Many people / companies do not know exactly why or what to be on social networks, they think they are a waste of time or, on the contrary, they think that with the mere fact of “being”, the company’s sales will double. The RS from the commercial point of view are not so complicated, even, can be compared directly with a buying process like the one we have done throughout our life.
The first and most important is to dwell on the word “social” within the term Social Network, because although there is a group of consumers who consider a recreational and social activity (an apology for repeating both the term) to go shopping, very few are willing to “like” or follow a company that will be annoying while you read the updates or see recent pictures of your friends. Based on this imagine that we went out with a friend, with the family, or alone, to a shopping center on the weekend.
In our mind are a pair of new shoes that we need for an event that we have during the week, so we go over them, however on the way to the shoe store we are going to meet unknown, interesting but interesting people, stores, ads, and promoters of brands that will make us INVEST, OR LOSE TIME (in the latter term is the key to your decision as a company).
1- The first thing that we find is a jewelry store, which we passed by just looking at a pair of watches that were on the sideboard. A corridor later we will hardly remember the name of that jewelry, although we know that if someday we need something there will be.
Jewelry is similar to a company that has a profile on social networks but does not write, communicate, promote or interact with its users. We saw it one day and surely many more will pass before we see it again.
2- Next to the jewelry is a travel agency with the dresser full of posters with beautiful photographs of different destinations and great promotions for vacations. Our attention will be trapped without a doubt, however of all that perhaps we will remember only the promotion of the city to which for months we have the idea to visit.
The travel agency looks like companies that use their social networks to communicate their services and promotions without being annoying by labeling or sending direct messages. We once saw it, and when we finally decide to invest in that trip we will remember where to buy it.
3- Two aisles later we see a perfume shop. Inside the perfumery is a good friend paying a product in the box and, although we do not stop to greet him, we will remember that for one reason or another, surely positive, he decided to buy a lotion there and not in another store.
Perfumery is similar to when we realize that one of our friends follows or “like” a certain brand. When the moment arrives we will remember that although they did not give us a direct recommendation, something good will have the store for our friend to buy into it.
4- Later we stumbled in the hallway to an old friend, who loads a huge bag with the name of a store. We greet her, we talk for a while and it occurs to us to ask her what she bought, because the bag attracts attention. Our friend shows us a garment and gives us one or two tips on why she bought it.
Our friend is similar to companies that get their users to share a photo, check in or describe a product they bought by mentioning them. Generally we will remember that “such person” directly recommends to buy in that store.
5- Halfway we get to the step a botarga of an elephant with a shirt of a brand of clothing. It makes us laugh a little and maybe we crossed a word or two with the elephant, seconds later we followed our path, but we realize that even though that botarga seemed to have no relation to the mark, we remember perfectly what it was.
The botarga is similar to the companies that decide to share in social networks information not related to its products, interesting or funny, that although it will not generate an impulse of immediate purchase, will make that in our mind that mark stays engraved.
6- During the whole trip we were encountering fences and “totems” with advertising of a brand of watches, which according to us does not even have a store inside that mall, however we have already seen it so much that we will remember it when we need it a clock. Advertising is similar to those companies that pay to appear in ads and publications (Google, Facebook, sponsored photos, etc.). Although at the moment we do not require your service (maybe), on the day that is needed we will remember that mark.
7- Suddenly we come to the step a young man very well dressed and with a brochure printed in high quality. We do not have time to respond to you when you are requesting our data to process a new credit card. We try to tell him that we are not interested, but we can not, so we end up losing several minutes of our time until we decide to leave him talking alone. The seller is similar to those companies that tag you in every photo on Facebook or send you DM’s on Twitter without your request. We will remember them as intrusive and as in the mall, we will do our best to go “through another corridor” so as not to encounter them.
8- At the end we finally find a shoe store and we go to look for the model that we bring in mind.
The shoe is not a special profile, but it reminds us that “we have to be” in social networks and the internet, because there will always be someone who requires our product and will meet us when doing a search.