Social Media for Business -interview series presents prominent Internet professionals from all over the world who are at the cutting edge of the latest Social Platforms. During this exciting and truly international interview series our experts reveal what are the most useful Social Media Tools and what you need to consider when you start using Social Media as part of your marketing mix.
Iggy Pintado is an accomplished and experienced business leader, executive, speaker and author from Sydney, Australia. He is an internationally recognized connection technology practitioner and a dedicated observer of societal and business models and patterns. He is also the CEO & Chief Networking Officer at ConnectGen. Let’s see what Iggy has to say about the current state of Facebook, Social Media and Social Media Marketing.
Q1. What are the most important Social Media Platforms at the moment?
The most important social media platforms are the ones were people “go and gather”. Currently, that’s Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter. From a social perspective and with 400 million members, it’s hard to overlook Facebook. From a business perspective and with 60 million members, Linkedin is a preferred business community destination. The most instantly accessible platform for both social and business networking and with 75 million users currently, it’s becoming increasingly important to establish a presence on Twitter.
Q2. How do you see Social Media has changed the advertising communication?
Social Media has made advertising communication both instant and interactive. Selling products is no longer about broadcasting a direct message in the world of social media. It’s now about creating direct connections with prospective individuals and communities (groups) of interest around your brand or company. The advertising discussion will move beyond communication to one of “connection” with people, information and experiences.
Q3. How do you measure the effects of Social Media Marketing?
At a base level, it’s number of engaged users (followers, fans, connections) directly or in groups. Secondly, there’s level of interaction – number of comments, discussions, brand mentions. Thirdly, there’s the direct correlation to web hits, clicks, orders and eventually, sales.
Q4. What social media platforms would you recommend to a company that is just starting their online marketing?
I would recommend Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter. (see Q1)
Q5. What are the key points to remember when a business starts using Social Media?
I recommend the four P’s on online networking – PURPOSE, PROFILE, PARTICIPATION and PERSISTENCE.
Q6. How does Social Media Marketing differ from traditional marketing?
Social Media differs in that a continued engagement is necessary with the audience of users. The outcome of initiatives and tactics can be measured directly based on user interaction. It’s instant, effective and efficient and requires a strategic plan, a structured and fully resourced implementation and specific metrics.
Q7. Do you think every company (that has a website) should have a Social Media Strategy? Why?
If your company has a website, you’re one of a trillion websites on the internet. If you have good search engine marketing and optimisation, your customers should be able to find you from the crowd. With social media presences, you create interactions where people “go and gather” and where they spend more time socialising. You want to be where your prospects and customers are so you can direct them directly to your website.
Q8. How do you see Facebook as a Social Media Marketing tool?
With Facebook becoming more and more pervasive, it’s imperative to have a Social Media presence there as an individual. group or fan page. There are many businesses that are establishing presences there to better engage with prospects, customers and stakeholders.
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Kris Olin, MSc (Econ.) * Editor in Chief at Social Media Revolver * Web Designer * SEO Specialist * Author of the Facebook Advertising Guide. Follow Kris on Twitter and LinkedIn. See his photos at Flickr.
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