Commercial Integrator January 2023 - 29

sentiment, adding, " It is a stream of
business communication [happening]
at the speed of thought. " In his opinion,
social media gives AV integrators
the ability to stay in front of customers,
maintain both direct and indirect communication
with vendors, and engage
instantly with whatever is happening.
He notes, " Done correctly, it allows you
to take control of the message, tell your
story, highlight your achievements and
educate the market. "
For Tungl, vice president of business
development at CTI, social media offers
integrators visibility to study competitors'
strategies. " Marketers need to know what
competitors are doing on social media, "
he proclaims. " If there are copycat
campaigns, you know what you're doing
is working. " It's crucial, Tungl believes, to
stay ahead of competitors as they can also
leverage social-media platforms to analyze
your business marketing, social-media
strategy, brand reputation, and so on.
He observes, " This requires investment in
innovation and crafting unique, personalized
campaigns. "
Leveraging Social Media
Given that social media has gained
prominence steadily, it is imperative
that integrators get the most out of it to
benefit their businesses in the long run.
According to Fons, it starts with a strong
marketing strategy. " It needs a specific
purpose, and it needs to be used as part
of a larger plan, with detailed goals in
mind, " he advises. The goal, he adds,
could be as simple as reinforcing unique
branding, but integrators must execute
their plan in a way that achieves that goal.
In Fons' opinion, hallmarks of poorly managed
social media are lack of cohesion
and the magnification of discordant messages.
" It is important to strike the right
balance of employee participation and
sharing content that is in sync with your
branding strategy, without overstepping
[any boundaries], " he remarks.
Fortin agrees, stating that many AV
businesses have social-media managers
but don't actually have a message or strategy
in place. " With an effective strategy,
integrators can create marketing materials
(ebooks, guides, price comparisons, etc.)
commercialintegrator.com
Social media doesn't only have a little bit of something for everyone but also has a bit of
everyone as part of the community. It's time for integrators to use the platforms to their
fullest advantage.
to market directly to their ideal prospective
client and create an excellent flow
of high-value leads, " he observes. Fortin
also acknowledges the time and effort
required to put such strategies into place,
saying, " The biggest disadvantage is that
much like any investment, it can take time
to pay dividends. "
Fortin recognizes that it takes immense
resources to ensure that a company is
communicating its message through the
right channels/platforms and executing
on its objectives in doing so. Therefore,
he counsels, " Like [any other project],
as a business executive or manager, you
should have a pretty good overall idea of
the job, tasks and requirements for success
[before implementing them]. " That
might mean having a hand in social-media
strategy until you have a good grasp of
the basics; only then might you consider
outsourcing these tasks to others.
JANUARY 2023 Commercial Integrator 29
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Commercial Integrator January 2023

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