Social Research

When a consumer buys from a company, there is not a whole lot the company knows about them personally. They will have their age, gender, geographic location etc. But what happens when research goes beyond this demographic information, and gets personal? More brands are investing in social. Some brands are simply trying to conduct traditional advertising, while others are actually trying to establish a social connection and engagement. As brands get closer and closer to consumers, information is going to change, and so will selling and marketing efforts. 

A great analogy would be the pursuit of young lady by a young gentleman. If all you know is her age, what she looks like, maybe where she works, then you don't know much. But once you start engaging with her socially you began finding out the intricate nuances that make her uniquely her. As you find these things out, you can begin tailoring your pursuit specifically to her and then ultimately make your sales pitch. She may agree to a date, she may not. Whichever the case, she knows that you were not just throwing her the same jargon you throw every girl. Your message was for her and only her. 

I see this happening in the future relationship between brands and people. Note that we aren't talking about companies and people, but brands and people. Brands are becoming the personality of the company like never before. As brands connect with us socially, they will better tailor their efforts towards us. How personal will it get? And how scary is that thought?

 

Vine

Vine has finally brought something I have long thought would be the future of Social. Vine allows users to upload a short video clip that can be shared on Twitter and Facebook. I always wondered when Social Media platforms would have a "video status" type feature. Instead of scrolling though a Facebook feed of print statuses. You watch 6 seconds of a person updating their status. This gets super personal. I mean, people already post the most ridiculous things on Facebook. SMH or Facepalm moments happen on the regular. Just imagine people giving you status updates all the time via video clips. Vine steps out into that uncharted territory. Could this be a step towards a more video incorporated social experience? Who knows. Even better question: how will companies use this platform for social gain? They will find a way.

Facebook Contests

Everytime, without fail, as I am aimlessly scrolling through my news feed I encounter more and more posts such as this

Great Picture, and awesome polo. But I am amazed by the amounts of companies who do not know the terms and conditions for a Facebook Contest. I think most would agree. This is a epidemic. "Like this photo and share it for chance to WIN" is something I see everyday. I guess it is a good way to garner followers and get some exposure. But I think there are two fundamental problems.

1. This practice simply doesn't follow code. The Terms may not be the most read thing on Facebook, but they are worth noting, especially if your a business. To have an official promotion you need to use an app. Facebook wants things to be legit. They also want you to use their apps. Hey, They make the rules. Using a liking feature, sharing a picture, none of those things are legit ways to run a promotion or contest.

 2. Is this creating real followers or number of likes? Are these people really interested in your brand or are they just hoping that they will win the weekend stay at one of your luxurious cabins the mountains (real promotion)? This is great exposure. I would not know of the brands if not for their giveaways. I don't think that giveaways will sustain true followers. That's not to say they shouldn't be used. If used properly, they way Facebook intends, they can be helpful to get your name out. At the end of the day you can hype people up over free stuff as much as you want, at some point you have to do something that will compel people to actually buy something.