Social Media Marketing...a diametrically opposed term is akin to a company's sales person eavesdropping on your conversation, taking the information they need in order to come back and try to sell you something. It could be classed as a little bit sneaky...but the reality is, it"s happening. Some brands apply a more subtle approach and do actually provide information of real value and not chase you directly for a "sale"; others (the majority) are as subtle as a brick and go straight for the hard sell

ABC (Always Be Closing). Social media is for the people, by the people and it exists to socialise...how about that! Yet, we are on the cusp of an influx of corporates planning to use social media to learn a lot of stuff about the consumer, and then use this to bombard them with targeted marketing messages...hence the term Social Media Marketing. If you are a band, then social media is definitely something you should consider, but engagement requires a strategy. A strategy that provides real value to your consumers so that genuine trust can be built between the two parties. Work out who the people are who wish to engage with your brand; understand their values, motivation and behaviour and then provide them with the information they need. Listen to them, encourage dialogue and interaction, then let them make their own decisions. Invest in social media, going for the sale and you'll begin to realise that you have just spent time and money creating a brand reputation issue for yourself. Of course, this can be fixed, but it takes more time and more money; best policy is to get it right first time. Somatica can help you achieve this.

If you're a Brand it's essential to fully understand how best to engage with your target market, especially in today's world of social media. This applies to all channels, whether it be the Internet, the High St, TV, Radio, Call Centre etc. Anyone one of these channels falling short could damage the quality of the entire brand experience. Consistent, complimentary and compelling messaging is essential. The brand engagement process has several stages and there will be real people at every stage of the brand journey. Whether this is to create general awareness; initiate interest; gain commitment; achieve loyalty or ideally advocacy, it's imperative to know what works and what doesn't work in today's new consumer powered era. Forget "push" marketing techniques and traditional market research, the only way to really understand what appeals to your target audience is to get under their skin and find out what gets them excited.