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Retrospective of the XII International PR-Festival: panel discussion «Social networks – do we sell products or ideas?»
Social networks today are not only the most accessible communication channel, they also operate successfully as effective tool for promotion and implementation of ideas, goods and services.
At the XII International PR-Festival successful practices shared their experience of working in social networks within the panel discussion «Social Networks: do we sell products or ideas?»: co-owner of the concept store «ShoeShoe» Natalia Valevskaya, founder of the project, and since the last time a director of the official charity fund «Tabletochki» Olga Kudinenko, head of SMM direction at AB «UkrSibbank» Taras Gavriluk, head of external and internal communications at AB «UkrSibbank» Tatiana Shikerjavaja, partner of the digital agency «Inache» Andrey Ichkenko and PR-manager at «Olshanskiy and partners» Sergei Didkovskij.
A big plus, of course, was a variety of spheres of activities among the participants, which allowed looking at the communication on social sites from different angles. The main question that had to be answered was already comprised in the title of the discussion: what is easier and more convenient to sell through social networks – ideas or products? Most successfully formulated the answer Taras Gavriliuk «Everyone finally wants to sell the product. But first you need to sell the idea.» Participants stressed that initially the emotion is being sold, and only then – the product or service.
The first huge plus of social networking, from the participants’ viewpoint, is the ability to communicate with many people, including those with whom in real life you would hardly intersect. Second – almost zero costs spent on such projects, and, accordingly, minimal risks. Third – the feedback and the ability to maintain a live contact with the target audience.
As for tools, they vary depending on the specific activity. So, Olga Kudinenko noted that in terms of her project the classic rules and schemes of work in social networks have not been so effective, and as a result the team of «Tabletochki» developed their own special «chips» that help maximize their success in communication with the audience and get the desired feedback. «Ukrsibbank», in turn, made a bid for original content and strict regulations of the feedback: the interval between the question from the social network client and the answer of bank to it takes no longer than two hours, etc.
A separate topic for discussion was outsourcing of SMM. Ichkenko Andrew Ichkenko Andrew his experience in this area, who said that his agency has successfully combined outsourcing services with consulting.
Panelists also answered questions from the audience. In particular, on the formation and maintenance of reputation using SMM. Olga Kudinenko: «I think working here is based on simple principles: honesty, transparency and openness. The first six months we were publishing reports on how much money we earned per day, checks of all payments, etc.» Taras Gavriliouk: «For a large brand social networks - is just one of the channels of communication, and reputation is formed on the basis of all channels – beginning from an ironed shirt of the employee of the branch and finishing by the corporate site. Reputation – an integrated channel. So we use the situational approach. In any case, there is a general tone, the total massage that we are bringing to people and through each channel trying to get feedback.»
Responding to the question on measuring the effectiveness of SMM regarding to the outsourcing company, Andrew Ichkenko probably expressed the general opinion. He stressed that the main measure of success in this case is the result for which communication is carried out, «the main thing for any customer – to see feedback not in social networks, but beyond. If there is a growing number of likes while the number of consumers is not increasing, the customer will not pay for such work.»