ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE:
Technological and social developments across the globe in recent times have opened up more avenues of communication than most people know what do with, and here at Mortons Media Group we’ve had no choice but to keep up. Just think about this… recent news coverage following the death of Bob Hoskins reminds us that as short a time ago as the mid-1990s there were these weird and wonderful contraptions known as ‘telephone boxes’. I mean, seriously… leave the comfort of your sofa to go out and find a phone box?! Yes, it is “good to talk”, but that’s just preposterous! The explosion of instant communication has changed the world we live in (for the better in our own humble opinion) but of course, more roads make it harder to navigate. So, the question is… where do you begin? First stop, planning. Creating a clear and achievable strategy is of paramount importance. With an enthusiastic marketing and digital team working together to create and utilise various communications systems, digital communication is and has been a key element of Mortons’ vision, particularly over the last two years. In this time we’ve significantly increased our use of email marketing, implemented the use of smartphone and tablet apps and created social media pages for nearly all of our brands. It’s a fluid and continuous process, but there’s no doubting that it’s the future. Communication is changing and one “Like” at a time, we’re changing with it… Here’s marketing’s social media guru, Paula Withers, to tell you more:
Q: When did Mortons start using social media?
A: When I started just under two years ago, we had a selection of Facebook pages that were running for our magazines, but there was nothing concrete in place. One of my first projects was to develop a social media strategy for the business and to launch pages for the brands that didn’t have them. In the time since, we have gone from approximately 10,000 Facebook followers to just short of 75,000 and growing – it’s an increase of over 600%!
Q: Across all of our channels, how many people are engaging with our social media pages?
A: Combining our Facebook and Twitter pages, we engage with over 80,000 followers and reach millions more. The videos on our YouTube channel have been viewed over 1.6 million times.
Q: What are we trying to achieve by using social media?
A: It’s about communication and interaction… simple as that. Social media allows us to build a relationship with consumers and potential consumers in a way that isn’t directly about “the sale”, enabling an element of trust to develop which is vital when you consider just how much communication consumers are bombarded with today. It’s also a great source of feedback which helps to supplement our rolling research projects.
Q: What are the potential pitfalls and dangers of social media?
A: As mentioned above, there is a danger that you try and use social media for solely commercial methods. Facebook pages for example are, in essence, the same as a magazine. You wouldn’t have all editorial and no adverts, but you would be in serious trouble with just adverts and no editorial. It’s all about finding the correct balance. Also, using social media to get feedback from consumers can present problems if their feedback is negative. Fortunately it’s not something we’ve experienced much of, but you always have to be mindful of the possibility and have strategies in place to deal with it.
Q: So what’s next…?
A: Check it out for yourself! We’ve got plenty of plans for the future, so visit our social media channels and our websites and apps to see what’s keeping us so busy… and don’t forget to “Like Us, Follow Us, Watch Us” whilst you’re there.
For further information contact:
Steff Woodhouse on:
Morton’s Media Group Ltd Tel 01507 529452
