Power to the people: The new era of blogs and social network marketing

Enter the era of the ‘prosumer'. Blogs, social media and citizen journalism are all real-life examples of prosumers in action as consumers now take a dual role - producing and consuming information for themselves and countless other decision makers. Bloggers and avid social networking users now hold the key to marketing success, providing their own, sometimes misguided, opinions on the way you are selling, marketing and advertising your brand. And it's just the beginning…

BLOGS

Since the launch of Blogger in 1999, blogs have revolutionised the way we communicate. Blogs have reshaped the web, impacted politics, shaken up journalism and enabled millions of people to have a voice and connect with others.

And while many marketers still discount the relevance of blogs, remember that the globe's largest blog (from China) gets 50 million page views per month - that's on par with our own Media24, which gets as many views across their whole network.

But, in this foreboding world of citizen journalists, how do tech-savvy brands maximise their potential with these prosumers? How do companies go about protecting their company reputation while ensuring their products are garnering positive praise from the world's most influential bloggers?

1) Find the Opinion Leader

The best way to find prosumers or prominent bloggers is through blog aggregators such as Technorati (http://technorati.com) or Afrigator (www.afrigator.com). Search the brand category, then the blog directory and, if possible, the frequent tags used.

2) Connect with the blogger

It's now time to make contact. Don't pretend to have followed the blog for months but rather state your intentions up front - you feel that your brand is perfectly represented by the blog and would like to pursue some possible marketing options.

3) Sponsor the entrepreneur

Rather than purchasing banner advertising on the site, why not interact with the blogger and provide him/her with some real assistance? Potentially offer to pay for a radical overhaul of the site or an upgrade of the existing technologies - this way you are able to forge a relationship with the blogger, while allowing for the natural integration of your brand into the blog.

4) Support a section

If a site overhaul is out of your financial range, why not consider sponsoring a popular section or suggesting a new one? Your brand or product could provide the up-to-date World Cup results on a soccer site or you could provide prizes for the most regular commentators or best responses to a specific posting.

SOCIAL NETWORKS

The world of social networks is a daunting one for marketers. At last count, MySpace.com had over 300 million users, Facebook boasted over 62 million active accounts and business networks such as Plaxo and LinkedIn featured over 15 million profiles each.

Social networks hold huge opportunities for brands. The personal, interactive nature of social networks mean that brands have the chance to present themselves to users in their own, personal space - allowing for a more memorable, individual interaction.

Added to this, brands can leverage the natural endorsements given through groups and personal associations with brands, almost functioning as free market research into their specific consumer set.

But, how do you successfully leverage your brand within a social network?

1) Create a brand profile

Register your own brand group as the ‘official' offering on the relevant network. You can then make access of related groups and communities, inviting them to join this sanctioned brand group.

2) Continuous communication

To ensure your community is constantly up-to-date and involved, make sure that relevant content is always available and a host of topics offered to allow users to personally interact with the brand.

3) Encourage collaboration

Run a contest to devise a new campaign slogan or solicit entries for the next advertising spot - it will enable users to interact on a new level, whilst providing cost-effective creative straight from your target consumers!

4) Register your own network

A very big idea but one that is sure to win you prosumer praise. Represent the interests of your consumers by starting a social network i.e. a fantasy league network for a sporting goods retailer.

The people formerly known as the audience have transformed. Blogs and social networks have become vital tools in the arsenal of marketers worldwide and any brand looking to promote and protect itself should seriously consider the influence these resources have on consumer purchasing behaviour.

The new era of prosumers is here and they're brand-savvy, marketing-aware and prime for the taking. Ensure your brand harnesses the potential of these new ‘super-consumers' before you are left behind, choking on the dust…


This article first appeared in the Oct/Nov 2008 issue of Marketing Mix magazine. For more on the magazine, please visit www.marketingmix.co.za.