Engaging with customers online, repeating your brand message across a number of platforms, and turning crises into opportunities are some of the ways businesses should be using social media.
This was the advice given by a number of marketing and PR experts at ‘Get Social 2013’, a free social media and marketing mini-conference hosted by DCU Business School and Techspectations in the Helix last Tuesday. Techspectations is an initiative that encourages digital participation as part of the Leadership, Innovation and Knowledge Research Centre at DCU.
Master of ceremonies for the event was Darragh Doyle, Community Manager of WorldIrish.com; a website that connects Irish people at home and abroad. He said the way to act online is “don’t lie, don’t cheat, say well done to people, and you will be trusted”.
Speakers at the conference included the Director of Aertv and the Co-Founder of the Positive Ireland Movement.
Consistency in using social media was highlighted by a number of speakers, including Luca Machetti from Netbreeze, who said that once brands use social media to engage with customers there is no turning back.
Chief Executive of Ogilvy Group Ireland, JP Donnelly, added: “Every brand is now social…that’s something we have to get used to.”
Director of Corporate Communications for Edelman Ireland, Joe Cormody, advised: “if you’re a business or brand you need to repeat your message multiple times on multiple levels” to get through to customers. A survey by the company showed that 64 per cent of Irish people trusted technology. This was compared to a 45 per cent trust in general media while less than a fifth of those surveyed said they trusted social media.
Another way for brands to use social media to their advantage is to get customers to spread the word among their friends, according to the Marketing Director of Marketo, Elizabeth Smith. She quoted Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, saying: “The basic idea here [on Facebook] is that the best type of advertising is a message from a friend.”
Techspectations will hold a similar conference called ‘Get Mobile’ in the Helix on Tuesday 12th November.
Aisling Kett
Image Credit: Eimear Phelan
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