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7 Cs of Social Media Marketing
By Moksh Juneja on Apr 30, 2008 in PR2.0, featured
If you are looking at getting your self involved with the social media marketing. These 7 Cs should come in handy!!
C #1 - Context
First you need to understand the context that you will be dealing with. This could be in the form of any social media platform. But before you start engaging with them, you need to understand who they are and more importantly what is the motivation that is binding them together, socially. Example could be pure passion for technology or Bollywood or even communication that has led one individual to pursue on the path of blogging.
C #2 - Communicate
Intention to communicate - if you do not have a intention, then you might as well. Just do a cut, copy, paste job and spam the comments section of the bloggers. That is it, then your brand is at the wrath and mercy of the bloggers. Do not try to push your marketing messages across in the social media, it might just do more harm than good.
C #3 - Conversation
You need to have a conversation , with your fellow human beings even online. My belief is that there was a time on the internet when people use to be faceless and anonymous and they use to take full advantage of it. But now these are the same people who have realised that they are not being able to handle multiple personalities. They are the same human beings. Just try to talk to them, even just greet them, they will be friends.
C #4 - Content
What does not work on the Internet is a copy. We need to be the original content providers for what we are trying to engage the Internet users into. If we copy and they find out, then our reputation online is scarred! The other element to the content is that we need to have contextually relevant content or else again, we will be seen as spammers!! The rule is customise your messages according to the motivation of the individuals that make the communities or groups on the various social media platform.
C #5 - Create
One of the complains that have been with clients is that communications consultants are not proactive enough. Here on these multiple channels of social media, they have the endless possibilities to create original content that is being provided to them by their clients and not only prove that they are proactive, but the original content can be used (hint) in combination of text, audio, video, graphical images, animation, pictures to benefit the clients. Don’t want to actually, boost ourselves, but we do not have any form of 30-second barrier, we need not have a limitations in our word length (copy). We have the power to inform, influence and impress with the power of words.
C #6 - Collaborate
All our management gurus have spoken about team building exercises. Here we have a platform not only build, but also to maintain the relationships that have been fostered over each and every social media platform. Technology gives us the opportunity to collaborate and enhance our relationships virtually. Relationships could be built on social platform based common interests and business platforms based on professional experience or expertise that one has.
C #7 - Contacts
Contacts - This may be one of the result that you will achieve in the process of your social media marketing effort. You would enjoy being a part of the wise world where knowledge sharing and problem solving are the things to do (TTDs) on a daily basis. This is the element that builds up the social support that you receive even from the online world, which helps individuals at the need of the hour in taking action at both personal front as well as professional!!
These 7 Cs have been the culmination of observation, experience, and research in the field of social media marketing over the past 10 months. If you have any more Cs or for that matter any element that you can think of that I have missed, just let me know!!
On May 1, 2008, Palin Ningthoujam said:
Interesting observations, Moksh. I think No. 3 is very important as the foundation of social media is on having a mutual dialogue than a one way messaging.
On May 1, 2008, Shashank Jaitely said:
Some more Cs
Care: You should care for opinions you create of help generate online through your writing and blogging.
Close: We should try to close the line or cloud of thoughts we create during blogging. If someone comments and leaves an open ended remark, you need to answer it and try to close it.
Choose: Choose the topics right that interests the audiance the most and have the maximum impact.
Colour: Try to add colour to conversation, it will make it an interesting read.
On May 1, 2008, Moksh Juneja said:
@Palin: Thanks for re-emphazing that Conversation is most important. The other thing i have observed it is not only about two-way communication process or some kind of Message-reply-stop communication, but about the having meaningful discussion over the subject.
@Shashank: dude, thanks for adding those Cs to the list. They will surely get into more in-depth article on 7Cs on Contextually relevant Conversations!! Maty be the next article for sure!!
On May 3, 2008, maggiefox said:
Moksh, very clearly articulated - these sorts of lists are very helpful to marketers, and you have certainly covered all your bases!
On May 5, 2008, Moksh Juneja said:
Thank you, Maggie!! Next attempt will be at a more comprehensive and an in-depth article.
On May 5, 2008, Shweta said:
Hi Moksh…very interesting!! Being new to PR and Marketing this helps me a lot and kinda sheds insight on things that are important!! Its a concise list..actually i have kept a copy with me to refer to…hope i get a lot more like these which will help us grow!!
On May 5, 2008, Moksh Juneja said:
Hi Shweta, Being new to PR, Indiaprblog - is the right place for you to learn from a cross section of PR professionals from the industry. You know something, I still keep learning…
On May 6, 2008, Krisea Visceglia said:
After this summer I hope to be getting involved in many areas of the media market by interning with different PR and Advertising companies. Your blog on the 7C’s of social media marketing really caught my eye because they are seven ideals that should be applied to every piece of work or job. I think like communication, conversation is very important especially in this day and age when lots of people communicate online and lose that personal exchange of body language, initial reaction, and facial gestures. I know in my own experience, people’s mannerisms are quite different online and in person. Someone can sound so intelligent online but in person they fumble when putting a simple phrase together. Some other important C words that came to my mind while I was reading your list were:
Commitment: A person must commit to their words and not regret putting their opinions, interest, or questions before others.
Connection: Conversation and communication really only work if there is a connection. Without a relationship or correlation there is usually no further communication.
Constant: Be consistent in your work and views. Constantly practice the 7 C’s in media
Thanks for the blog, it was fun thinking of words to add to your list, it seems there are an infinite amount of words starting with the letter C that could be applied to media. Also, as a side note I was wondering if they were in any kind of order, like more important C’s to least?
On May 6, 2008, Moksh Juneja said:
Hi Krisea,
Thanks for the comment, really appreciate! I am actually trying to put a model together for social media marketing where all the 7Cs and many more to follow should be included. The model which I am trying to create should be flexible, forthcoming and future oriented and very workable!! There we will have some flow in the model!!
Thank you for contributing on more Cs!!