A Realistic View of Social Media's Impact

I attended part of the Marketing Profs virtual trade show yesterday (I'd hoped to attend more, but work and life tend to get in the way). Michael Brito and Becky Carroll led a very good session on keeping customers engaged through social media, both had worked for and with Intel to promote the Core brand of processors.

While the case study was quite interesting, what impressed me most was that they didn't oversell social media. "If your customers don't use social media, then you don't need to spend your time on it," Carroll noted. She also gave the simple advice of asking your customers what they're using. What's more, she pointed out that Facebook and Twitter won't be here forever and something else will come along, if you have a solid strategy you'll be able to move accordingly.

It's so nice to hear this stuff said out loud. I've long been a big proponent of blended programs, where social media plays a role, it's how I advise my clients. The size of that role depends on a number of factors, including the audience.

Brito encapsulated that idea when, toward the end, he said "Social media is one channel, it's not God's gift to direct marketing. It should be used with other stuff."

Amen.