Social Should Complement, Not Replace

With Facebook's public stock offering taking center stage on Wall Street last week, the spotlight on social networking and media has intensified. While social may have established itself as a brand-building requirement, its role in the marketing channel mix will continue to be scrutinized and analyzed. And rightfully so. Many marketers have learned the hard way that social media platforms can't yet replace all other marketing channels. Instead of an either or strategy, smart Rainmakers know that social efforts should not represent a stand-alone solution, but rather be an integrated part of a broader strategy that leverages the scale and consistency of paid and owned media. A Facebook brand page, YouTube channel or blog illustrates a brand's willingness to communicate directly with consumers on their terms. That social interaction can help brands build consumer trust, differentiate themselves through emotional connections and leverage the loyalty of dedicated fans. But as we saw

with General Motor's decision to cease all Facebook advertising, many social marketing agencies indicate that social media cannot reach critical mass in the same way that paid broadcast media can, and too much advertising on platforms like Facebook would defeat the uniqueness of these channels. So, while in a recent Forrester survey 92 percent of marketers said social media has fundamentally changed how brands engage with consumers, only half viewed their social efforts as strategically integrated into their 2012 brand-building plans. The trick for marketers is not how to find ways for social media to be a one-size-fits-all solution, rather to find creative ways to integrate it effectively in broader paid and owned media initiatives.