Stephen D. Gross

In a recent interview conducted by Smart Brief, Shiv Singh, vice president and global social-media lead for Razorfish, author of “Social Media for Dummies”, discusses several key elements that will be essential for brand and business development starting in 2010.  Here is an exerpt from the interview.

What are the three trends on the horizon that business leaders absolutely must keep up with?
Social brands. The company must be willing to let its employees and its brand advocates become the face of the brand. Consumers demand that, and brands like Best Buy, which are evolving into social brands (think Twelp Force), will be the ones that win.

Real-time brands. Companies that are dynamic and responsive in real time to their customers and their needs will be the ones that succeed. This doesn’t just mean real-time customer service, but real-time market research, real-time product development and real-time customization and personalization of products and campaigns alike.

Identifying, nurturing and managing relationships. Customers increasingly are also influencers, and companies will need to know who those people are and how much influence they actually have. Along those lines, understanding how customers come together as communities and make collective decisions will be important, too.

Do you have a small business?  Leave a comment.

Click here to read the entire interview.

What makes it so powerful?

Aside from the obvious need for online copywriting and years of Internet marketing expertise, the real power in social marketing comes from the ability to combine and compound many online marketing channels.  Even greater is the ability to cross pollinate or further compound many accounts within each of Twitter, Facebook and other marketing channels to reach thousands if not millions of users within a single campaign.

The ability to have two-way communications is tremendous.  Being able to listen to your customers and discuss your business offers and needs at the same time is unmatched by any other media channel.

The coup de gras is the add-on capability to acquire, collect and nurture new and existing customers.  Keeping customers is almost as hard as getting new ones with today’s real-time search environment.  Many up to date business practices include a dedicated email marketing staff to talk, listen, relay, and offer advice to and with their customers 24/7.

Provided by Brookstone Marketing Group

OK I admit not everyone has been fortunate enough to study for and receive an MBA.   A Master of Business Administration is a master’s degree in business administration for short.

Guess what?  That’s not what we are talking about!!!

MBA = Marketing + Branding + Acquisition

These three little words that are arguably the root of all online success in today’s online marketing environment.  Why, do you ask?

Marketing is a “social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and values with others. (Wikipedia)

Branding or a Brand is a name or trademark connected with a product or producer.^[1] Brands have become increasingly important components of culture and the economy, now being described as “cultural accessories and personal philosophies. (Wikipedia)

Acquisition or to Acquire, gain, usually by one’s own exertions; to get as one’s own, as, to acquire a title, riches, knowledge, skill, good or bad habits. (Wikipedia)

So why is an MBA strategy important on the Internet?  Basically, the Internet is beginning to reach the mature stage from an Internet marketers perspective.  The bell curve of the guru marketer with their secret sauce mentality is reaching its peak in terms of their performance value.

Consumers and online searchers alike are beginning to demand a much more professional look and feel in terms of the presentation, creative quality and content than has ever existed before.

The online marketer together with the associated content writers, graphic artists, developers and sales dept’s must all work together in a cohesive fashion in order to gain optimum control and accountability over what is quickly becoming the main-stay in research and purchasing activity.

The small business owner and manager is falling farther behind.  The opportunity to capitalize on Internet marketing and the tremendous low cost advantages to Market & Brand their business and Acquire new customers won’t last forever.  Did you know the Internet is quickly running out of addresses?

To learn more visit Brookstone Marketing Group.