Over the past 4 months, I have watched companies try to do everything possible to generate leads and sales as well as cut costs. The Wall Street Journal is running red with story after story of mass layoffs, cost cutting, and losses. My mailbox, websites I surf, Twitter account, and Facebook is getting slammed with pleas for my business (aka spam) and car dealer are sounding pathetic offering "buy one, get one free" deals for gas guzzling trucks. Even the government has gotten in the game with bailouts on a massive scale for the financial industry and the auto bailout, state bailout, and even the housing bailout is coming soon to a government near you.
Now comes the call that "social media can save us!" I am reminded of a simple phase, "Fools rush in..." In typical knee jerk fashion, many businesses are panicking and seeking lifelines to get them out of the current economic mess. I am wondering how many people were surprised by the turn of events leading up to the fall 2008. Common sense would have told you a big crash is coming, so get ready for it. But instead of retooling their products, organizations and marketing efforts, they put their head in the sand and prayed for better times.
I wrote a blog article a little while back that asks us to focus our efforts on your business strategy and social media. So, how do you go about targeting your efforts to build relationships on-line. There are two ways to target: with a sledgehammer or with a scalpel.
The sledgehammer approach: I try to get the word out every way possible. I send out press releases, a post hundreds of Twitter messages with my link, and scream my "brand name" at the top of my lungs every chance I get.
The scalpel approach: I start by know who my target. Who are they? What do they care about? What are their needs? When are they receptive to my message? Then I carefully select the approach and the message that meets their need.
It is really a matter of choosing volume or relevance as the key focus for my efforts. If I only have X amount of hours a day to get the word out about my organization or company, I need to make choices. I can generate a lot of links by "screaming the message" but is it effective longer term? Or I can choose to deeply understand my target and then focus my energy to tailor messages relevant to them. Less volume, but I think it is probably a lot more effective.
Many people choose the sledgehammer approach because it is quick, generates a level of response and gets you some quick wins. But at what cost? Does it build a sustainable brand? Does it build a foundation of relationship with your target for longer term growth? Or, do you work to get through this quarter and pick up the rubble of ruined relationships later?
Yes, a scalpel approach to marketing is A LOT MORE WORK. It also creates the path to longer term growth. On the other hand, it won't matter if you can't stay in business during the short term.
Which will you choose? Remember, the business you save may be your own.
