Are you adopting an “everybody else is doing it” attitude towards social media?

In marketing today, there’s constant pressure to keep up with the latest trends and not to be left behind. So it appears some small and medium-size business owners are rushing to use social media without knowing why. And interestingly, among those who do know, most are apparently reacting rather than acting, following the herd rather than following their intuition. According to data collected by the Aberdeen Group, more than half of retailers felt they had been pushed into using social media because more consumers were using it as a primary shopping vehicle. The second-largest reason they started using social media marketing was because of increased use by their competitors.

According to eMarketer, “Social networks are a clear winner of retailers’ attention. The top social media tools used by the retailers surveyed included social networks (85%), microblogging (51%) and blogging (43%).” In Q1 2010, the e-tailing group also found that social networks were the top community or social tool, retailers used or planned to use in the next year; Facebook fan pages specifically were cited by 91% of respondents of that survey. Four in five used or planned to use Twitter, 72% blogs and 71% Facebook Connect. The e-tailing survey was conducted before Facebook introduced its ‘Like’ feature, which has also been widely adopted by retailers including Levi’s and Sephora.

There’s nothing wrong – and a lot good – about considering social media as part of your marketing communications plan. But based on these data, fewer than 1 in 5 [19%] of retailers are using social media because their existing campaigns aren’t working; most are adding it to the mix because they believe their customers are shopping that way, or because their competitors are moving to online. That kind of “Doin it ‘cuz I have to” thinking can really backfire, because it puts execution ahead of strategy. And, without strategy to guide the journey, how can you measure your progress towards the destination? How can you determine when you’ve reached your goals? Most retailers don’t know what social media success will mean to their business.

Maybe That’s Why Traditional Media Continue to Thrive

If we used trade press coverage as a guide, we might all conclude that traditional retail advertising channels like TV, radio, newspapers, outdoor, etc. are dead, that the world of local retail advertising has moved lock, stock and almost barrel to new media. We shouldn’t judge too fast though.

As recently as two years ago, 9 out of every 10 local ad dollars were spent in traditional media. Four years from now that number is expected to be 7.5 out of 10. So, despite all of the rush to be first, to be online, to be social, the majority of retail ad spending continues to use traditional media.

This is not to say that the shift to online isn’t profound, or that local advertisers should cling to traditional media and ignore the long term drift toward a nuanced balance between traditional and online. Do that and you will, indeed, find yourself left at the station. This is a reminder to slow down. The shift to online is profound but not seismic. Think strategically – there is a place for both traditional and online. Think about outcomes and have clear Key Performance Indicators [KPIs] in mind for both your traditional and online campaigns.

Most importantly though, don’t rush into online or social simply because you believe that’s the way your customers are shopping or because your competition is there. Move to online and social because you’ve created customer-driven programs and services that are best served in that environment. A strategically thought out TV commercial is far more effective than a poorly designed blog or untended Twitter account.

Make sure you’re looking, particularly if you’re leaping.