The Future of Marketing and Social Media

My first post on this blog, while less visually pleasing, was very content heavy, and for me if was one of the 
more intriguing subjects I've written about. Now that I have some more experience with blogging and knowledge of social media marketing in general, I will now attempt to clarify and elaborate on that post.

Without rehashing too many of the points I made in the first blog post, let me show you what I was talking about. There are countless types of YouTube channels out there. Some of the more popular genres are cars, DIY, video games, tech, fashion, make-up, food, home decor, TV shows, movies and more. It's hard to believe but there is almost nothing, you can't find on YouTube. There is so much desirable content on YouTube in fact, that YouTube reaches more US adults ages 18-34 than any cable television network, according to Nielsen. 

This is the future of marketing:

Why is this the future of marketing? HTC may be one of the first to embrace the groundswell in such a fashion, but more will catch on in time. Companies will begin to realize that people are skeptical, cynical and weary of claims made in commercials. Commercials don't sell products anymore. Commercials make people aware of certain products, but it doesn't necessarily make them buy it. I need a new phone, I see a dozen phone commercials on TV, but I'm a child of the internet. I'm not just going to buy something because a commercial told me to. I'm going to go online, read tech blogs who have done reviews of new phones. I'm going to watch my favorite tech review channel on YouTube to see what they have to say about the phone. And if everyone agrees that a certain phone is a good option and meets other criteria I may have such as price, then I will look into buying it. 

HTC understands this. HTC is embracing this. This commercial shows they have confidence in their product. The object of the commercial is to simply make you aware of the existence of the product, and encourage you to read up on it. It's like drug commercials, "ask your favorite tech reviewer if the HTC One is right for you!"   


Three of the main concepts that Groundswell emphasizes is listening, talking, and energizing. 

Listening involves simply paying attention to what is being said about your product or brand. On YouTube this can be done by watching videos reviewing your product, videos about your competition, as well as reading the comments on those videos. 

Talking is not simply getting your message about your product across. Talking is about finding creative ways to get your product out there, and boost brand recognition. On YouTube this can be done by sending free samples of your product to the appropriate "YouTubers" for a review. This way they can create more content for their channel, and in doing so will provide their viewers with an honest review of your product. This is a great and cheap way to promote your brand. 

Energizing the groundswell is done by encouraging them to participate in social media regarding your product. Obviously by providing YouTube channels with free samples this creates a space for people to discuss the product in the comments section of each video. Of course your company or brand should have a website with some kind of feature that allows people to create accounts on the site and give their input. But simply encouraging people to use the internet and social media to discuss your product is a version of energizing the groundswell. Again, the future of marketing:

Tesla Motors: Social Media Monitoring Part 2

We've established that Tesla Motors has a smaller, but more passionate customer base than your average car manufacturer. According to Social Mention, an online social media analytic site, Tesla has maintained its passion on social media since the last time I posted, but has increased it's reach and strength. Of course this fluctuates on a day to day basis, but anytime these numbers go up is a good thing. 

We can also see specific examples of peoples passion and support of the company via posts made to their Facebook and Twitter pages.

The Tesla audience is so passionate, they frequently get ideas and suggestions from them!

Some people want a Tesla so badly, they would be happy just to see a glimmer of hope of getting one via a sweepstakes!

They have quick and attentive customer service.








Tesla fans poke fun at how slow other companies are to make improvements (right). While others would love to work for the company and regret not investing earlier (below).

By this point, Tesla should be accustomed to entering uncharted waters from a business sense, and being successful at it. Not though, for only the third time in the companies short history they are releasing a new car! The Tesla Model X. The Model X is a sport utility vehicle, which is one of the most popular vehicle types for consumers in the United states. With an expected release date of 2015 there is still plenty of time to built hype. But that time for hype can also be a time for criticism if Tesla isn't careful. For example if you go to the Tesla website, you can reserve yourself a Model X for a $5,000 deposit. However you can order yourself a Model S for a $2,500 deposit. Does this mean the Model X is to be 50% more expensive? Or is the Model S cheaper simply because it is already in production? It certainly raises questions and concerns.

Initial payments required for Tesla's Model S and X.

It's particularly concerning because based on my personal observation at least, most supporters of Tesla can't really afford to buy them! I would love to own one, and I know many friends who would love to own one, but we are young people who are in, graduating, or recently graduated from college. We aren't exactly in a position to purchase a $60,000+ vehicle. We're not the only ones. There are many people across the world who would love to have a Tesla but cannot afford it, and some of those people vocalize this through social media. This obviously has not prevented Tesla's success thus far. Perhaps they intend to appeal to similar markets that BMW or Mercedes appeals to. Maybe Tesla doesn't want to produce a cheaper car for the broader population. The only point I would make here is what I've been saying this whole time. Tesla has a uniquely passionate audience. Many people who cant afford a BMW or a Mercedes don't want one that badly. Sure, they might dream about it or think it would be nice, but generally they don't have that passion that you find in Tesla fans. 

This raises an interesting question regarding the Groundswell. How does a company with large Groundswell support turn that support into profitability when many of their supporters cannot afford the product? Well, I suppose we've learned that social media and the Groundswell is not really about getting direct, quantifiable return on investment. It has more to do with reputation and brand marketing. Your brand is what the people say it is. If people use social media to say your brand stinks, then that message will carry the day. In Tesla's case though, they have very passionate supporters who are actively and positively promoting the brand via social media, despite the fact they cannot afford the product. This can have a positive impact, because those who can afford the car will take into consideration the companies reputation. Do they have good customer service? Are they well liked? Do they fix problems quickly and effectively? In this particular market, will people revere my car? What kind of statement am I making when I drive this? Social media plays a role in answering all of these questions. 

Tesla's Model X, coming in 2015.

At the end of the day, it seems Tesla has a plan for the future and are going to stick to it. And it's not a bad plan! They have already expanded in the last several years at a pretty impressive pace. They began with one car, and next year they will have three. My only criticism is that they are not adopting that "Ford" attitude, where everyone can afford a car. I'm not saying they should make all their cars affordable, or even that they should do anything about this right now. But at some point in the future I believe Tesla should produce one electric car model that the "Average Joe" can afford. If Tesla wants to get this country and the world off of oil, which it should if it wants to maximize its future potential, eventually they will need a car that everyone can bear the expense of. A Tesla in every home!