March 27, 2013

As long as brands use social media as one prong of a larger integrated marketing campaign and tie it to a clear marketing objective (e.g., brand building, drive trial or repeat, etc.), then yes it matters. But if a brand is doing social media without clear objectives which is true of most small companies, it doesn’t impress buyers and they won’t care you are active on Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest. Above all, be able to show results – site traffic, sales lifts, something measurable!

Ultimately, buyers want to see a marketing plan (or, marketing strategy) to help them understand what you will be doing to drive shoppers to their shelves time and again. If your social media tactics help support that – along with your overall marketing plan – then you’ve checked off a prerequisite to pitching your brand to retailers.

Remember, social media alone is not a marketing strategy, but a tactic used to carry out a marketing strategy.