Eschewing. Is that the Spanish translation of the word “chewing?” Not quite. Read on.
There’s been much talk in the marketing strategy blogosphere about saving money on traditional marketing tactics (ads, PR, direct mail, etc.) when blogs and other social media are employed in a company’s marketing mix. In other words, eschewing or abandoning these other forms of marketing communications because blogging, for example and for gosh sakes, is almost free.
Hold on for a moment.
It’s true that blogs, in terms of out-of-pocket expense, are less costly than other traditional marketing communications forms such as those mentioned above. But blogs are expensive in terms of implicit costs, or costs that are not directly tracked. Blogs require time. Lots of time in order to use them correctly. Someone in the company needs to be devoted to the social media, or even just the blog, effort. So much of the expense of blogs or social media in general will be hidden within salary expense.
Blogging and social media are additional forms of marketing communications that can be used by companies. They have a cost. No one should be thinking of deleting one in favor of the other just to run wild on a cost improvement program.
Instead, social media and blogs should be used together with other forms of marketing communications, so that each complements the others.
* * *
If you liked this post, Stumble us and/or subscribe to our feed.
