold to”. Social marketing is about informing and solving peoples problems with answers and information, whether that be from your blog, links in your tweets or updates and information on Facebook.

3. Educate – Don’t Sell

We live in an information age that discards the bland and embraces the “WOW”. Facebook pages and updates that entertain, with competitions, humor or the unexpected are the links that will be shared.

4. Entertain – Don’t Market

Mono channel is not enough these days, whether that be email marketing or niche magazine advertising. You need to be on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Blogs as a minimum. Social Media can provide you with the channels to be ubiquitous (everywhere) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

5. Go Multichannel

Free gets shared, it doesn’t mean that you give everything away but enough to build trust and spread your content to the global village so that when you do publish that ebook or hardcover they will buy it because they know you and love your unique content.

6. Give Information Away For Free

Text on its own doesn’t cut it anymore, you need to provide information in ways that meets different peoples expectations and wants. You need to provide content in different media. Gen Y loves video, Baby Boomers like email and text. Find out what type of media your audience wants and give it to them. The broadband high speed web is now a multimedia experience.

7. Think Multimedia

Remember listen to your audience and they will tell you what they want, what solutions they need for their problems and then provide it. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Blog comments will reveal a wealth of information about your target market.

8. Listen

After listening to your market you then are ready to start communicating in real time with messaging systems that they are comfortable with whether that be Twitter, Facebook or email.

9. Engage

Thank You.