For the most part, traditional communications are centered around projects, campaigns, launches. Sure, there’s the overriding, long-term strategic positioning and messaging, but that is broken up into bits and pieces.
In media relations and in advertising, you can have on-going relationships (professional, not personal) with reporters and ad reps, but that’s mostly with trade and select consumer media. There is little on-going interaction with customers and prospects.
It’s primarily ADD Marcomm. Short-attention-span PR. Hit-and-run advertising.
But, in the evolving world in social media (social marketing, WOM — whatever), you have to commit for the long haul.
Courtesy of MarketingVox is a story in BrandWeek about the disappointment of SecondLife citizens in the lack of staying power of many brands in SecondLife:
“Even more disappointing are shops and outlets set up by brands, subjected to a certain amount of hype - and then all but abandoned. That non-presence presence is leading to frustration among residents looking for a more truly interactive experience.”
And, I don’t buy one wimpy excuse in the story: “Only a small percentage of Second Life’s reported three million players, though, visit regularly and spend any substantial time there. Brands’ realization of that fact may also be what causes some to abandon their Second Life setups.”
Before making any leap like that — especially the time and cost to make a real presence in SecondLife — you do your due diligence to get a good sense the demographics of SecondLife and what you can expect from it. Any good marketing firm or consultant would know that!
Social media ain’t your daddy’s PR. Based on the medium, there are expectations with most social media outlets that you are involved on a continual basis — not continuous — but at least semi-regular. Afterall, it is a relationship that marketers are courting. Not a fling. And, for the recipients, as the story above notes, they want at least some level of commitment.
So, if you’re an agency — or even an in-house professional — are you really in it for the long-haul, or just in for a quickie?
– Mike