It's Time to Invest in Numerous Social Media Platforms

Courtesy: 
Cindy Kim
Partner & Director of Digital Strategy
@HotheadCK

 Another day, another new social media platform. When news of the new platform Ello swept through marketing circles recently, we could feel a strange conflict brewing in the world of marketing. Excitement and enthusiasm led the pack, but they were quickly pulled down by confusion and frustration. And for good reason: the overabundance of new platforms can feel overwhelming to even the savviest CMO. Every new opportunity represents promise, but, in our experience, it also signifies yet another marketing conundrum to master.

"Awesome," you might say. "I can finally drop my complex Facebook investment and use something new." But before you pull the plug, we challenge you to consider this: a minority of adults online use more than one social network. That's right -- according to the Pew Research Center's Social Media Update, a study that shows how Americans use social media, only 42 percent of adults use two or more social networks. With more and more social networks vying to be those users' one and only, it's more clear now than it's ever been that marketers can't afford to invest in only one social media platform.

Gone are the days when a company was just a few status updates from success. In fact, over the years we have realized that the most effective social media campaigns aren't campaigns at all -- they're broad-based initiatives that suffuse every level of a business. During the past ten years, social media engagement has gone from optional to necessity, and the evolution of users demands a similar evolution in marketers.

You may think that fact clears you of your obligation to be on more than one site. Shouldn't we just focus on the networks most favored by single-platform users? The answer is a resounding no. Even if a minority of users favor more than one network, they still make up over 40 percent of the population. And, in our experience, users tend to assign different networks different meanings in their lives. Facebook feels like a living room couch. Instagram feels like an extension of your iPhone. Twitter is where you text friends for restaurant recommendations and last-minute plans. Pinterest is your vision board. And LinkedIn? That's your Chamber of Commerce, job coach, and networking event all rolled up into one site. Each network has its own etiquette, its own grammar, and its own style.

If the thought of facing and succeeding in all of those networks and more is daunting, you're not alone, but you're also in danger of being outpaced. With a projected $14 billion a year being poured into social media advertising by 2018 and equally staggering projections for social media as a percentage of companies' total marketing budgets, other companies are investing heavily in social media infrastructure, reporting, and strategy. More now than ever, it's time to buckle down, pony up, and lean into everything the social ecosystem has to offer.

Numbers and new network aside, it can be tempting to view the need for social media investment as a freight train headed toward your business. We view it differently. Yes, social media is changing rapidly and growing exponentially. To us, that represents potential, promising new users, new ways of connecting, and new challenges. With over 20 years of marketing and creative prowess under our belt, Hothead is uniquely positioned to help our clients understand and even master social media marketing strategy as it applies to B2B.