That's how you feel
Ever tried explaining why you can’t publish anything and everything to Facebook? From a brand perspective there is this perception that because we don’t have to spend money on Social Media, that your Facebook platforms and even Twitter becomes a dumping ground for projects with high ambitions (READ: desperate) but no budget for Facebook. I have several problems with this.
Facebook is not your go-to when you don’t have budget. Especially when you think that by virtue of updating you have created a desire in your consumer to obtain your product or service. Same business rules apply – if its shit, people generally don’t part with money.
Secondly, there is this insistence by certain sections, demanding that this be put onto Facebook. Many times they will make the very valid argument that Facebook is an important aspect of their campaign to reach the masses. Which is why I say: if it was that important, you would have allocated budget. You didn’t.
The perception: Facebook is this magical and enchanted place where people can sell stuff just by updating their wall. Because inexplicably people come online, log into their Facebook accounts and lose their minds as the desire to spend money takes hold.
The reality: people on social media don’t want to spend money online unless there is an obvious and direct benefit. They’re continuously being bombarded with information, why should they pay attention to your deal, what is so special about it?
What most product managers and brand managers fail to understand is that the social media experience needs to stand out from the usual in-store experience. Folks go in store to purchase and conclude deals. Online they want to be enriched (for want of a better description), they want to have an experience that is unique. Posting KAK on your facebook wall because it is there and it is “free” is not a unique experience.
I think Social Media is maturing in South Africa. Brands are beginning to realise that replicating ABL on social media is like taking your sister to your Matric Farewell.
Not everything has Social media currency. In other words you cannot buy engagement, shareability or even acquisition with some of the information is published.
HHP
What gets me is everytime they phone up and say “I want to give away a ball of dust I found in my desk drawer this morning – can you post it on Facebook and give it away to a random entrant?”
Well no, Miss/Mr Marketing Manager, I would advise against it. Why, you ask?
1. The prize is shitty and people who follow/like you on social media are going to say so. Repeatedly. In capital letters. And then all their friends are going to “like” their dumbass comment which makes you, as a brand, look like shit. And no, I cannot and will not delete negative comments.
2. Ever heard of an annual marketing plan? What about a monthly content schedule? Where posts are scheduled IN ADVANCE?
3. Ever heard of market research to find out what your audience actually wants?
4. Facebook has some pretty stringent rules and regulations which govern how competitions are run. We can’t run a competition based on the first person to like a post/page, the first person to answer correctly/comment or the first person to tag themselves in a photo. Please read the terms and conditions and come back to me when you grow a brain cell.