Facebook and Twitter are ranked by consumers as carrying a lower impact (11% and 6% respectively) on influencing purchase, but are highly regarded (94% and 89% impact) as resources that enhance one’s personal relationship with a brand. These differences illuminate one of the key findings from a recent CRM Metrix study of 18 touchpoints: that different media approaches are required to reach different consumers depending on marketing objectives.
The allure of Facebook and Twitter as social media touchpoints is their inherent offer of non-invasive marketing – consumers initially opt-in to begin passively receiving communications from the brand, and the delicate balance of a new courtship has begun. And like most relationships, communication is key: brands benefit more when their customers are engaged in a two-way interchange.
For Facebook and Twitter, opting-in implies a temporarily granted opportunity for the brand to strike the correct balance of content and messaging, offers and information, updates and creativity. But over-messaging, being too cutesy, or under-delivering on offers such as hard-to-locate coupons can quickly place the brand into disfavor with its newest potential ally. Unlike baseball, one strike and you can be called out by an unrelenting digital umpire – your target consumer.
Each of the 18 touchpoints in this study represents a unique set of values that must be understood and leveraged. Even though the purchase influence for Facebook and Twitter is low, when people do decide to buy an item via these networks, their actions affirm that the media align with their belief system – a system that reflects a need for peer input and trust in the media as an acceptable avenue of commerce.
Because the consumer mindset varies widely, the approach used in one marketing effort will not necessarily work well in another. The study provides numerous insights regarding the optimal combination of media and marketing strategy. Ultimately, the best mix facilitates precision targeting while engaging knowledge needs and fostering trusted relationships to create added sales.
Study results unequivocally demonstrate that a company’s brand website packs a lot of firepower when evaluated for impact as a research tool (100%) and trusted source (83%). Across all 4 of the dimensions measured (Brand Relationship Builder, Purchase Influence, Research Tool, Trusted Source), brand websites surfaced as the #1 rated online media source, putting to rest any debate about the need for a company to establish a web presence.
Without doubt, the final chapter in successful social marketing is yet to be written. Interactive marketing specialists will need to develop strategies that allocate marketing and financial resources aimed at facilitating a winning combination across media channels. Strategies that use a 1+1=3 mix approach will help reduce dilution of a proven universal media value such as TV while augmenting the growing power of social media.
By Steve Johnson of CRM Metrix, a partner of Inflexion Interactive.
