Why SMO in Korea?
- Necessity of New Social Media for Web 2.0
- As the number of individual users who manage personal blogs increases rapidly, more companies are seriously involving themselves in the operation of company blogs in order to maintain a good relationship and communication with these bloggers. In addition, blogs have begun to replace old Web sites that require relatively higher update and management costs.
A blog is becoming an essential communication tool that not only enables companies/advertisers to maintain horizontal relationships with customers in the Web 2.0 environment but also to react promptly to viral (word-of-mouth) issues.
- Low Cost, Influential Marketing
- Old advertising channels such as TVs, radios, newspapers, and magazines are losing efficiency in terms of cost and audience reach rate. SMO can compensate for what old methods cannot achieve. You can contact industry experts, opinion leaders, and active bloggers at a very low cost, and they can play a significant role as your brand advocates. They will publicize your brand, product, or service by means of word-of-mouth marketing.
- PR through Word-of-Mouth Marketing and Increasing Purchasing Power
- Word-of-mouth marketing is an ideal marketing method. One of your actual customers informs his/her family, friends, relatives, and colleagues about your brand, product, or service, and they trust what your customer says. This leads to additional sales of your products/services at no additional marketing cost. SMO is the best method for online viral (word-of-mouth) marketing.
- Building Brand Awareness and Trustworthy Information Supply
- Social communities such as Daum Café are good places to initiate your viral marketing. First, you can register as a member of active communities related to your industry or product. Thereafter, you can create positive articles such as service reviews, testimonials, and related, interesting news/facts. These efforts will result in increasing brand awareness and actual sales. Online viral marketing through communities, blogs, and other social networking sites can be your powerful competitive edge in penetrating the Korean market.
SMO process
Company/Product/Service Information-->Blog Communication-->personal blog
- Blog Marketing
- 1. Mouth to Mouth marketing method. Individual users (bloggers) create or
link to articles related to the company/product/service, and then, share the
information with others based on their experience.
- 2. Company releases useful articles (not self-promotional) to increase
the brand image.
- Knowledge Search Marketing
- 1. By answering questions on ‘knowledge search’, advertisers can react
promptly to consumers’ needs.
- 2. A efficient way to build trust between consumers and companies.