Social Marketing: Be interesting to succeed, says author Paul Gillin

What are the most important social media marketing skills that graduating college students need to understand?

Paul Gillin

I’m asking three questions of some leaders in the field of social marketing and this is what I learned. This is No. 18 in the series (see the links below for other posts in the series).

Today: Paul Gillin, a social media trainer and author of five books about online communities, including Social Marketing to the Business Customer (with Eric Schwartzman) and Secrets of Social Media Marketing. He can be found on Twitter as @pgillin:

"Being interesting" is the key to being successful as a social marketer, says Gillin.

"No matter what the industry or context, successful social marketers have the ability to create a unique persona and content stream that engages the audiences they want to reach," he says.

What skills are the most important in social marketing? "The ability to create and sustain meaningful relationships," says Gillin.

"That's more than just attracting followers and likes," he says. "It's about helping others by giving generously of your own time and expertise.

"Giving is essential to real-world relationships, and it's just as important to those that exist online."

And, just how important is social marketing as part of the marketing mix?

"Today it's important. In three to five years it will be essential," Gillin says.

"Marketing is becoming more targeted and personalized, thanks to data analysis and ubiquitous networks.

"People want to be treated as individuals, not demographic groups," he says. "This will continue to drive the need to listen to them and to serve their specific needs."

So, what do you think? How important will social marketing be in the future and what MUST graduating students know?

Previous posts:
10 Experts Weigh In On Social Marketing
Social Marketing: Utility leads to success, says Google’s Avinash Kaushik
Social Marketing: 'The lighter fluid on the marketing bonfire,' says author Ric Dragon
Social Marketing: Understand how marketing fits in, says Amber Naslund of SideraWorks
Social Marketing: Reevaluate the traditional '4 Ps', says marketer Valerie Simon
Social Marketing: Understand engagement, says Deirdre Breakendridge of Pure Performance

Social Marketing: Hubspot's Sam Mallikarjunan Tells All

Social Marketing: Reevaluate the traditional '4 Ps', says marketer Valerie Simon

What are the most important social media marketing skills that graduating college students need to understand?

Valerie Simon

I’m asking three questions of some leaders in the field of social marketing and this is what I learned. This is No. 17 in the series (see the links below for other posts in the series).

Today: Valerie Simon, marketer and co-founder of the #PRStudChat (PR Student Chat) and #HAPPO (Help a PR Pro Out) Twitter chats. She can be found on Twitter as @ValerieSimon:

It’s time those in marketing reevaluate all of the traditional "4 Ps," Simon says. Product, Price, Place and Promotion have been replaced by "4 Ss" – Service, Solution, Simplicity and Sharing, she says.

"Effective communication today focuses on engaging the customer," Simon says, "and uses opportunities to share information, opportunities and solutions in a manner that will encourage them to become brand evangelists."

 "Starbucks, for example, makes customer engagement a top priority, soliciting customer ideas through channels such as Facebook and Twitter and even offering discounts to Foursquare mayors," she says.

"It uses social media to spread the word about more promotional events like the recent Starbuck’s Happy Hour promotion."

What separates a successful social marketer from the others?

They "must demonstrate good judgment and the ability to integrate social communications within the overarching communications plan and business needs," Simon says.

"They understand how and when to escalate both potential problems and opportunities to legal, HR or other experts within the organization.

"Successful social marketers must also understand all of the potential stakeholders," she says. "They are on a continuous quest to identify new technologies and understand the potential business implications of these technologies.

"Finally, successful social marketers have a clear understanding of objectives and are able to measure their efforts."

And what skills are the most important in social marketing?

"Good judgment and superior communications skills are essential."

Additionally, Simon says, those looking for a career in social marketing should have:

• Strong brand measurement skills/analytic capabilities and an understanding of online analytic tools (paid, earned, owned)
• Project management skills, outstanding interpersonal skills (working with a wide array of different audiences, personalities and experience levels)
• Expertise in a wide range of social media content management and publishing platforms
• Excellent writing, copy-editing, proofreading and optimization skills
• Ability to quickly embrace new technologies

So, what do you think? How important will social marketing be in the future and what MUST graduating students know?

Previous posts:
10 Experts Weigh In On Social Marketing
Social Marketing: Utility leads to success, says Google’s Avinash Kaushik
Social Marketing: 'The lighter fluid on the marketing bonfire,' says author Ric Dragon
Social Marketing: Understand how marketing fits in, says Amber Naslund of SideraWorks
Social Marketing: Understand the fundamentals, says Suzanne Vara of Kherize5
Social Marketing: 'Talk to people as human beings,' says Gini Dietrich, marketer and author
Social Marketing: Make communication 'special,' says Eric Miltsch of DrivingSales

Social Marketing: Utility leads to success, says Google’s Avinash Kaushik

What are the most important social media marketing skills that graduating college students need to understand?

 Avinash Kaushik

I’m asking three questions of some leaders in the field of social marketing and this is what I learned.This is No. 16 in the series (see the links below for other posts in the series).

Today: Avinash Kaushik, who is the Digital Marketing Evangelist for Google, the co-founder of Market Motive Inc., author of the blog, Occam's Razor, and author of two best-selling books: Web Analytics: An Hour A Day and Web Analytics 2.0. He can be found on Twitter as @avinash:

The secret to future social marketing success will be a new skill, which Kaushik describes as: "The ability to execute utility marketing – in the purest sense of the word (and to avoid the opposite: shouting and pimping)."

In a blog post, he says utility marketing is "delivering such incredible value that you simply become part of your audience's life!"

He goes on to say that mobile apps are the channel to both deliver great content and collect data (with the consumer’s permission).

He asks: "Is there anything compelling and of value that you deliver, selflessly, to your current and potential audiences?"

Utility marketing is the solution, he says, and is pretty cheap.

"A decent mobile app costs infinitely less than producing a single TV commercial and — done right — delivers a hyper-relevant audience with whom you can build a relationship unlike what is possible via any other channel on the planet," Kaushik says.

"And you'll never have to remember to interrupt them, because you'll be part of their life already!"

How important is social marketing?

It is important at this moment in time, Kaushik says, but "will become crucial over the next couple of years."

And what skills are the most important in social marketing?

Successful practitioners will have "a combination of business savvy, authenticity and restraint."

So, what do you think? How important will social marketing be in the future and what MUST graduating students know?

Previous posts:
10 Experts Weigh In On Social Marketing
Social Marketing: 'The lighter fluid on the marketing bonfire,' says author Ric Dragon
Social Marketing: Don’t be timid, says Ford’s Scott Monty
Social Marketing: Understand how marketing fits in, says Amber Naslund of SideraWorks
Social Marketing: 'Talk to people as human beings,' says Gini Dietrich, marketer and author
Social Marketing: Its 'part of a nutritious breakfast,' says Christopher Penn of WhatCounts
Social Marketing: Make music to an audience’s ears, says Mahei Foliaki (@Iconic88)

Social Marketing: 'The lighter fluid on the marketing bonfire,' says author Ric Dragon

What are the most important social media marketing skills that graduating college students need to understand?

Ric Dragon

I’m asking three questions of some leaders in the field of social marketing and this is what I learned. This is No. 15 in the series (see the links below for other posts in the series).

Today: Ric Dragon, is the author of Social Marketology, a social media deep-dive and process reference for marketing professionals, CEO of DragonSearch, and a frequent columnist, blogger and speaker on digital marketing. He can be found on Twitter as @RicDragon:

"Social can be the lighter fluid on the marketing bonfire," says Dragon, explaining that "marketers are in the business of creating more value."

"By integrating traditional marketing tactics with social, more value will be realized from each component of the marketing," he says.

"Create a reminder for yourself – perhaps a tattoo on your forearm or a post-it on your monitor – to always seek out ways to derive more value by integrating your efforts," Dragon says.

When asked: What skills are the most important in social marketing, he says there are two major buckets of important skills in social media marketing.

"The first bucket has a lot in common with traditional marketing skills: being able to understand actions in their context with an organization’s purpose, vision, goals and objectives; understanding customers; and understanding the complexity of influence," Dragon says.

"The second bucket has more to do with participating in social media in ways that help to create conversations and community," he says. "We’re talking high 'social intelligence' and high 'emotional intelligence' here – those little actions that encourage the trust in others, and help ignite deeper engagement."

He notes that organizations that are flourishing in social have shown a willingness to relinquish some of the control of the brand, allowing the brand to exist with a more dynamic voice – and thus become a part of the conversation.

They've relinquished the "command and control" approach to the brand, and encourage an "enable and facilitate" approach, and have very likely embraced notions of transparency and authenticity, he says.

But not all brands have crossed this threshold.

"The great challenge for many marketers is in helping those laggard brands join the social revolution – and are thus able to speak the language of the C-Suite," Dragon says.

"Instead of eschewing discussions of Social Media ROI, successful marketers understand that social media marketing exists within a complex ecosystem, and helps to create value across a wide spectrum of places in the organization.

"Communicating this – having those discussions – is critical," he says.

And how important is social marketing as part of the marketing mix?

"Marketers today should wake up each morning with a feeling of delight and excitement – we live in a time of real revolution in marketing and business communications," Dragon says.

"Brands that embrace these new approaches to building communities, leading with passion and purpose, and one-to-one conversations are going to assume a leadership role," he says, and "will be difficult for competitors to usurp."

So, what do you think? How important will social marketing be in the future and what MUST graduating students know?

Previous posts:
10 Experts Weigh In On Social Marketing
Social Marketing: Understand how marketing fits in, says Amber Naslund of SideraWorks
Social Marketing: 'Talk to people as human beings,' says Gini Dietrich, marketer and author
Social Marketing: Understand engagement, says Deirdre Breakendridge of Pure Performance
Social Marketing: Its 'part of a nutritious breakfast,' says Christopher Penn of WhatCounts
Social Marketing: Don’t be timid, says Ford’s Scott Monty

Social Marketing: Understand how marketing fits in, says Amber Naslund of SideraWorks

What are the most important social media marketing skills that graduating college students need to understand?

Amber Naslund

I’m asking three questions of some leaders in the field of social marketing and this is what I learned. This is No. 14 in the series (see the links below for other posts in the series).

Today: Amber Naslund, who is president and co-founder of SideraWorks, a consultancy specializing in social business transformation, and the co-author of the social business book The Now Revolution. She can be found on Twitter as @AmberCadabra:

Understanding "how marketing fits into an overall business picture," is critical, says Naslund.

"Too few marketers understand how the work they do affects the rest of the organization.

"Collaboration and communication are key, but as much inside the company as outside to customers," she says.

And Naslund has one particular request for college graduates:

"I really wish I saw more grads coming out of school with amazing writing skills," she says. "It's so important in business overall."

Asked "What separates a successful social marketer from the others?” Naslund ticks off a list of key skills:

• Willingness to learn quickly (this stuff moves fast)
• Ability to collaborate with others (this isn't a solo race, either)
• Curiosity and a willingness to take smart risks in order to try something new and prove it
• A strong grasp of analytics and the ability to audit and adapt your efforts accordingly

And how important is social marketing as part of the marketing mix?

"If we're just talking marketing, I think it's pretty important, but it's not everything," Naslund says.

"The tools will always change," she adds.

"What's most important is to understand the motivations behind social media's rise – open communication, speed, adaptability, personal connection – and keep those at the center of your efforts no matter what platform gets the spotlight tomorrow.

"Marketing should be about building stronger ties between your customers and your products and services," Naslund says. "The tenets of social are good ones to adopt for doing that well, period, regardless of whether Twitter is still here tomorrow."

So, what do you think? How important will social marketing be in the future and what MUST graduating students know?

Previous posts:
10 Experts Weigh In On Social Marketing
Social Marketing: Understand the fundamentals, says Suzanne Vara of Kherize5
Social Marketing: It's definitely a team sport, says Toyota’s Scott DeYager
Social Marketing: 'Talk to people as human beings,' says Gini Dietrich, marketer and author
Social Marketing: Make communication 'special,' says Eric Miltsch of DrivingSales

Social Marketing: Understand the fundamentals, says Suzanne Vara of Kherize5

What are the most important social media marketing skills that graduating college students need to understand?

Suzanne Vara

I’m asking three questions of some leaders in the field of social marketing and this is what I learned. This is No. 13 in the series (see the links below for other posts in the series).

Today: Suzanne Vara, who is the founder of Kherize5, an advertising and marketing agency that develops marketing strategies in traditional advertising and social media. She can be found on Twitter at @SuzanneVara:

A good education in "the basic fundamentals of marketing and communicating with the target market" is essential for social marketing success, says Vara.

Recent college grads need to be well "versed in how the target audience uses the tools, engages with the tools and with others" and how those target consumers interact with the brand and other brands, she says.

"Listening to the target allows you to hone core skills and effectively communicate with the audience."

Vara says social marketers who talk to current customers, target customers and past customers in a way that makes them comfortable are likely to have success.

Successful social marketers are also excellent listeners, she says.

"When you listen to the target and truly understand what they want from your brand, you will be able to develop and deliver the marketing message that they will respond to."

Vara says that while social media is an important part of the marketing mix it may not be for everyone. "Should every brand be active on all the available social media tools? No," says Vara.

"However, every brand should be open to being educated about the new technology that is available and how they can integrate that into their overall marketing strategy."

So, what do you think? How important will social marketing be in the future and what MUST graduating students know? 

Previous posts:
10 Experts Weigh In On Social Marketing
Social Marketing: It's definitely a team sport, says Toyota’s Scott DeYager
Social Marketing: 'Talk to people as human beings,' says Gini Dietrich, marketer and author
Social Marketing: Its 'part of a nutritious breakfast,' says Christopher Penn of WhatCounts
Social Marketing: Communication is the key, says Cheryl Burgess of Blue Focus 
Social Marketing: Understand engagement, says Deirdre Breakendridge of Pure Performance

Social Marketing: It's definitely a team sport, says Toyota’s Scott DeYager

What are the most important social media marketing skills that graduating college students need to understand?

I’m asking three questions of some leaders in the field of social marketing and this is what I learned.

Scott DeYager

This is No. 12 in the series (see the links below for other posts in the series). 

Today: Scott DeYager, Social Media and Strategic Communications Manager at Toyota, where he oversees earned social strategy and communications. He is on Twitter as @scottdeyager and is part of the team behind @Toyota:

"Social media is definitely a team sport," says DeYager.

It not only requires great writing and storytelling but also a knack for team building, he says.

"Because you’ll end up working with so many different stakeholders (customer service, PR, etc.) in social media, it’s valuable to understand what each brings to the party and how they create a complete social experience."

DeYager thinks there’s a formula for success: "Successful social marketers tend to be equal parts communicator, risk taker and student.

"They’re able to humble themselves and learn from their mistakes, hits and misses," he says. "They also consistently align social plans/activities with their brand’s business objectives."

Because social is "everywhere these days" brands are "starting to see social marketing as a very important part of the mix," De Yager says.

"You can’t watch a network TV show anymore without seeing a hashtag or a tweet across the bottom of the screen.

"Companies are also starting to see how social media has weaved its way into paid, owned and earned media," he says. "The convergence of these media will only amplify the importance of social marketing."

So, what do you think? How important will social marketing be in the future and what MUST graduating students know?

Previous posts:
10 Experts Weigh In On Social Marketing
Social Marketing: 'Talk to people as human beings,' says Gini Dietrich, marketer and author
Social Marketing: Make music to an audience’s ears, says Mahei Foliaki (@Iconic88)
Social Marketing: Don’t be timid, says Ford’s Scott Monty
Social Marketing: Understand engagement, says Deirdre Breakendridge of Pure Performance

Social Marketing: 'Talk to people as human beings,' says Gini Dietrich, marketer and author

What are the most important social media marketing skills that graduating college students need to understand?

Gini Dietrich

I’m asking three questions of some leaders in the field of social marketing and this is what I learned. This is No. 11 in the series (see the links below for other posts in the series).

Today: Gini Dietrich, the founder and CEO of Arment Dietrich, a Chicago-based integrated marketing communications firm, co-author (with Geoff Livingston) of the book, Marketing in the Round and found on Twitter at @ginidietrich:

A successful social marketer "knows how to talk to people as human beings," Dietrich says.

"Too often we get to work and get behind our computer screens and start spewing marketing jargon and acronyms that mean nothing to anyone outside of our organizations.

"If a social marketer knows how to talk to people without being a marketer – in the traditional sense of the word – he or she will succeed every time," she says.

So, what skills are the most important for college grads hoping to work in social marketing? Students should connect with their hoped-for employer on social networks, says Dietrich.

"When we are reviewing resumes of new college graduates, the ones that stick out (or make their way to the top of the pile) are those who use the social networks to connect with the agency online," she says.

"We expect someone who wants to work here will have already found us, connected with us, and begun to build a relationship. That's really No. 1.

"If you know how to use social media for networking to find yourself a job, we can teach you how to use the tools for business," Dietrich says.

Social marketing will become a very important part of the marketing mix, Dietrich says.

"We think social will become one of the ways all of us communicate in the future – just like email and the phone," she says.

"It's going to become increasingly important to understand how to use the tools to communicate with customers, prospects, employees, influencers, and other people invested in the organization."

So, what do you think? How important will social marketing be in the future and what MUST graduating students know?

Previous posts:
10 Experts Weigh In On Social Marketing
Social Marketing: Don’t be timid, says Ford’s Scott Monty
Social Marketing: Clearly connect business objectives, says author Aaron Strout
Social Marketing: Understand engagement, says Deirdre Breakendridge of Pure Performance
Social Marketing: A good marketer 'walks the talk,' says Kodak’s Jennifer Cisney

10 Experts Weigh In On Social Marketing

The first 10 social marketing experts in this blog series were: Top, from left:Aaron Strout, Scott Monty, Sam Mallikarjunan, Deirdre Breakenridge, Mark Schaefer; Bottom, from left: Mahei Foliaki, Jennifer Cisney, Christopher Penn, Cheryl Burgess, Eric Miltsch.

Social media marketing is a new and growing field of study.

As someone who is now charged with teaching the basics in this field to college students I decided to turn to some experts and ask them three questions for a series of blog posts.

The answers were always informative and sometimes surprising. Today, in case you missed any of the posts, I recap highlights from the first 10 experts who agreed to talk to me (new posts in the series will begin later this week):

The First 10 Social Marketing Experts:

Clearly connect business objectives to social efforts, says Aaron Strout, author of Location Based Marketing For Dummies. "If you’re engaging and connecting with people on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook leads to good things for your business, it is a worthwhile activity."

Don’t be timid was the advice from Scott Monty of Ford Motor Company. He went on to say that successful social marketers are those "who will try new things and be willing to fail, and who will constantly learn from his or her mistakes."

Be patient counseled Hubspot’s Sam Mallikarjunan. Social marketing is "a long, ongoing process of relationship building," he said. "Expecting easy wins is a guaranteed way to get frustrated and fail."

Understand engagement, said Deirdre Breakendridge, author and CEO of Pure Performance. "A successful social marketer knows why they want to engage in social communities and how a particular program will serve the needs of the audience in the community."

The real future of marketing is in content creation and data, said marketer and author Mark Schaefer. Students must grasp the basics of marketing, but beyond that, math and writing will be the keys, he said.

Make music to an audience’s ears, said Mahei Foliaki (@Iconic88). "Those that play the best music for their audience win," he said. "Knowing what, how, why and when to play is the competitive edge."

'Walk the talk,' said Kodak’s Jennifer Cisney. In social media nothing beats firsthand experience, she said. Therefore a successful social marketer, "uses social media themselves and knows the tools, the best practices and the protocol."

Social is 'part and parcel of marketing,' said Christopher Penn of WhatCounts. Social is "a channel, in the same way that email, news, PR, direct mail, SEO, advertising, etc. are channels.… If you want to really succeed, you need to know how it interoperates with other channels.

Communication is the key, said Cheryl Burgess of Blue Focus Marketing. This means all employees must be truly unified behind the scenes or a brand risks presenting an inconsistent, potentially schizophrenic message.

Make your communications 'special,' said Eric Miltsch of DrivingSales. College graduates must be able to communicate on every level: In-person, writing, phone skills and video, because "every one of these is an opportunity to connect and have an impact," he said.

So, is there a social marketer you’d like to hear from? And, just how important will social marketing be in the future and what MUST graduating students know?

Social Marketing: Understand engagement, says Deirdre Breakendridge of Pure Performance

What are the most important social media marketing skills that graduating college students need to understand?

I’m asking three questions of some leaders in the field of social marketing and this is what I learned. This is the tenth in the series (see the links below for other posts in the series).

Deirdre Breakenridge

Today: Deirdre Breakenridge, CEO at Pure Performance Communications, author of several books - including Social Media and Public Relations: Eight New Practices for the PR Professional and PR 2.0: New Media, New Tools, New Audiences - and she can be found on Twitter at @dbreakenridge:

"A successful social marketer knows why they want to engage in social communities," Breakenridge says, "and how a particular program will serve the needs of the audience in the community."

"Marketers who listen first and then develop their programs to solve a problem, change an opinion, create materials to help make decision, offer something exclusive to the members of a community, etc., stand out above the rest," she says.

"The social media marketers who have a well-planned process and a strategic purpose will also make the most impact for the brands they represent.

"They will do research first by listening carefully to the community, set measurable objectives and implement strategic programs to achieve those objectives," Breakenridge says.

"Of course, they also realize that social media creates accountability and these marketers evaluate their initiatives closely to determine if they've reached their social media goals," she says.

What skills are the most important for recent grads in social marketing?

One of the most important is a competency in technology, new tools, resources and applications, Breakenridge says.

"Technology enhances the ability to research and gauge public attitudes.

"Being able to navigate new social media communities and to use monitoring technology allows us to understand the perceptions and the critical issues of the people we want to reach," she says.

"We can hear their thoughts, opinions and concerns, as well as how they discuss topics with their peers."

"Technology also allows professionals to set up detailed metrics to capture measurement that reveals everything from high impact engagement to lower level community participation."

She adds that other important social marketing skills include writing for social media channels, starting a dialogue and engaging directly with customers and influencers, and learning how to listen, evaluate and respond properly to comments that may lead to negative sentiment.

"Social marketing is becoming an increasingly important part of the marketing mix," Breakenridge says.

"From millennials to adults over the age of 65, the number of consumers participating in social media is on the rise.

"However, you have to be cognizant of where your audience congregates," she says.

"Knowing when and how to reach the public is critical to the success of any communications program, whether it's through more traditional or social media channels," Breakenridge says.

"As such you also have to remember that social media measurement doesn't stand alone. You will need additional data to determine how social media contributes to valuable business outcomes or the ROI of an entire marketing program."

Breakenridge says working outside of silos enables PR, marketing, advertising and the web to integrate their programs and to see how social media creates impact as a part of a company's comprehensive marketing plan.

What do you think? How important will social marketing be in the future and what MUST graduating students know?

Related posts:
Social Marketing: Make communication 'special,' says Eric Miltsch of DrivingSales
Social Marketing: A good marketer 'walks the talk,' says Kodak’s Jennifer Cisney
Social Marketing: Its 'part of a nutritious breakfast,' says Christopher Penn of WhatCounts
Social Marketing: Make music to an audience’s ears, says Mahei Foliaki (@Iconic88)
Social Marketing: Clearly connect business objectives, says author Aaron Strout
Social Marketing: Don’t be timid, says Ford’s Scott Monty
Social Marketing: Communication is the key, says Cheryl Burgess of Blue Focus Social Marketing: Hubspot's Sam Mallikarjunan Tells All
Social Marketing: Mark Schaefer on What Students Must Know

Social Marketing: Make communication 'special,' says Eric Miltsch (@emiltsch) of DrivingSales

What are the most important skills for graduating college students if they want to have a future in social marketing?

Eric Miltsch

I’m asking three questions of some leaders in the field of social media marketing and this is what I learned. This is the ninth in the series (see the links below for other posts in the series).

Today: Eric Miltsch, Director of Product Strategy at DrivingSales.com, a site that helps auto dealers across North America stay on top of industry trends, and author of the blog The World of Location-Based Services. He can be found on Twitter at @emiltsch:

Making every communication 'special,' is the key to social marketing success, says Miltsch.

Today's graduates must be able to communicate on every level: In-person, writing, phone skills and video, he says, because "every one of these is an opportunity to connect and have an impact."

"Today, everyone uses some form of these channels and only a select few make the 'hot-button' connection with their audience and create something truly effective, memorable and unique which leads to further action," Miltsch says.

Today's college grads also need to "understand the power of the data behind all of this social marketing activity," he says.

Young marketers should seek out Google analytics website data, customer-relations-management profiles and social platform insights. That way they can understand how their customers find their online properties, interact with their products/services and engage with their brand throughout the relationship life-cycle.

"There's gold in the data and so many miss the opportunity to learn from this information," Miltsch says. 

"Successful graduates also need to think like a CEO," he adds. "Executives want results.

"Are you driving traffic to increase leads? Are you increasing impressions while lowering average cost of sale? Are you driving more foot traffic? Are your customer satisfaction scores and customer reviews improving?

"Delivering positive results will always make your executive team happy."

So, what do you think? How important will social marketing be in the future and what MUST graduating students know?

Related posts:
Social Marketing: A good marketer 'walks the talk,' says Kodak’s Jennifer Cisney
Social Marketing: Its 'part of a nutritious breakfast,' says Christopher Penn of WhatCounts
Social Marketing: Make music to an audience’s ears, says Mahei Foliaki (@Iconic88)
Social Marketing: Clearly connect business objectives, says author Aaron Strout
Social Marketing: Don’t be timid, says Ford’s Scott Monty
Social Marketing: Communication is the key, says Cheryl Burgess of Blue Focus
Social Marketing: Hubspot's Sam Mallikarjunan Tells All
Social Marketing: Mark Schaefer on What Students Must Know

Social Marketing: A good marketer 'walks the talk,' says Kodak’s Jennifer Cisney

What are the most important skills for graduating college students if they want to have a future in social marketing?

Jennifer Cisney

I’m asking three questions of some leaders in the field of social media marketing and this is what I learned. This is the eighth in the series (see the links below for other posts in the series).

Today: Jennifer Cisney, Chief Blogger and Social Media Manager at Eastman Kodak, where she oversees presences on social sites such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Flickr. She has been a speaker at conferences as BlogWorld, BlogHer, Marketing to Women, 140 Characters Conference and The Inbound Marketing Summit. She is on Linkedin and on Twitter as @kodakCB and @ljc:

In social media nothing beats firsthand experience, says Cisney.

Therefore, "he or she uses social media themselves and knows the tools, the best practices and the protocol," she says.

And because of that they "understand the practices that make for success... listening, good content, measurement etc."

In other words, "A good social marketer walks the talk," Cisney says.

What skills are the most important in social marketing? 

"First of all you want a good foundation of skills that you will use constantly like communications and organization," Cisney says. "It's amazing how good writing skills can be something you come back to again and again."

And, beyond the day to day activity a social marketer "needs to be able to see the big picture and set strategy that will attain overall goals."

So, just how important is social marketing to the marketing mix?

"Not every business should be forced to engage in social media and certainly not blindly," Cisney says. "But a business should be open to exploring it.

"Perhaps Twitter isn't a good fit for their target audience but Facebook is. You need to know your customers and figure out where you need to be to connect with them.

"If you are not prepared to engage with them on social media when they are active there," she says, "then you will need to be prepared to be left behind."  

So, what do you think? How important will social marketing be in the future and what MUST students know?

Related posts:
Social Marketing: Its 'part of a nutritious breakfast,' says Christopher Penn of WhatCounts
Social Marketing: Make music to an audience’s ears, says Mahei Foliaki (@Iconic88)
Social Marketing: Clearly connect business objectives, says author Aaron Strout
Social Marketing: Don’t be timid, says Ford’s Scott Monty
Social Marketing: Communication is the key, says Cheryl Burgess of Blue Focus  
Social Marketing: Hubspot's Sam Mallikarjunan Tells All
Social Marketing: Mark Schaefer on What Students Must Know