This document provides 8 rules for social web marketing: 1. Don't try to blaze a new path and be a pioneer, as it is better to intelligently follow others. 2. Be human and understand human psychology, as marketing requires understanding people more than technology. 3. Build for the long term future rather than just short term gains, as it takes time to develop brand affinity. 4. Continually rebuild and adapt as customer power has increased and businesses have lost control of media agendas.

1. 8 RULES FOR
THE SOCIAL WEB

2. DON’T BLAZE A PATH
eing a pioneer is a minority sport. Not
everyone can be first to carve a new
path because, by definition, most of the
world is made up of followers. There are
times, rare times, when a first-mover
advantage can reap rewards. But more
often the prizes go to those who intelligently
follow the barely worn path. They win
because they can do it better than the
pioneers even dreamed possible. No
question, being first carries immense
appeal; it’s exciting, bold, and sometimes
necessary. But it’s rarely essential. Fastfollowers get to great places too.

3. BE HUMAN
ome people will try to convince you
that good marketing these days is all
about technology and metrics. They’ll
talk excitedly about apps, APIs, and Apples.
They have KPIs for everything, and a
scorecard to prove it. Having a basic grasp
of what’s hot and what’s not is important,
but understanding the reasons why human
beings do what we do is generally more
insightful. Marketing done well is neither art
nor science, it’s both. And the only facet of
technology that marketers need to
understand deeply is the bit that their
audience interacts with directly. The
widgets and code inside are no more than a
means to an end. Raw technology that
doesn’t awaken a human heart can never
lead to a successful marketing campaign.

4. BUILD FOR TOMORROW
he financial markets may demand
monthly and quarterly reporting but
that doesn’t mean our marketing and
sales plans must be equally short-sighted. It
can take months, sometimes years, to build
and nurture human relationships. So it
follows that creating consumer affinity with
your brand may take just as long. Great
marketers build their legacy for the long
term, not just for the next pay cheque. They
understand that playing the long game is
the only way to create brands that
consumers won’t want to live without.

5. REBUILD PERPETUALLY
he emergence of the social web and
armies of empowered, vocal consumers
has left many businesses trying to come to
terms with their rapid fall from power. The
days when marketers controlled the media
agenda have gone forever, burned
irretrievably in a technology-fuelled flash
fire. We now live in an age of enlightened,
well-informed customers, with voices as
loud
as
any
expensive
advertising
campaign. But you’re not alone; most
organisations are facing up to the same
startling realisation. How you go about
rebuilding though is as unique as the
organisation you dream of creating.

6. BE FARSIGHTED
ove them or loathe them, no-one can
disagree that wind farms generate
sustainable energy that a growing
population
desperately
needs.
Your
business needs to be similarly long-sighted,
setting out plans today that will serve the
generations to come. Without a vision that
extends your brand beyond your short time
in office you’re in danger of laying the
foundations for a future that never
happens.

7. BE REAL
e all like to think that we’re a bit
special. We won’t ever need that
lifeboat, that’s for mere mortals. But
we’re each as vulnerable and needy as the
next person. The only fool we’re fooling is
ourselves. The same goes on the social web;
start pretending you’re something you’re
not and consumers will sniff out your
inauthenticity in an instant. So begin by
accepting who you really are and being
proud of what you’re actually good at.

8. BE PREPARED
n a digital world, news spreads faster
than the speed of thought. So the worst
time to start planning for a crisis is the
moment when disaster strikes. Every
organisation has a responsibility to plan
today for the unthinkable tomorrow. That
means building active communities of
friends and followers, nurturing influencers
and knowing who will be there, right by your
side, when you need them most.

9. GROW AFRESH
he tree doesn’t give up growing leaves
when Autumn steals its canopy. And
neither should we resign ourselves to
failure just because something we try
doesn’t quite work out. With every attempt
we learn and grow stronger. The marketing
rulebooks have long been torn up. We are
the authors of tomorrow’s triumphs. We
decide how to regrow and we will never give
up.

10. WORK WITH EXPERIENCE
t Wild Orange Media we believe that
every organisation can benefit from
becoming more socially-connected in
our digital world. The value companies create
appears more quickly when employees,
customers and partners are empowered to
exchange ideas and innovate. And with new
social technologies making this way of
working more cost-efficient and accessible
than ever few companies can afford to
ignore the greatest communications power
shift in generations. We combine classical marketing skills with a
deep understanding of the ways society is
shifting as consumers embrace technology
and the social web. We can help you cut
sales and marketing costs and build
sustainable competitive advantage in an
increasingly digital world. Our strategic
marketing experts offer staff training, oneto-one coaching and executive speaking — all
custom built for your distinctive business and
industry challenges. We're here to help you
make sense of the impact that new
technology, the social web and a growing
population of digitally-literate consumers are
having on your business. Let’s get started.
Get in touch to find out more.

11. Smarter marketing for a digital world
www.wildorangemedia.com
contact
Allister Frost, Managing Director
allister@wildorangemedia.com
+44 208 123 5539
TM
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