Too many companies think they can just add a dollop of social media onto their campaigns but it is not going to work well in the long term.
More and more people are using the web to make social connections. So therefore brands need to be social. They need to find out what is being said online about their brands and issues in their markets so they understand how they can join in. But it is not the same as simply issuing a press release. Brands have to engage with consumers in different ways. They have to earn attention by offering something genuinely interesting and valuable. If you think of blogs as a dynamic letters page, you obviously have to stop and think about how best you can respond and participate you don't simply fire something off to the letters editor hoping that he or she will be interested. Much more thinking is required if brands are going to engage effectively with their online consumers. This is something which affects all communications teams and they need to take time out to understand the social media culture otherwise they are not going to be able to participate within it in any meaningful way for their businesses.
