Best SMM tool for SMEs: Google? Groupon? Foursquare?Gowalla? or Facebook?

Facebook, world’s leading social network, is the most popular SMM platform amongst small enterprises, both profit and non profit.  As per many stat studies, Facebook is now ahead of even Google, the leader in online advertising, especially for small businesses. “MerchantCircle Survey” recently interviewed 8,000 small businesses about the adoption of various SMM tools. The survey reports that as many as 70 percent small businesses use Facebook to promote their business – up from 50 percent a year ago. Closest competition was Goggle, with a usage rate of 66%.

Why Facebook?

Most Popular Social Media: Facebook is ranked as the most popular SM with the highest number of members, highest level of their engagement as it focuses on continuous updates  and generates highest level of conversations.

Marketing Budget of SMEs: The budget for the marketing campaigns of small enterprises in terms of  both time and money is limited. More than 50 percent of the sample’s marketing budgets was less than $2,500 in 2010, and nearly every three in five businesses do not plan to increase those spends this year.

Efficiency and Effectiveness of Search Marketing and better ROI: Sure did Google help small businesses to generate their prime ROI, but Facebook has the killer power of social media along with effectiveness and efficiency. So it offers a even  better ROI.

Location based Services: Although Google helps to enhance a small business through SEO and viral search, facebook has the ‘location based services’ which Google unfortunately lacks. On the other hand, Foursquare, been known as the world’s most popular location-based service,but yet  it leaves a lot to be desired for small business users.  Hence the small enterprises are more banking on facebook other than Foursquare and Gowalla even.

Value addition : Groupon was on demand for small businesses even in last year which became unprofitable  for SME’s now. Presently it is considered   as a platform for  online deals and discounts services only. On the other hand, Facebook not only offers social media platform but also offer some value-adds such as Facebook Places, Facebook Deals etc.

I guess all these answer ‘why not facebook?’ rather “why facebook?’ Infact, it is considered as a blessings in disguise for SMEs.Perhaps facebook will continue to rule the small to medium-size business segment for the next several years. 

So, who thinks twitter or any other SMM tool is better than Facebook or has a better potential for SMEs and why? 

Source: http://smedio.com/2011/02/22/why-facebook-is-the-1-marketing-tool-for-small-businesses/

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Starbucks’s now with more flavors for entertainment

A Smart Integrated marketing Attempt by Starbucks:

Starbucks and Apple are expanding its unbeaten “iTunes Pick of the Week program” which now will include iPhone applications, extended samples of books from the iBookstore, television episodes and other media types. Each week Starbucks customers will get new Pick of the Week cards at nearly 8,500 Starbucks operated and licensed stores which are redeemable for the complimentary iTunes store entertainments.  The explosion of app downloads and digital versions of books will lead these customers to discover contents that they already love through Starbucks Digital Network .Starbucks will offer customers the premium music identifying Shazam Encore application on August 23 followed by feature EA and Firemint’s SPY mouse game. Apple and Starbucks will then jointly select each week’s application or media offering. This expansion of the previously successful program is done to enhance their customers experience through content. This concept was innovated by engaging customers through social media. Starbucks will continue to refresh its weekly iTunes music offering online via Starbucks Digital Network. 

How successful this new campaign will be in US, we do not know that yet.Lets see. One of the observations of this program is Starbucks should offer the apps through their SDN, else it might create a confusion."The music card placements in stores are hit-and-miss, and get emptied out very quickly." What other suggestions you guys have to make this program a sure shot?

Doctors and Social Media

The world is moving towards more online everyday and it is unstoppable. If we fail to move at the same speed, it’s us who will be left behind. In this 21st century, when patients have the wealth of medical information at their fingertips, a doctor's reputation is now subject to the whims of anonymous comments just like any other service provider.

3 roles of SMM in Medical Service

1.      Online Visibility/Brand image:  when someone is referred to a doctor, they can search online about them and get accurate info about the doctors online. It is easier and quicker than going through many medical directories manually.

2.      Search Awareness: if someone is looking for a special treatment or service, he can search for those online and find which doctor to see.

3.      Community Building: better customer service which is the CSF for any industry now.

Opportunities

·         Better platform of co-production: Customer can search information online and better understand their own problem and hence could better participate with the doctors in treatment planning.

·         Better platform to manage the demanding customers. This is a consumer driven market. SMM helps to educate the demanding patients by answering their queries in a more efficient manner.

·         Better and greater scope of e-WOM about a doctor through bigger referral network.

·         Gives a preview to the patients what doctors have to offer.

·         Doctors can reduce the routine calls at their office by pushing info to patients online.

·         Patients can easily get exposed to important information immediately in need which helps to reduce their stress level. So SMM is helpful for the patients.

·         A better contributor in pulling traffic to service centres.

·         The constant contact with patients through social media provides an opportunity for the medical practice to stay connected and at the top of mind when it comes time for an elective surgery or procedure.

Challenges

·         Getting the doctors using SMM, new technologies such as Facebook or twitter is sometimes a challenge.

·         There are regulations for medical marketing online. These make doctors a little nervous.

·         Doctors are very busy but they are needed to make their online presence regularly.  For them to manage time regularly is a challenge.

·         Negative WOM might damage the whole career of a doctor.

·         Patients’ privacy issue

A successful Business Model in Medical Industry

Target the Current and potential customers to educate them in a fun way using SM: the goal is to make a relationship with the customers, to engage them and to make them feel comfortable when they actually visit the service centre.

Platforms:

Facebook:

·         A quiz game is played every week with the fans.

·         A Truth-O-Meter is established to  sort through all the misconceptions surrounding the service provided.

·         Every Tuesday morning Doctor posts a question on the Facebook page. A winner is randomly chosen from the correct answers and announced by a short YouTube video every Wednesday. Prizes include gift cards, skin care products and contributions to charity in honour of breast cancer awareness month. This practice has a growing collection of relevant videos on YouTube as well which are viewed quite regularly by the current and potential patients.

Blogs: Doctors keep patients updated by blogging on hot topics in related services they provide.

E-Book

A interactive eBook is designed to be read online or on an iPad, downloaded free, easily forwarded and linked to. It was written in response to the increase in the number of patients coming to our office with problems after a unsatisfied treatment. The idea is to offer patients free and helpful information that is not easily found online. Chapters are informative but also entertaining.

Many Medical service providers are warmly welcoming this new trend with many to start shortly. But many are still hesitating. Outsourcing this service is also an option. The ROI and growth of using SMM is proven measureable and is positive.  If every demand can be goggled and met efficiently then why not medical services from all over the world? What is stopping the patients and doctors?

Ref: http://www.business2community.com/social-media/social-media-success-story-marketing-a-medical-practice-04786

Scope of Blogging as a Social Media Marketing Tool in India

SMM in India:

India is rapidly catching up with Social Media Marketing. IT and communication infrastructure including mobile and broadband connectivity are rapidly improving (even in smaller towns and villages) together with literacy regarding usage of computers and the Internet. Social networks have been a hit among the urban youth.

Blogging as a SMM Tool:

Blogging, an unconventional approach for two-way online communication and customer participation, is gradually finding its way into the corporate arena. Many organizations have quickly included blogs in their corporate communication toolbox and are successfully using it as a cost-effective media with instant reach. Some organizations have started using blogs for marketing, sales, brand building, CRM, HRM and CSR reporting & discussions. Others are unaware or reluctant to adopt it in fear of losing control over their communication. The impact of corporate blogging varies substantially depending upon the degree of market maturity and also across different demographic segments. In many countries, particularly in the Asia Pacific, blogs are not yet considered important compared to other traditional media, which are more popular and influential. Despite the hype, corporate blogging has not gathered momentum to the extent it was expected.

Future of Blogging as a SMM Tool in India:

Many companies in India have shown interest and want to start their blogs in the next few months. The significance of two-way communication and customer participation is also gaining momentum and blogging would help companies interact with customers more freely and frequently and take their valuable feedback. In addition, the blogosphere would be faster, livelier and more attractive domain in the future with instant micro-blogging messages and rich linked media like pictures, podcasts, on-line video and multimedia files. Blogs would gradually find a respectable place in the corporate communication toolkit of organizations competing in emerging economies due to their characteristics to handle high market dynamics and scale and diversity of operations. Cost-effectiveness, instant penetration over wide geographical areas, scope for community participation and brand building would make this online media a favorite for marketing communication in emerging markets. Blogs along with corporate websites have a huge potential for addressing the youth market in India. Companies using it seriously, intelligently and with precaution would certainly benefit from this exciting media. A study regarding the financial returns of blogging as an isolated media and also in the integrated communication environment would be conducted as an extension of this research. We feel that it’s a matter of time when blogs would deliver significant value to organizations using them for marketing campaigns and brand building.”

Source: Saibal K. Pal and V. Kapur (2010),Blog Marketing Strategies for Mature and

Emerging Markets, International Journal of Innovation, Management and Technology, Vol. 1, No. 4.