Social media marketing is muted without traditional-media base

Here’s the “Traditional Media and New Media Working Together" presentation I gave at Monday’s wOOt conference.

Presentation I gave at the wOOt social-media conferenceThe topic is not one I normally would present (it was assigned to me by conference organizers, given my position at a newspaper company overseeing digital media), but in diving into the preparation I was reminded at how much strength traditional media has in these turbulent times.

My daily life is consumed by so-called new media, whether in practice or in theory, so it’s easy for me to get all caught up in trends. Sure, we’re heading toward a digital dominance in media but for the near- and short-term, traditional media (print newspapers, TV, radio) still brings home the bacon in local markets.

As I note in my presentation, smart business people see social media as an opportunity -- not a threat. Based on very reliable local data released late in 2009, using social media to market your business will add, generally, 10 percentage points of net audience potential/reach when combined with other media.

For example, bakersfield.com has 35 percent monthly market reach among households making $75,000. When social media marketing is layered in, that reach grows to 46 percent. In another example, people who have read a Sunday issue of The Bakersfield Californian represents 51 percent of that same $75k+ market. When you layer in social media, that reach grows to 62%.

So, it’s clear social media has upside as a marketing tool. But to take only that route severely limits your upside in finding new customers. Thankfully at The Californian and bakersfield.com and its affiliated websites, we have options galore to fill both needs.