Build, expand, strengthen your social impact

Social media has dramatically changed online communications. According to MarketingSherpa, social media now accounts for about 11% of the average online marketing budget.

Unlike traditional broadcast marketing, social media lets your customers carry on a highly personal dialog with your brand. And the whole concept of “one-to-one marketing” will never be the same again.

The secret to success is to have authentic conversations. Think of technology like blogs, forums, and discussion boards as amplifying customer opinion rather than improving it.

Three key ways to tackle communities

1. Some companies choose to maintain complete control over their message by integrating blogs and discussion groups directly into their website. See The Knot case study.
   
2. Other companies choose to let the customers decide where the conversation should take place, relying on dedicated social network websites to provide an appropriate forum. See Manchester City Football Club case study.
   
3. More and more companies have adopted a hybrid model that allows them to incorporate brand-building blogs directly on their websites, yet go to where their customers are already active rather than building their own social networks. See Lifescript case study.

Or browse through our many case studies!