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Close of Biz: Spreading the Word

by Editorial Staff--South Jersey Biz

In 2015, getting your message out can be done a variety of ways

As social media and marketing campaigns continue to evolve, there’s never been more ways for a company to grow their brand and connect with both potential clients and customers. It’s also made things more cost effective, but before you think you can trust your public relations to a tech-savvy intern you’ll want to hear what these leading experts have to say.

How has social media helped change the face of marketing for companies, big and small, for better or worse?

Amy Jo Haven-Reynolds
President, Haven Media & Marketing
For the better, is the ongoing feedback loop; it has sped up the traditional word of mouth (the cornerstone of referral business). For the worse is that a single, disgruntled consumer can undo years worth of positive brand reputation.

Kimberly Eckman
Sales and Marketing Representative, Telecorp Inc.
Social media is a huge help when it comes to customer service. It gives business owners an opportunity to listen to consumers whether it’s an accolade that you would like to stand out or a complaint you want to stamp out.

Bobbi Raffetto
Co-founder & Chief Social Selling Officer, All About Leverage
For better: it is now a much more level playing field for business development in general. For worse: information overload, lack of verification of credentials, too much white noise and hiding behind anonymity.

Len Ward
Founder/Director of Search Engine Marketing, Commexis
For years, you had to develop a message and properly deploy over time to the public. Now you can develop a message and deliver it instantly. If you have the right social media team, it can be a powerful instant marketing tool.

Are the days of spending lots of money on public relations over thanks to the ease and cost-effectiveness of social media or will PR always have a place in business?

Amy Jo Haven-Reynolds
President, Haven Media & Marketing
In the past, PR was an attempt to create newsworthy information about themselves that would be published in traditional forms of media. Now, companies can create their own PR through social media channels via an in-house manager or by outsourcing.

Kimberly Eckman
Sales and Marketing Representative, Telecorp Inc.
While social media is taking a big bite out of the public relations business it still remains just a piece of the pie. Social media is a laser focused advertising tool while public relations encompasses all aspects of building your brand.

Bobbi Raffetto
Co-founder & Chief Social Selling Officer, All About Leverage
Just posting something on social media does not translate into more business. You need a deeper understanding of your network. Your social media profiles should not be there for you—they should be there for your audience.

Len Ward
Founder/Director of Search Engine Marketing, Commexis
Public relations should still be one of the core components of your overall marketing budget. However, with the advancement of social media, it has made the components of public relations a little more affordable.

If a company doesn’t embrace social media in this day and age, are they doing themselves a disservice?

Amy Jo Haven-Reynolds
President, Haven Media & Marketing
Companies that don’t take advantage of social media channels are missing a tremendous opportunity that is cost-effective, targeted and provides trackable results.

Kimberly Eckman
Sales and Marketing Representative, Telecorp Inc.
Absolutely. Your website will provide them with the information they need to know about your company, but your social media site will give them the information they want to know.

Bobbi Raffetto
Co-founder & Chief Social Selling Officer, All About Leverage
We need our digital footprint, and we need it to be relevant. If they do not embrace social media, what happens when someone Googles them or their company? I’m not sure, but I can tell you what’s NOT happening.

Len Ward
Founder/Director of Search Engine Marketing, Commexis
A grave disservice. If you are not embracing social media as a content distributor, you need to embrace it as a reputation tool.

Published (and copyrighted) in South Jersey Biz, Volume 5, Issue 4 (April, 2015).
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