Social Media as a Marketing Tool

Sanjay MehtaJoint CEO, Social Wavelength

A Few Clarifications..

• We’ve come a long way, baby.. • XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL.. It’s for all, but.. • Can drive my car, can wash my clothes, but…

• In short, the subject matter for today, can be reclassified as ‘Social Media as a MARKETING Tool, for Growth Stage Companies’

This is what we will cover, then..

• WHAT• WHO• WHY• HOW• WHERE

WHAT it IS, and WHAT it ISN’T

• Social Media is NOT an advertising tool• No ‘campaign thought’• No ‘broadcast thought’• Social Media is about engagements• Social Media is about your fans, your

consumers, your interactions with them, your true conversations with them

WHO is it for?

• Growth stage companies, in this audience, I reckon, can be:– B2C companies– B2B companies– Products or services companies– Focused on Indian or International marketsSocial Media can be good for any or all of these.More fundamental is whether your TG is there or not

WHY would you go SM??

• Advertising sucks• Niche audiences• Budget constraints• Smart marketing• Feedback loop• Digital asset• Huge long term value

WHY do people not use it enough?

• Statistics – small percentage of people online• Don’t see immediate results• It’s too much work, hard work at that• Don’t have the time for it• Convinced, but not fully convinced

HOW does one use it?

• B2C companies:– Build a base of target community– Create engagement with them, so they LIKE to be

there– The real power is the viral factor; can they get

more like them to your fold– Listen to what they tell you, use the feedback

HOW does one use it?

• B2B companies:– Identify bang-on target– Create connections to each of them individually– Participate in groups of your industry as well as

your client’s industry– Show them via discussions, that you are really

good– Create thought leadership– Solve their problems

HOW does one use it?

• Professionals / Service Companies:– Thought Leadership– Provide freemium offerings, generate interest– Use video to demonstrate what you do, your

processes, how you do well– Ask questions, do surveys, get feedback, tweak

your offerings based on this feedback

HOW does one use it?

• ALL companies:– Value creation is the key– The last thing you want to do is to be a salesman – Identify what could be your central theme– Stay true to the positioning, over time, people will

come on account of that positioning

WHERE do you go? Platforms?

• Facebook• Twitter• LinkedIn• YouTube• Blogs• Look for leads / opportunities: Yahoo

Answers, LinkedIn discussions, monitoring various forums and groups

To Summarize

• Social Media is growing by leaps and bounds• Not a question of ‘if’, at the most a ‘when’• Start early, make mistakes, learn, tweak• Dirty your hands• You will reap rewards!

Thank you

Sanjay Mehtasmehta@socialwavelength.comwww.socialwavelength.comTwitter: @sm63Tel: + 91-98200-40918