Going Old School with Marketing: People

Online marketing is the hot topic these days, with agencies shouting to tell you how they can get you set up with Twitter, Facebook, Four Square and the rest.  For some companies, the rush to keep up with the latest trends has them overlooking some of the basics that are crucial to successfully market your product or service.  Don't get me wrong, it is important to integrate these trends into your overall strategy, but make sure that foundation is solid first.   

Now I won't bore you with the four P's of the traditional marketing mix, but I will toss three other P's at you.  People, Process and Presence.  In this first installment, I will focus on the People.   

Get the right people into the right roles!  You wouldn't have your finance manager answer customer service calls, would you?  So why put that new intern in charge of your online presence?  Trust me, it happens.  So who should manage your Twitter account?  It depends on your goal.  If you are trying to promote a new product or get name recognition for your company, it might be your marketing communications teammate.  If your main goal is to respond quickly to customer service issues, then a customer service manager should do the job.  Use the same idea when selecting the person to write your blog or monitor your Facebook page. 

Most importantly though, make sure the person you select is interested in the task, understands the technology, and knows what they should and shouldn't say.  This person should be a brand champion, passionate about your company and someone you want the public to see.  Sure he can make your technologies run smoothly, but maybe the IT guy isn't the right person to be relaying your company's message.

Successful companies will agree that people are their most valuable asset.  Whether they choose to call them employees, teammates, associates, or even Googlers, great people are what makes them run.  So get your great people into those roles and let them shine. 

Stayed tuned for part 2, all about how to ensure your process works.