How-To: Earn Brand Loyalty in Social Networks
5 Tips from eCRUSH's Amy Gibby
In a world where MySpace, YouTube, and Friendster are king, the brands that are willing to mine social networks for loyal customers are the ones striking the most marketing gold. But winning in social spaces requires more than just playing the social network game, according to Amy Gibby, president of eCRUSH. To succeed, brands must be willing to engage the other players -- namely, the Millennial Generation -- and, ultimately, to play by their rules.
In order to get teens in social spaces to care about your brand, consider Amy's five tips:
Tip #1. Do your homework
Companies that want to engage in social networks should first figure out what they're all about. "Play in the sandbox before you start throwing in toys," Amy says. She recommends learning to navigate the "socnets" before trying to participate in them and points to eMarketer and Ypulse as useful resources.
Tip #2. Be polite
Each social networking site has its own customs and culture to which successful companies must adapt, according to Amy. "What's cool on MySpace is not necessarily copasetic on Facebook," she says. "What flies in MyYearbook might not be the right play on Bebo." Amy recommends listening to Procter & Gamble's AdTech Chicago presentation for tips on balancing intimacy with intrusiveness in social networks.
Tip #3. Test, test, test
According to Amy, word of mouth should be tested within sample spaces before it goes public. She adds that businesses like Bzzagent and CommuniSpace, and sites like eCRUSH's own eSPIN, offer highly targeted and controlled universes for testing the impact of a word of mouth campaign prior to launching it. At eSPIN, she says, "You can set the desired target and budget and walk away with critical learning, not having wasted an impression or a dollar."
Tip #4. Accept failure
When you're new to social spaces, you have to be prepared to fail within them, Amy says -- at least at first. "If you're going to play in the social network," she advises, "you're opening up your brand to criticism (and praise)." She recommends Pete Blackshaw's "Parenting Your Brand" for tips on learning from your own mistakes within social networks.
Tip #5. Partner for success
Nobody knows social networks better than social networks, Amy advises, so companies who want to participate in them would do well to collaborate with them, too. "Maybe you don't have to do all the work," she says. "You might know your brand best, but the socnets know their users best." As masters of their domain, social networks can tell you what will and won't fly with their users.
Amy's final tip: "Keep your mind open and let the teens guide you to the most relevant fit."
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