I don’t like flowcharts. I don’t like organization charts and I surely don’t like thinking in lines with arrows at the end…but I just can’t get this social media circle of influence and integration out of my head. I am talking about a marketing circle of strategies with a social media integration! Let me explain…

I was at a meeting the other day and we discussed sampling. Sampling is the best way to market a product and get it into the hands of potential consumers with buying power. The idea for this campaign is that the user must complete 2-3 easy steps online and once complete, will receive a complimentary sample. The online portion will encourage online brand engagement and will be driven by social media (i.e. company Twitter account and Facebook fan page) and other media buys. The company is putting a lot of effort into driving site traffic and encouraging sign-ups. The focus is front-loaded and very concentrated on getting users to engage and receive the sample. Then, after the user receives the free sample…there is nothing planned, hence the broken circle.

There was little consideration into what can be done to “complete the circle” of integration. The thought is that once you have the user online and completing a few steps to receive their complimentary sample, now you must continue the engagement! Bring them back online and encourage them to communicate using social media. Why stop at the sample?

To achieve this and to complete the circle, the sample can include anything from a “call-to-action” inviting users to logon to a landing page for more information and share comments, to a barcode activated with Augmented Reality technology and inviting users to try another product or engage in a different type of online experience.

The “call-to-action” can also be to simply tweet about the product for a chance to win a contest, blog about the product experience, or add a product review on the site and increase the amount of user-generated information about the product. This is leveraging social media and encouraging a full, complete experience, which is valuable to both the company AND the consumer.

These strategies and completing the circle of integration is how companies can actively use an on/offline approach and encourage brand engagement using social media and other online resources.

As most social media experts will preach, social media is never an end-all strategy, it is a supplement to other activities and can take your marketing to the next level!

Jen Cohen is a social media and marketing maven knocked down many times in 26 yrs. Something Creative http://somethingcreativemarketing.com

Tags: Blogging, community, Social Media, social media tools, social network, the right way, trust