Mantra Social Media Marketing & Public Relations, which has been much touted only two. Ie, conversations and engagement. As mentioned by The Cluetrain Manifesto: Markets are conversations. In the era of social media, consumers are no longer individuals buyers, but berjejering, conversing mutually with each other. Consumer networks exchanging info which makes the market becomes more intelligent and critical. What may make, via traditional advertising media (radio, print, television, and even Web) and various other marketing tactics that debuted in the era before social media, now no longer enough to win over consumers.

Company / brand should complement their traditional marketing strategy with social media marketing which character is the conversation (conversations). Of course, the conversation at some point must be increased to the stage of engagement in order not only to improve brand awareness, but can also create sales and brand loyalty.

These two spells during this time many practiced corporate / brand of Indonesia in various social media, especially Facebook and Twitter. They usually make an account on Facebook and Twitter, complete with Fanpage and others. Then, they were busy building a conversation with users of social media through such accounts, with different tactics.

Nothing worked. Many have failed.

Why? Because the two conversations and engagement is the mantra that the new right half.

Right half? Yes!.

I've noticed, most companies / brands have conversations that are not really meaningful to consumers so that over time their existence in social media, social media, ignored by the user. Note, many brands in social media accounts that the number of fan / follower / Friends - it is limited. If any lot, upon closer examination in, not conversations. The fan / follower / friends, many as they became fans / follower / friends "die."

With such conditions, improvement of the status of "conversations" to "engagement" is impossible.

Unless the management of inappropriate social media, companies / brands that failed in social media is most likely due stepped in a hurry without the other is based on two dimensions: research and insights!

This is evident from many cases, budget company / brand for two things had a big zero in Social Media Marketing & PR.

Whereas we know, research "why consumers are willing to be a fan / follower / friends a brand" for example, determine the content that was taken when building a "conversation". Whereas we know, even small pieces of information can become a good insight to build "conversations" that led to the "engagement"

So, from my perspective, Social Media Marketing is not just conversations and engagement alone. However, conversations and engagement which are based on research and insight continually.

Link: Sharpening Your Social Media Marketing and PR, Learning from Indonesian Cases with Nukman Luthfie, April 29th, 2010