The Publicists Assistant

Smart Corporations Are Using Social Media To Its Fullest Advantage

July 27th, 2009 | Author: Assistant

I have been stating to clients and business associates now for years that social media is the way to advertise and brand any and all businesses. So many offline businesses have been slow to do anything more than put up an html site or use blogger to have any presence at all. Now, all of a sudden, they are becoming more and more open to the fact that Social Media is the new norm (new for them, many of us have been using it for a few years now).

Here’s What I Have Seen

Jack Humphrey, Friday Traffic Report, reported on newspapers and their decline. "This really is an article in the New York Times, and yes, these guys really are beaming proud of themselves for inventing a 10 year old technology to “save” the news industry!"

There are so many things that newspapers could do, if they had wised up years ago and embraced technology.

Tara Nelson, with the Examiner, today reported on the ever growing need for both internet and brick and mortar businesses to take note, that social media is the new yellow pages.

The fact of the matter is, that online advertising and having an online presence is so much more important than it was even a few years ago. Those early adopters of social media will have so much more advantage over the new comers when it comes to having the presence, yet, this is a time for all businesses to take advantage of this medium and learn from those who have been through the school of hard knocks.

Many have noticed how Ford has taken on a strong presence with Twitter and their use of it as well as many other forms of social media. Many have been critical of Ford too, yet, Ford in my mind is doing a fantastic job of using social media.

AT&T AT&T has just recently used it with their $49 iPhone advertising, as well as cutting down on white pages distribution in several areas. Obviously, AT&T is not waiting to see how many others will use social media before they take full advantage of its power.

Best Buy Logo Best Buy is in my list of new favorites when it comes to large corporations using social media. Last night I was watching Law & Order Criminal Intent, I personally love the show, anyway, one of the commercials was a Best Buy commercial about technology questions. It was a good commercial, yet, what caught my attention the most was their Twitter url. How many companies do you hear talk about not wanting to use another services url because they want all the glory or the link love, yet, here is Best Buy, with a good commercial and at the same time, letting potential customers know that if they have any questions at all, they can twitter them and get an answer!

How smart is Best Buy? Very Smart! They are incorporating their message with a widely used service, and are able to brand themselves as well as using the popularity of a social media site. They are even using a clever name @TwelpForce.

Now is the time for brick and mortar businesses to come online with a plan. In a time when 61% of search inquiries are made online as opposed to print, you really have to have not only a presence online but a business online.