In fact, the whole day was a rare opportunity to listen and talk to interesting people from a real mix of backgrounds and muse on how their perspectives on social media can be taken into marketing practice. 

From insights into the past and future of media to detailed experiences of using different media forms pragmatically, there was plenty to be had from the day.

The session I facilitated was on Social Media and Marketing and I deliberately avoided being prescriptive before the event about what ground it would cover, partly because I had no way of knowing who would come to the session (and thanks to everyone who did for being such keen participants) and partly because I was sure that the morning sessions would spark unexpected thoughts and ideas.

The discussion revolved around a range of experiences, some of which I maintain would still be significant when it comes to moving clients towards a marketing mindset even if social media and the internet had never been invented (although I do believe that social media turns a current spotlight on them).

On the other hand, the first point that was raised seemed to have particular relevance to the use of social media for marketing.  The question of whether an audience is ever "going to arrive".

The issue is one of using social media techniques to address a target market which has not yet thrown itself into the digital world; one instance we talked about was that of professional services.  A few points were debated:

• The extent to which the professions might see social media as "unprofessional";
• The fact that buyers of such services make their decisions significantly on the expertise of the individual and their personality, factors which social media is brilliantly placed to convey;
• The fact that the tension between these issues can be addressed by finding a suitable tone of voice which in turn relies on the marketing fundamental of understanding a firm's brand values and the ways they should be conveyed.

This part of the discussion then highlighted the need for a certain leap of faith on the client's part to communicate in ways with which they are unfamiliar.  Not an insoluble problem by any means but one which requires some courage.

Another aspect of of when/whether a target market is ever going to arrive is that of digital exclusion - not just practical accessibility (What's their broadband like? Do they have a computer?) but that of understanding and being comfortable with using new media and seeing the benefits.  In a later session, Caron Lyon (@pcmcreative) talked about how she'd been involved in a workshop with older people who had struggled to understand the purpose of getting more connected until she asked them about the songs played at their weddings and was able to find them on YouTube. 

On the flip side, Mel Gordon (@Bear_Faced) talked about how an anti-littering campaign that he'd worked on had used social media to reach people who were considered "hard to reach" in terms of traditional media.

As marketers, we shouldn't make assumptions about what might or might not work using any kind of promotional tools without understanding our customers.  With regard to using social media, though, we should consider the issue of when and whether they'l; arrive.

• Is your target market happy online?
• Do they "get" the tools available for social media marketing?
• If not, are they giving it a go anyway? Can/should your choice of strategy help move them on their journey?
• If they've not yet arrived will they be preparing for the journey some time soon and, if so, do you need to be there to meet them?  If you're not, then perhaps a competitor will be?

This was by no means the only stuff to come out the day and I'll be posting more thoughts over the next few days.  If you're interested in coming along to the next stimulating medicampnottingham, follow them on Twitter to make sure you're the first to find out more - @mc_notts.

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