Fortune 500 businesses" and while there are tons of online "media experts", Mr. Brown has a solid education and experience to back him up. He has a degree in Marketing and has been part of the big and demanding team of the UK telecommunications leader British Telecom where he played a key role in the introduction of a service "that resulted in over £100 million of new business".
To prove his inspiring ambition to help others, he has created a unique charity project using social media to change the lives of millions in 2009, called 12for12k Challenge.
Courtesy of Danny Brown
I was eager to ask him a few question about social media and, honestly, I was a little concerned that he might turn me down. Well, he was kind enough not to, so without further ado, I give you, Mr. Danny Brown.
Do you think every company on the market today should consider having a social media marketing campaign?
They should certainly consider it, but that doesn't mean they necessarily should have one. You need to ask certain questions before entering into any kind of social media strategy (I'd say it's more a strategic approach than a traditional campaign-type approach). Is your target audience the type that would use social media? If so, what platforms? How are you going to measure the success of the strategy? Do you have the necessary time and resources available to do it properly? So, by all means consider using social media as part of your next marketing strategy, but make sure it's for the right reasons.
Considering all of the social websites, do you think that the social media market has yet to grow?
Image by DavidErickson via Flickr
If I have just found out about social media, what would you advise me to do for a successful future?
Listen and be open to changing preconceptions. Unlearn a lot of what you've already learned from a traditional standpoint and look at social media as a new opportunity to help you strengthen your existing knowledge base. Never think you've learned all there is to know - there's always more.
What are the most important components of a successful social media marketing campaign, or is it just the variety of tools used and the persistence?
Again, I'd suggest it's a strategy as opposed to a campaign. But I'd say that one of the most important things is acknowledging that gauging success will be a little different from how you're used to gauging it. While you can see how many sales you've achieved via what I call "brick and mortar campaigns", social media can be judged in other ways. You still want business and sales, obviously, but it's how you're achieving these sales now that count. Instead of blasting out your sales pitch, use the tools of social media to be where your customers are. Build the relationships that foster loyalty and your business as first choice for them. It does take persistence and making errors along the way, and that's why you need to be sure your time can be allocated to it. But use the errors you make as a positive experience - gain solutions with your customers and they'll be there for you even more.
Do you think that the old school PR tools like press release will find a place in the social media environment?
It's already there. Social media news releases are the natural complement to traditional releases. I wouldn't say they're going anywhere soon either. Look at TV - it was meant to kill radio. CD was meant to kill vinyl. DVD was meant to kill video tape. They're all still around and sitting side-by-side. So yes, technology will change and offer us more options, but that's all they are (for now) - options. They're not replacements, and there will always be industries, trade magazines and similar that prefer "traditional" media over newer media.
Thank you, Danny! I am sure that your knowledge can and will help others and I sincerely wish you glamorous success in all your activities!
You can find Danny on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn
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