Wood & Panel

Jacquelyn Clair

Jacquelyn Clair

Jacquelyn Clair, Account Executive and Social Media Strategist at Marketing Design Group, has been involved in Social Media Marketing in both US and Europe since 2005. As new media gained traction in the marketplace, Clair was tasked to lead a strategic review of the emerging platforms, defining a program of change for the company’s new product roadmap. At MDG she has launched and consulted on new media ventures ranging from large consumer campaigns and targeted B2B campaigns to strategies for small businesses. She shares her insight on the phenomenon with us.

 
woodandpaneleurope Social Media Marketing, how would you define the term?
  Jacquelyn Clair: Just like TV, radio, print advertising, direct mail and the Internet, Social Media is simply a new channel for marketers to add to their integrated marketing strategy. It’s about finding a way to show up in your customer’s information streams, conversations, recommendations, etc.
 
woodandpaneleurope How does it work for the woodworking industry?
  Jacquelyn Clair: I wouldn’t say it’s all that different in any industry. It’s simply an extension of your current marketing campaign. A woodworking business might not have a million followers on twitter, but that’s not what’s important. Businesses in this industry can still use social media to connect with their customers, expand their network to find new business, build loyal relationships, connect on a frequent basis to get front-of mind, demonstrate new product offerings in a dynamic way such as showing video of their shops or latest products, recruit talent, communicate promotions and product launches, spread information virally, respond to customer service queries and so much more.
 
woodandpaneleurope Serious corporate marketing through a media which is labeled as frivolous, how do you think the orthodox industry deals with it?
  Jacquelyn Clair: Anyone who thinks Social Media is frivolous may find themselves in the dust of their competition. I think you have to look at the bigger picture here. This isn’t just a new media channel, Social Media is shifting our behavior—changing the way we consume information and influencing our purchasing decisions. The person, not the purveyor, stands at the heart of media and marketing now. Context, created by friends and feeds, trumps all other content. Consumers aren’t searching anymore—they are letting information find them in social streams.

Right now, the orthodox industry is simply trying to keep up with this historical transformation. It took radio 38 years to reach 50 million users, TV 13 years, the Internet 4 years—Facebook alone attracted 200 million users in 1 year! As this revolution takes hold at super speed, traditional media becomes less and less relevant. Marketers need to find a way to show up in these streams without interrupting the conversation. Companies are increasingly shifting marketing budget and company resources to tackle the social web leverage the colossal power.
 
woodandpaneleurope Do you think SMM can be risky in a competitive environment?
  Jacquelyn Clair: Risky? I think it’s risky not to be involved. The conversation is going to continue, whether you like it or not. Wouldn’t you rather be part of it? Right now is a very pivotal time. Many companies are going to completely miss the boat with social media and this will leave an opportunity for those with vision to get ahead of the curve and steal market share from their competitors.
 
woodandpaneleurope What would be your suggestions to companies willing to strengthen their internet presence?
  Jacquelyn Clair: Develop a strategic social media marketing plan and allocate adequate budget and experienced resources. Some people think they can just throw up a Facebook page and that’s social media marketing. These are the people who fail and open themselves up to negative feedback. There’s a lot more to it than that. You need to listen to your audience, find where they are interacting, create a content schedule and measure results. Social media is all about engagement and providing value to customers—and of course adding to your own bottom line.

This is what I cover in my session at the AWFS Fair. I will get woodworkers up-to-speed with the concept of social media marketing and provide tangible, actionable, information that will help them go back to their shops and incorporate social media into their communication strategy.

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