Social Media: The consumer has the power
Social Media is a two-way process for advertisers – putting brand’s messages across to consumers and receiving direct feedback, according Tommi Lehtonen, CEO of Whitevector.
Speaking at today’s Media Playground conference in London, Lehtonen said that although social networking is a great way for advertisers to push brands and get key messages across to consumers, advertisers also need to understand and use the feedback networks offer.
Consumers will choose to opt-in to brand advertising on social networks, according to panellist Sharon Braude, head of social media at MPG.
“Social Media is about pull. Users will engage if they want to so we need to listen to what people want,” Braude said.
Nathan McDonald, fellow panellist and co-founder of We Are Social, agreed: “The most important thing is that the consumer is in charge of pulling brands.”
The panellists said that in the past advertisers got it wrong and there was too much push from their side, however, Karla Geci, marketing director at Bebo, thinks they are starting to get it right.
“If advertisers let users take control, they will see usage going up and up, and if brands are more creative, users will adopt them,” she said.
David Pugh-Jones, panellist and brand strategist at Microsoft Advertising, added: “Ads need to be innovative and engaging, something people want to see, as they are in a users personal environment.”
The social media platform is constantly changing and evolving as consumers take more control over their content, according to the panel. John Cole, managing director of Adknowledge, said that consumers are already choosing brands they are interested in by, for example, becoming fans of something on Facebook.
Pugh-Jones added: “Consumers are very savvy about brands. They know and understand what’s going on and they choose to opt-in.
“What is important now is creating a harmonious relationship between the advertiser and the consumer, because the consumer will choose to engage with ads with good content and applications.”
McDonald agreed: “Advertisers need to create compelling content that people want to be involved in. Some brands find that easier than others, for example, football teams can evoke passion.
“However, all brands need to become more human and act appropriately in the social media space, creating positive word of mouth.”
Social media campaigns can work as long as they are relevant to the audience, according to Pugh-Jones. “The Frank campaign wasn’t necessarily passionate but they got it right from a targeted point of view and that’s what matters.”
The panel did, however, note that while social media advertising is about building an important dialogue between brands and consumers, this can be timely and expensive.
“Consumers expect on-going dialogue with brands, this costs time and money but is very powerful,” McDonald said.
Braude agreed: “It’s about listening to the consumer, it is an on-going process to keep engaging with people.”
The panellists said that advertisers need to embrace the feedback element of social media campaigns, creating word of mouth but at the same time looking out for negatives and turning them into positives.
Geci added: “It’s good to see companies coming out and responding to consumer discussions, turning negatives around. The personalisation elements of responding to social media users makes it easier for people to relate and understand brands and what they are about.”