Groundswell: a New Marketing Method that cannot be Ignored

Judging by the power of twitter in the Trump election, it's not hard to see that this is the era of social media. As Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff have defined Groundswell in "Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies.": Groundswell is a social trend in which people use technologies to get the things they need from each other, rather than from traditional institutions like corporations. (p. 9)People get the information they need from each other. Distance and time can no longer limit them. 

(Photo: Rafia Shaikh)

Meanwhile, social media is gaining popularity as a search engine for products and services. Social media platforms are taking bold approaches to encourage potential consumers to buy from social brands. In the last year or two, we've seen top platforms like Instagram and Snapchat introduce features that allow brands to tag products in posts and link directly to e-commerce sites.

Are there any other benefits?

Of course, you can buy products directly from social platforms without leaving your home. Consumers are also willing to buy products through social media, and demand is even higher among younger consumers who are more dependent on mobile devices.

                                                                        (Source: Pete Boyle)

On the surface, Social media marketing seems quite simple. All you have to do is just post a few blogs and sit back and wait for clients to come. But in fact, you should first think of a complete social media marketing strategy and make sure that each post fits that strategy.

POST provides us with a good strategic thinking. 

1. Who are your target customers? 
2. What are your goals? 
3. What strategy will you use? 
4. Which technology helps you the most?

No matter content marketing, video marketing, web celebrity marketing or visual marketing, all firmly grasp these four points.

For instance, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge demonstrates the power of social media to influence cause marketing on a global scale.

The Challenge was a perfect storm of social media, celebrity and grass-roots philanthropy, producing hurricane-strength viral social engagement during the dog days of summer. Unlike a hurricane, the Challenge showed how social media can be harnessed, directed and managed for a social good.

The current era is an era of information explosion. Consumers can receive a large amount of information in a short time. They can only select the most interesting information to look at, so they are more resistant to so-called "hard selling".All businesses and sellers can do is provide what the target customers really need and are interested in. Wonderful marketing can not only help you to attract the attention of consumers, reflect brand professionalism, build brand image, but also further promote sales transformation, strengthen the relationship with customers.

Here are two posts from Starbucks, both aimed at promoting and attracting attention through social media.

Which of the following two slogans is more appealing to users?

                

(Source: Facebook)

Definitely, post on the left. As the Internet develops, social attributes are becoming a kind of basic elements of the Internet, which also have a great future on the wireless network. Its purpose is to interact with users, let users participate in and forward, so as to achieve the purpose of expanding its influence.

Growing connections between people are the root cause of groundswell. Social media solves the distance limitation, mobile terminal solves the location limitation, data storage solves the time limitation.

Under the groundswell, everyone is not only the receiver of information but also the publisher of information.