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lot of time, and logically their mar- keting money should be there, but it can be scary to approach it with a long-term view.” The report includes a checklist
of basic requirements for social media campaigns, and a list of behaviors that are likely to suc- cessfully differentiate a campaign. Every social networker expects, at the very least, contests and give- aways, new product information, regular posts, special offers and trustworthy brand news. Yet in or- der to make a real breakthrough, brands also need to concentrate their efforts on less easily defi ned activities such as innovation, in- teraction, community, variety and
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fun. Duncan Southgate, director of global innovations at Millward Brown, says the report shows that, “marketers’ gut instinct was right, that people are open to engaging with brands, and most of the scores were positive, although there was some variation. Not posting enough was the most common mistake, but the real challenge is in how to ex- press a brand’s personality.” For some brands it feels right to
produce a stream of chatty posts, where another might be more brash and fun, so that its fans don’t mind a more “broadcast” approach. For tech brands that want to promote their innovations, delivering social media content in a groundbreak- ing way might be the priority. As expectations grow, brands have to keep pace, as those that post more frequently generally achieve higher ratings and foster more lively com- munities. However, many fan pages are failing to satisfy even this basic requirement. The report warns that retailers should, “beware the cam- paign mentality,” that is, pages that are active and then suddenly go quiet can have a detrimental effect on a company’s reputation. Oram says, “If you build up a community, and social media is all about com- munity, of people who have taken the trouble to show an interest in you and then you ignore them, of course your brand perception is going to be damaged.” The ad- vice from the WFA and Millward Brown is to commit considerable resources to social networking, install community managers, and focus on areas that fi t most closely to a brand’s objectives, because it’s tough to deliver strongly on every front. To that end, a number of so- cial ecommerce solutions have hit
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