There has been lots of talk about the idea of using social media to drive consumer engagement and therefore sell more product. Before you fall victim to the myth make sure you have all the facts. Just because something is shiny and new, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for you, too. And while there are plenty of stories floating around on the internet about how successful people have been advertising on Facebook or Pandora; try to find one of these people and talk to them. You will find they really don’t exist.
Recently, GM pulled all of its advertising from Facebook because “this form of advertising is just not as effective as it is advertised.” I believe that everything can work, if used correctly. But the time and effort needed to make purely on-line work may be more than any one business can handle. Take facebook, for instance. Most ads are too small to be noticed – give the mobile nature of the audience. And there is certainly no room for any actionable task. Secondly, There are way too many choices of ad types – how do you know you are choosing the right one unless you test it – and by then you have wasted money on all of the others – do you have time for that action
With such little real estate to work with, how can you truly make a point of differentiation that will resonate with consumers? Also, most consumers ignore these ads – they don’t want to see your message when they are bragging about what their cat did last night. And unless you spend all of your waking hours profiling your customers and geo targeting your facebook ads, you may be mismatching your message to the wrong people. If you are selling ‘depends’ – I am quite sure an 25 year old is not interested.
Meanwhile, Radio is vibrant and active. People are consuming it at a rapid rate. The rumors of our demise are greatly exaggerated. Consider the source of the information. Facebook and Pandora want you to believe they have solved the local engagement issue with a large national platform. Yet, these things can’t replace local, community involved media, which people consume on a regular basis.
Yes, there are many people on Facebook, but while they are there, advertising is the last thing they want to see. People are used to using Radio as a means of entertainment and have repeatedly said they will trade free entertainment for sponsored messages. They say this by continuing to use it day after day, week after week. My suggestion to you is learn the strengths and weaknesses of your media choices before jumping in with both feet. As the internet gurus will tell you there is no magic bullet, no crystal ball. It’s the wild west and you have to try a lot of things to see if they will work, and once you find something that works, it will be different next month because the algorithms have changed.
Still not sure what to do? We can assist. Call Connie Hayes at 806-748-2404 or call me directly at 806-748-2405. We will be happy to sit down with you and discuss your total strategy going forward and direct you in a way to make all of your advertising work together.