I just got off the phone with a client and was reminded that selling social marketing services can be a complicated sell. Yes, everyone in marketing realizes that this whole social media thing is indeed working for many companies. However, the web is also full of stories worthy of the label “social media fail.” So, here are a few tips on how to sell social media to your boss.
Bridge The Generation Gap
Let’s say you’re a marketing manager who needs to convince a director that they’re missing the boat on social media. Realize that your first obstacle is a generation gap. You’ve likely been more active yourself with social media and therefore understand the innate value of building relationships online. Instead of bombarding your superior with a broadside of statistics, focus your argument on a success story they can understand.
For example, nearly half of Americans over 50 use Facebook. In fact, Facebook is the number one driver of traffic to the Huffington Post. That’s the kind of information that might pique the interest of a budding curmudgeon.
Be Sensitive To Fears Of Career Suicide
As the manager, you are held accountable for tactical mistakes. You lose your job when you fudge up the media buy and cost the company a few hundred thousand. However, the director or VP is responsible for a defined percentage of growth or at least maintaining a level of success. If a large budget reallocation doesn’t generate ROI, your superior finds himself looking for a job during the worst job market since the Great Depression. 50 year old marketing execs aren’t exactly in high demand right now. Understand this and go easy on the guy/gal.
Recommend a Pilot Program
You think your new product blog will be a hit? Convinced that a Facebook page will capture the attention of thousands of adoring fans? For God’s sake, don’t push your boss to sacrifice the tradeshow budget to fuel an army of community managers. Develop a plan that requires a 10% shift in budget resources. Call this a “social media pilot program.” That’s always easier to swallow than a full scale and seemingly permanent shift in marketing tactics. This way, if the pilot program works, your boss looks like a hero. If it fails, your boss can slink away without losing face and still looks like a measured risk-taker.
There’s a lot of hype around social media. Just be sure to recognize that the people in your organization who make the big decisions are also taking the big risks. Help your boss make a good decision and you’ll likely be rewarded in the long run.
Have you had any problems convincing people where you work to engage with social media marketing
