by Tim Hughes | @Timothy_Hughes | LinkedIn
There is a constant discussion between earned and paid media and the difference, so what is earned and paid media?
Earned media, is for the marketing department, with an audience (not followers, that is different), people that are listening to what you are saying. That audience probably engage, have a conversation, re-share and amplify what you say. Getting your content in front of more and more people. As we always tell our clients, you get the best results when you share, through not share to your network.
Paid media is where you as a business have no following, little to no engagement and probably think that buying ads is social media. People don’t look at ads, it’s a technology for the 1930s. We have all learn’t that today there is a certain amount of noise and advertising is part of that game. We fast forward through ads on the TV, we don’t read ads in the newspaper, we switch the radio channel over when ads come on. The same on social media, we ignore them, especially in the business-to-business (B2B) context.
And thinking that advertising is social media, is like thinking an advertising hoarding at a football or rugby game, means you are actually playing.
We ignore them as we know that marketing department has run out of ideas, it’s the last bastion of the marketing department without a clue.
I’m currently looking at a sponsored ad on LinkedIn from an accounting software company. It looks targeted, it speaks to “professional services” and our business is a professional services company. It has an inviting graphic. But I will never buy from them. And this is the problem with advertising, you are totally reliant on “eyeballs”. No, I don’t understand it either, I’m a sales guy and showing ads to people will never buy, in my book, is a total waste of money. Where is the revenue? You would get better results, in my humble opinion from using the money to cold call.
One more thing …..
Personalised and Relevant?
I read an interesting discussion on LinkedIn this week from a number of marketers and the discussion was about personalisation and relevance in marketing today.
I’m a big fan of Seth Godin and his (20 year old book) “Permission Marketing”, which is probably why I’m such a big fan of GDPR. You can as a marketer, be found and find people that want to talk with you on a one-to-one basis. 20 years ago it was Seth’s dream, today it is very easy, natural and sensible to do this. I for one respect a brand when they do this. You can have the best copy in the world, the best images in the world and pay the best marketing agency in the world, but if you address it to Tom (my name is Tim and this often happens) I just delete it.
That is personalised. But would I prefer relevance?
This week I was asked by a Phd student (I get a lot) to contribute to his research, the research was about “social selling” and he approached me, not on social, but on email, which I found strange. He also decided to address me as “Dear Influencer”. This wasn’t personalised but was relevant. See the difference?
Back to the LinkedIn Ad
The ad isn’t relevant or personalised, come on guys, is this the best you can do?
Back to my blog title, you Have a Sponsored Post on LinkedIn – I’m So Sorry For You
People who read this article also read these:
http://www.social-experts.net/could-it-be-time-to-call-a-cab/
http://www.social-experts.net/6-ways-to-gain-influence-with-b2b-buyers/
http://www.social-experts.net/social-selling-im-too-scared/
