Social media has revolutionized the way people
connect, the way they talk to brands and the media landscape in the
digital age.
So it's no surprise that when two of the biggest global social
media names get together, marketers should be listening.
Facebook's deal with Skype opens up a range of potential
communications channels that go well beyond conventional
marketing.
The formal announcement is that Facebook is working with Skype
to introduce video calling. Essentially, it lets you video call all
your friends directly via Facebook rather than having to open up
the Skype platform.
So what does this mean for brands? I believe there are three key
opportunities:
Customer service - Most serious brands have
some kind of presence on Facebook, just as they do on Twitter.
Often this can act as a lightening rod for any consumer
frustrations, with negative comments threatening to takeover their
wall.
Using video calling will enable brands to address any customer
that is having difficulty with their product or service, find out
what is wrong and resolve the issue, quickly and efficiently.
The ease with which customers can now be addressed via this
channel - without having to persuade them to shift to the phone or
email as on Twitter - will make it far more likely that the result
will be a positive status update.
Product set-up - rather than having to send out
a technician to install a new TV or set up a mobile, a customer
service assistant might also be able do so via video. Such
one-to-one service might be offered by technology brands or
retailers as a more cost-effective alternative to sending staff
door to door.
Product demonstration - brands can make video
calling part of their launch strategy as well. Rather than simply
place a film on YouTube, video calling will allow consumers to log
on to a "conference call" where a technology brand might for
example run through the features of its latest product, answer
questions and build excitement within its fan base.
And because everyone will have to friend a brand to take
advantage of all these services, companies will also benefit from
the fact that more consumers will become part of their
networks.
All this, of course, is just the start. The integration of video
calling across Facebook means that over time there will be more
possibilities for brands.
Key features that brands should aware of in Facebook's latest
update include the expansion of its group functionality. At the
moment groups are used by around 50% of those on the social media
platform.
Now you can call consumers into a group chat on the fly, without
having to set up a special group. Adding video would enable brands
and marketers to create quick and easy focus groups or brainstorm
across offices, for example.
The other key change is a new look for the Facebook chat page
and this highlights how far the platform is now extending beyond
the simple PC.
The new design highlights who you talk to most by putting the
most frequent correspondents. It no longer shows whether they are
online or offline but simply offers to send a message. Facebook now
assumes that we are always connected in some way, via some
device.
Recent research may show that Facebook has peaked in some
developed markets but the depth of service and message integration
that is possible continues to develop.
Few media platforms can offer so much to so many parts of an
organization, be it marketing, customer service or research.
This deal with Skype extends Facebook's value immensely. The
obvious extensions of that functionality merely reinforce the need
for marketers to dedicate serious time to understanding the
platform.
First published here on Brand Republic.