In today’s technology-dependent world, the use of social media for marketing purposes is crucial. But in a blog written by Danny Brown, VP of Marketing and Technology at ArCompany, a company that helps clients effectively leverage social media to provide business results, suggests that not every company is fit for social media marketing.

His article talks a lot about value-based marketing and the importance of having a thorough, well-prepared marketing plan, and he outlines the way to utilize social media effectively in 3 steps.

Firstly, it is vital to understand what one’s own company values, and what it sets out to do, and to ensure that this message runs consistently from top to bottom throughout the entire organization. This aligns with what we learned in class – the mission statement is the fundamental business statement that must be described at the highest corporate levels, before any marketing is involved.

Second, operational excellence through good HR management is required. In order to ensure that the message the company conveys is consistent throughout, employees must be committed to the firm’s objectives. Only then will they be able to carry out that same message when they handle the social media relations to the consumer world.

Finally, according to Danny, the most difficult step is retaining the customers and their loyalty. “Social media is not a fire sale – it’s a long-term investment and tactic” (Brown). In other words, social media is not transactional-oriented marketing. Instead, companies must understand that it is relational, and the companies who do use social media should focus on their consumers’ lifetime value.

Social media can definitely help companies earn customer loyalty, but without a consistent message throughout their campaigns, or if they do it for the sake of keeping up with others, it is just a waste of resources.

Blog and article: http://dannybrown.me/2013/10/03/identity-and-trust-in-social-media/