Are you Tending Your Socialscape?
By Tim Ward
In the past month, I have had the pleasure of reading seven articles explaining why businesses need to embrace social media and the mobile marketing landscape, otherwise known by the new buzz word socialscape. These articles covered a diverse range of topics ranging from the pros and cons of Twitter, to developing a smartphone app, QR codes usage and cloud computing.
Interestingly, what makes this so noteworthy is this that these articles were not in Time, Newsweek or Fortune magazines. They were all in industry trade magazines or online e-newsletters targeted to heating and cooling contractors and engineers. As we all know, many manufacturers in the HVAC marketplace and related industries believe that social media may be fine for Oprah and consumer products but that their target audiences don’t really use it. They swear up and down that people who work in the “field” don’t spend time on a computer and don’t have time to engage in social media.
Unfortunately for these companies, that simply is not the case. Thousands of engineers, contractors, facility mangers and a variety of professionals in all walks of life and all age groups now prefer to get their information and communicate with colleagues via social media channels. They also access much of this information on their smartphones, so having a traditional computer is no longer a requirement. In fact, a host of very cool mobile apps now make it easier for contractors and engineers to do their jobs more effectively, regardless of whether they are calculating pump curves in a commercial building or replacing a pump in a house.
In fact, mobile marketing is becoming so ubiquitous, at such a rapid pace, that it will soon have a profound impact on nearly every professional. Consider these facts:
• Social media usage on mobile devices continues to grow, with over 50 million users projected in 2012; a 27% increase from 2010.
• In two years, more people will have smartphones than there are home computers.
• As of October 2010, 69% of U.S. smartphone owners had downloaded a mobile app.
• The average number of downloads per smartphone downloader is 27.
• It’s estimated that well over 500,000 apps are available for mobile use (including all brands, such as Blackberry, Apple and Android).
• QR codes on smartphones will continue to grow in popularity as a way to drive product sales.
• The U.S. is the second largest mobile advertising spending market globally, after Japan
• The U.S. 2011 mobile advertising forecast is $1.24 billion, growing to $5 billion in 2015.
• Users search mobile websites to check for price comparisons (56%), product comparisons (46%), product information (35%) and product reviews (27%).
• Users of location-based services such as Gowalla and Foursquare increased roughly 200% in 2010, with similar percentages predicted by end of 2011.
For those of you that are already active in social media, you know how important it is to engage with your colleagues, clients and customers. If you’re like me, you are probably engaging with various business groups and learning insightful solutions. I’m still surprised, however, at the number of PHP companies that don‘t have an effective social media campaign in place.
For the one-person business, social media offers a great opportunity, finally affording the small time entrepreneur the ability for mass market exposure with no more cost involved than the time invested in learning how to utilize the tools effectively. Compare that to the entrenched nature of large organizations with large budgets, and it’s no wonder that scrappy and flexible small businesses have embraced social media far faster, and more wholeheartedly, than their larger counterparts. While there are exceptions, the numbers speak to smaller companies adopting the socialscape at a faster pace.
The truth is, larger companies are slowly starting to embrace social media; this trend will probably begin to snowball at some point in the near future. But, no matter what size the company is, a strategic socialscape plan is critical for reaching company goals.
Social media presents two primary choices: get involved or be left behind.
You wanna play, then integrate. From McDonald’s to Emerson and from ITT to Starbucks, a host of B2C and B2B companies have successfully broken ground in the early uses of social media; 2012 will be the year these and many other companies will expand and integrate social media on a global basis.
Although many companies are finding success with social media, it is extremely important that companies promote and drive social media engagement through traditional marketing practices and vice-versa, as we now live in a multi-directional communication society. Several social media channels enable businesses to develop a tone and build a personality far beyond the constraints of direct mail, email blasts or billboard. Channels like Facebook also have a platform that allows for some pretty amazing targeting and pricing options to meet various budgets. Advertisers can place more targeted social media ads, which are very relevant to the recipient and will create a higher conversion rate.
How long have we heard, “Content is king!” Well, brands and businesses are starting to realize that one of the main ways of engaging their customers and offering value is to create content that enriches users’ social media experiences, rather than just blasting messages out at them. Content can be blogging about septic systems, water footprint or cooling towers or creating Facebook or YouTube videos with helpful tips. As users become more and more aware and knowledgeable about the specific brand or product, it’s the content that engages them in a meaningful way and offers greater value. Building that content into your socialscape, while linking back to your website, will be crucial.
QR (quick reply) codes are the square matrix codes that look like a maze. Normally, they are black modules on a white background and can contain a great deal of information. They are two-dimensional and can be read by smartphones, cell phone cameras and QR scanners and reveal a hidden message or special offer. These can add interactivity and tracking to traditionally untrackable print and outdoor media, as well as a bit of whimsy and mystery to everyday objects and events. What has long been very popular in Asia is finally becoming more prevalent in the North American market. Try using the QR codes in your print magazines and outdoor media and find some clever uses at trade shows for product marketing or show specials.
Are websites cool again? They can be! Businesses should evaluate and address their websites, as users expect social integration to existing websites. Integration for a total web experience, with social media applications and widgets is now easy, quick and very inexpensive. Websites will increasingly serve as “digital hubs” that integrate social activity from many platforms. Companies throughout the HVAC industry will realize they must integrate all their marketing communications efforts in order to be relevant in today’s socialscape.
Tim Ward is the director of accounts and social media at H+A International, a full service integrated marketing communications company in Chicago. Tim can be reached at or 312/332-4650.