Will 2010 be the Year for Engagement

It seems a lot of small and midsized businesses are starting to introduce social media into their marketing arsenal. Perhaps it is because of budget restrictions or they just want some of the profound buzz surrounding the social media craze.

But what happens once the Facebook fan page is up, but has few fans, Twitter account is live, but only a handful of followers and a blog with no comments and little interaction? Now what?

In order for Social Media to have compound effect it requires engagement, otherwise you have missed the best effects of Social Media Marketing.

How much does engagement have to do with your brand, and with, well YOU.

Seth Godin in his blog post today defined Brand differently than we have thought about in the past;

A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer's decision to choose one product or service over another. If the consumer (whether it's a business, a buyer, a voter or a donor) doesn't pay a premium, make a selection or spread the word, then no brand value exists for that consumer.

A brand used to be something else. It used to be a logo or a design or a wrapper. Today, that's a shadow of the brand, something that might mark the brand's existence. But just as it takes more than a hat to be a cowboy, it takes more than a designer prattling on about texture to make a brand. If you've never heard of it, if you wouldn't choose it, if you don't recommend it, then there is no brand, at least not for you.

What Does This Have to Do With Engagement

What Seth is saying is that if folks aren't talking about you, or your brand isn't worth talking about, you have little to no brand value. Similarly, if you aren't doing anything special, engagement becomes a challenge that even the best of PR can't overcome.

Andy Sernovitz posted about Bill Samuels Jr., a 7th-generation bourbon maker and president of Maker's Mark. His Ambassador Program is, time and again, considered the gold standard of product fan clubs. 500,000 people proudly carry a membership card to show their support for this brand.

Bills secret to creating an army of crazy-passionate fans:

1. Authenticity. Bill is Bill. When he emails the ambassadors to meet him for a drink you know he'll be at the bar waiting to meet you. And he'll love talking with you and he loves his bourbon.

2. Great Stuff. Maker's is great. It's been great for a long, long time -- the distillery is a National Historic Landmark. You can't motivate fans for an average product. For a great product, you don't need to. They'll come to you

So what is the special sauce required for engagement?  Be remarkable, do something worth talking about, build a product or service offering that stands out and away from the pack.

December 13, 2009