You have likely seen the ENGAGEMENT db study that Charlene Li of Altimeter Group wrote in conjunction with Wet Paint. If you haven’t, I highly recommend taking a peek. The study looked at the top 100 brands according to Businessweek’s Interbrand Best Global Brands ranking and how they each engaged with different social media channels – a total of 11. What the study uncovered was that a brands’ engagement across multiple social networks significantly impacts its bottom line. Wow! This is great news, right? 

Well…yes, but wait. Don’t go running out and joining every social network you can in the hopes you will immediately see a rise in revenue. It takes more than an “if you build it, they will come” mentality when using social marketing tools. Brands need to go beyond just signing up for multiple accounts and instead focus on actually fueling their fanbase by actively engaging with consumers online – across all channels. 

Getting those accounts set up is just the first step in creating the platforms in which to begin to fuel a fanbase. It takes a lot of work and time to actually manage it all for it to be successful – especially if you are managing multiple channels that incorporate elements like video, podcasts, social networks, Twitter and branded online customer communities.  A few tweets here and there are not the makings of a successful social marketing campaign (sorry). 

The good news coming from early reports is that by creating and managing this type of multi-social-media-platform program, organizations are beginning to realize a multiplier effect that comes from integrating these programs. In other words, when you cross promote your efforts like tweeting a blog entry, you get better results than if you had used each platform independently. 

You’ve heard this over and over again so I apologize for beating this dead horse, but you no longer want to talk TO your audience anymore – it doesn’t work. They won’t listen. Instead, give your customers the opportunity to engage with YOU by creating a multi-social-media-platform approach that will not only fuel your fanbase, but improve your bottom line as it is doing for brands like Starbucks, Toyota, Dell and SAP.

Now you can go and get started!

On a side note….Can I get your vote?

I recently submitted a speaking proposal for the Enterprise 2.0 conference taking place in Boston in June suggesting that my Awareness, Inc. colleague, Mike Lewis (@BostonMike) discuss how brands can and are successfully fueling their own fanbase by managing multiple social networks.  Because Enterprise 2.0 requires that submissions be voted in by the masses, I would very much appreciate your help in making this session happen. If you have a moment, please click here and register to vote  up until  1/20/10 . I would be forever grateful

Thank you!!