Marketing to the Social Media Web - Larry Weber

7 stars

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (June 22, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470124172
• ISBN-13: 978-0470124178
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches

"Marketing to the Social Media Web" gives any business owner a good reason to leverage on the internet to grow their business. It talks of the current trend where the internet is on the rise to take a bigger pie in any business' revenue. The book expounds on the paradigm shift all marketers have to make and how all these new tools change how people buy things.

To summarize, the learning points of the book are as follows:

1. The Web is not a one-way street for a monologue

Communication in a digital environment is an evolution from the traditional way of communication. It allows new possibilities in a globalized but shrinking world.

4 main strategies centres on reputation aggregrators, blogs, online communities and social networks.

Marketing must be more consumer centric. Customers are more vocal, hence marketeers need to participate in their conversations instead of a monologue.

Instead of broadcasting, the media needs to aggregate information for consumers to choose and pick.

The content must be compelling.

2. The marketer's new focus: Community and content

A community of interest and content is where real feedback is and where people are truly interested in a product. The control of information shifts from marketer to consumer. Hence marketing has to be honest and transparent because people can talk abt it.

Some opportunities to market (strengthening and expanding relationships):

- targeted brand building

- lead generation

- partnerships

- R&D via collaboration

- empolyee communications

3. Making the Transition to the social web

1. change marketing mindset - dialogue instead of monologue

2. A living brand - away from brand essence and brand recall. A stronger dialogue. better engagement

3. Segmentation by what people do, feel and think - for targeting

4. Targeting by behaviour instead of traditionally demographics - groups of interests and behaviours instead of narrow one-to-one

5. Communicate interactively - compelling environments to engage

6. Customer generated content - increasing visual content

7. Viral marketing - make pple share

8. Reviews by customers instead of only the experts, voting

9. Sponsor instead of publishing content, more meaningful dialogue

10. bottom up strategy - from the customers

11. let users decide

4. 7 steps to build your own customer community

1. Observe and create a customer map

2. recruit community members

3. evaluate online conduit strategies (below)

4. Engage communities in conversation

5. measure the community's involvement

6. promote your community to the world

7. improve the community benefits

5. Making use of 4 online conduit strategies

1. Reputation aggregator strategy (in search)

2. Blog Strategy (or podcasting)

3. E-community strategy

4. Social Networks strategy