The more social media use becomes a way of business and a way of life, the more we are seeing – and will continue to see – issues around data collection and user privacy. It of course makes sense for marketers to leverage this data, but in my opinion, we’re going about it in the wrong way.
Brands MUST begin to view data as a relationship-building and consumer-engagement opportunity, rather than simply a targeting tool. The targeting mentality is all about “catching” the customer, zeroing in on the customer like prey — totally counter to the emerging culture of social/relationship-based marketing!
Brands that embrace this targeting mentality are missing the boat and letting a huge relationship-building opportunity pass them by. Let’s turn the table on the data collection/privacy issue and instead make it valuable to the consumer in the form of getting to know them and serving them better.
It’s quickly becoming the mantra of interactive strategists: lead or be led. You either lead your online community, or they will lead you. There’s no stopping the swell of communal opinion generation that has become the hallmark of our society’s online engagement.
Everything we do, we do because somehow it benefits us.
We recently dropped in to a Foot Locker at a mall to pick up some sox.
Until recently, “social media fatigue” has been the most dangerous “condition” that we social media marketers have had to combat. Now, however, with the recent trend toward frequent deep discounts and coupon offers, we are risking an even more serious condition of “offer fatigue.”