While social media has grown to become a vital component of
our lives, local media are still trusted to a much greater degree than Facebook
to find out what is happening in your local community, according to research
from YouGov Sixth Sense commissioned by Havas PR UK.
Havas PR UK’s board director, Nigel Hughes puts things into
perspective:
“Social media has a prominent place
at the table but marketers run the risk of over-hyping it as a solution. Brands
need to realise it’s not a one size fits all tool for reaching every
demographic.
The death of the local newspaper and impact of radio has clearly been
exaggerated.”
The impact of marketing through social media is beginning to
bear fruit but there are inherent dangers for your brand: social media is a
volatile place and brands can be negatively impacted by the inability to
control people airing unpleasant and offensive views online.
Remember: consumers have high levels of trust for local
media, and attach that trust to the brands that advertise within them.