How many times has it happened that the first thing that came to mind when we thought about promoting our business online was social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc.? We are all mesmerized by the conundrum called “social media marketing.” Talk to any marketer and the first thing they’ll say is “You should be where your consumer is” and rightly so, social media websites are the most attractive platforms for consumers today. The average time spent on this platform far exceeds any other medium, including traditional television. So is it wrong for brand / marketing managers to spend a large chunk of their time on such platforms? Yes and no.
Yes, because these platforms are possibly the best set of platforms that help us raise awareness of our products, improve brand image and therefore increase sales. And a ‘No’ because we ended up ignoring the oldest and most original social media platform known as ‘Forums’. Here are 4 reasons why we should spend more time on discussion boards and not just limit usage to build backlinks and respond to consumer complaints.
1. It’s where the real discussion takes place: just like you have Facebook for fun, LinkedIn for professional networks, etc., in the same way, the discussion forum is a place intended for discussion. The users who come to this platform are the ones who really want to discuss something. Managers should use this platform to engage with these users and try to convert them from normal users to ‘brand evangelists’.
2. Know what your consumers are talking about – While you can still engage with consumers by following their social media profiles, the discussion forum is the best platform where you can get real-time category trends. How is it different? Well, the discussion that takes place on your social media page is and will be specific to your product, while the discussion that takes place on the forums might start with products, but they tend to shift into categories. We, as managers, may use this information to capture changing trends in consumer behavior. It also acts as a great platform for obtaining competitor data as users visiting such forums will also compare your product to your competition and this is how you can get a first hand review on your competition.
3. A platform for market research – How many of us realize that dedicated forums can be one of the best places for comprehensive market research? Does it come with a new product? launching a new service? A complementary function to an existing product? Browse relevant discussion forums, discover the latest trends, post relevant questions about the need you want to meet, and it’s that easy to get first-hand consumer insights.
4. A secure platform for honest product feedback: While social media platforms are also safe platforms for product feedback, discussion forums have some additional benefits. First of all, unlike social media platforms, discussion boards are generally closed groups and the threat of some comments going viral is lower. Second, the discussion forums are not limited in terms of access, as you do not need to follow a company to receive their posts, so the type of feedback you will receive will be unbiased and sincere. So as a manager you could analyze the feedback, make any necessary changes, implement the final product and yes! This time you could and should post that release on all social media platforms.