Republished with permission of Comms Dealer
First published in Comms Dealer Oct 2014, p.27
Cunliffe aims to turn social media naysayers into staunch proponents of a powerful tool that offers remarkable possibilities.
“There is no denying that social media has been growing significantly in the past years and it will continue to grow in the future” she commented.
“Social shouldn’t be regarded as a waste of time or just something you solely do over a pint in the pub, as there are strong examples of businesses successfully utilising its immediacy and focus as a dynamic, vital and measurable marketing tool.”
“More importantly, it has now reached a point where it can have a significant impact on marketers and business owners. Social media has emerged as one of the most influential mediums in modern marketing. It harnesses the power for brands to be able to communicate on a personal level with their target audience on a daily basis and to enhance connections with their network of partners. It’s a powerful tool that offers possibilities that weren’t available before through traditional marketing.”
According to Cunliffe, as well as realising what was previously impossible, social media also reduces costs and its benefits far outweigh the risks.”
“Properly implemented, social media provides the means for increased customer service and satisfaction” she explained.
Cunliffe believes social media can also be a powerful tool in developing a brand’s personality, adding that it is important to showcase the identity of a company and what it stands for.
“Simply put, social media is the evolution of communication” she commented.
“It’s the new way for brands to interact with their market, receive feedback and fuel growth in the long-term. Word of mouth marketing is powerful and social conversation will spread far and wide while you manage to build your brand awareness.”
However, there are challenges when approaching social media. For example, the difficulty to measure the successes it creates in the same way traditional marketing would do or integrating it into other existing business strategies.
“But with the right management, content and strategy it can help to grow a business like never before” noted Cunliffe.
“Social media is not simply a means to an end, but a hand-in-hand integration with all marketing and PR activities.”
“The telecoms channel is one of the most agile and evolving industries in the UK. The people in this sector are entrepreneurial by spirit and love to keep pushing for success that can be greatly enhanced by adding social media to a solid business arsenal.”
The upcoming articles in this series focus on digital marketing trends and strategies and how to implement them.
To view the article click here
