Some people think they reach milestones as in the number of twitter followers for their own sake. “Oh look, Ma, 3000 people read my blog this month”. Makes me think of that famous line which starts with “Scarlet, my dear…”. I’ll let you complete it.
The Kardashians get it. They sell a tweet for quick a few bucks, given that the sisters have over 10million twitter followers combined. Like all advertising, probably half of those don’t really pay attention except for the first day (or maybe a few more) of tweets by those they follow. Yet, if you take even half that number, advertisers see the value in someone else setting a trend with their product and brands.
This article says it best. Its not about the number of FB friends your company page has, its what you lead them to do that gets them to SPEND on YOU! In this age of crazy valuations of internet software companies, we see a upward trend for the value of data. It is the consistent access to an audience (and their data) that counts. And to gain consistent access, you must remain relevant.
So the writer of the article has it right. The value of social media for corporations must be looked up as a return on investment and thus driven in that manner. And if you think that people like Justin Bieber are tweeting for the fun of it…you are missing the point. They are simply using social media to make more money. They are a business and they know it.
So before you start gasping for air because your followers have hit a quantity milestone, rethink your strategy to look at how social media can earn you money. Dinosaurs became extinct because they failed to adjust to the changes of the times. Corporations that don’t understand the value of social media will likely be followers in more than this area. Look at Apple…their subscriber base is actually the technical support for their products. They use the social aspect of the connection to their brand and as consequence have Apple product users helping other users to fix issues. The community aspect of their strategy may seem to be a by-product of users desire to help each other. I can promise you its anything but. The use of social media is not relegated simply to twitter, facebook and foursquare. Its anywhere you can get eyeballs to see a message in a platform which promotes engagement. After all, the cheapest advertising is the one that customers do on your behalf…
Sass