Creating Connections That Count is a “Tradigital” Experience

Facebook? Twitter? No wait…LinkedIn. Pinterest? Instagram? Or is it Foursquare? Whether it’s Facebook or Foursquare we have only just begun to tap into the potential of all the social media options and realizing the magnitude and power of the mounds of data that comes from it. Most importantly, consumers are creating the content today and branding has become bonding.

There’s no denying social media has become the darling of marketing and there’s little doubt that technology has changed our lives, the way we are influenced and how we influence others. But for marketing, it’s more than just doing the same old thing using the new shiny toys.

Remember the “funnel?” You know that upside down triangle you learned about in marketing class. Well, social media has flipped it right side up!

Traditionally, we’ve focused on trying to find and convert new prospects (the top of the funnel) and keeping the hard-earned customers (the bottom of the funnel) has often been an afterthought. Historically, turning a prospect into a customer was to provide a great customer experience and hope they become loyalists, as well as brand advocates.

Social media flipped the funnel. Now technology enables us to influence consumer behavior before and after the sale. Hope is no longer needed to have customers come back and offer positive word of mouth. Now we can encourage this clicking on share, like or by sending tweets.

However, social media is not the replacement for other marketing tactics and traditional marketing is still highly relevant. But it seems that today the best marketing communications plans collide traditional and digital creating “tradigital” connections that count…right from the start!

So whether it’s sending tweets or broadcasting on TV, the basic objective of all business still remains the same: to get and keep customers happy…without being blinded by the next shiny new toy!

Here are 3 tips for selecting the right social media agency:

  1. An experienced social media marketing agency should have access to the latest techniques and tools, as well as a wider reach to the social sphere.
  2. Social media, just like any other human-directed medium, is fluid in its development and desires. Your agency must understand where and when to reevaluate current initiatives to keep with the changing currents.
  3. Your social media agency should provide analytics services to measure and optimize the social media campaign performance.
  4. For more information on how AAR Partners could potentially help you with your social (or other discipline) agency review, please call or email Lisa Colantuono at 212-400-1470 / Lisa@aarpartners.com.
  5. Tags: Marketing

    Lisa Colantuono

    Lisa Colantuono is the President of AAR Partners. An agency search consultant for nearly two decades, Lisa is also an avid writer. Lisa has contributed many articles in top industry trades such as Forbes, Huffington Post, Advertising Age, Adweek and HubSpot Blogs’ Agency Post. Recently, Lisa entered the world of publishing with her book, @AARLisa: New Biz in 140 characters (or Less), written for the on-the-go new business exec that needs cut-to-the-chase insights to nail new business wins again and again. Lisa is also part of the industry speaking circuit, presenting at national conferences including 4A’s Transformation Conference, AAF Admerica National Conference, BOLO, HOW Design Live, Mirren, and AdAge Small Agency Conference.