Interactive Customer Engagement Thanks to Social Media
Interview with Sibylle Lingner, Founder, Owner and Managing Director and René Schultz, Head of Strategy and Concept as well as Vanessa Schmidt, Head of Digital Marketing Marketing Communications Services S. Lingner GmbH
To create genuine customer loyalty, a cross-media approach is crucial in the digital age, as it effectively interconnects various communication channels. In an interview with Wirtschaftsforum, Sibylle Lingner, founder and managing director of Lingner Marketing, together with René Schultz, head of strategy and concept, and Vanessa Schmidt, head of digital marketing, discuss the central role of social media. They explain how social media can serve not only as a communication channel but also make campaigns and businesses more successful.
Wirtschaftsforum: Ms. Lingner, digitalization has greatly changed the marketing landscape. What role do social media play in your company strategy?
Sibylle Lingner: Social media have become a central part in our service portfolio. The platforms not only offer the opportunity to interact with the target audience but also serve as a valuable source of data to better understand the behavior and preferences of our clients' customers. We view social media not merely as a channel, but as an integral part of our cross-media support.
Wirtschaftsforum: How has the importance of social media evolved over the past few years?
Sibylle Lingner: Its significance has increased disproportionately. Where traditional media used to predominate, social media are now an indispensable part of communication. Being able to spread content in real time and communicate directly with the target audience offers continuously new possibilities and opportunities for success.
Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. Schultz, how do you integrate social media into the strategic planning for your clients?
René Schultz: Social media are an important component in our strategic planning. We analyze which platforms are most relevant for the target audience and develop campaigns based on that. Cross-media support allows us to communicate messages consistently across various channels and maximize reach.
Wirtschaftsforum: Ms. Schmidt, what specific challenges and opportunities do you see in working with social media?
Vanessa Schmidt: One of the biggest challenges is the speed at which trends and topics change. Social media require a high degree of flexibility and the ability to react quickly to new developments. At the same time, they offer the opportunity to create an emotional connection with the target audience through creative content and targeted communication.
Wirtschaftsforum: Can you give us an example of how you have successfully integrated social media into a campaign?
René Schultz: A standout example is our collaboration with the company Vitakraft. Here, we developed a comprehensive digital campaign that also uses social media as a channel.
By producing our own content for various advertising formats that stands out from the 'usual' content, we were able to significantly increase interaction with the brand. The results show that click rates and traffic have continuously increased.
Vanessa Schmidt: This has not only strengthened brand loyalty but also created authentic content that resonates well with the target audience.
Wirtschaftsforum: How do you see the future development of social media in the marketing industry?
Sibylle Lingner: I am convinced that the importance of social media will continue to increase. The platforms are constantly evolving and we need to stay flexible to take advantage of new opportunities. The trend is towards more customization and interactivity, which offers us new chances to address our clients' customers more specifically.
Wirtschaftsforum: Do you see your company more as a digital agency today?
Sibylle Lingner: Not really. We see ourselves as a cross-media partner. This means we offer comprehensive support that includes both digital and traditional media. We always align with our clients' goals to measurably and sustainably increase their success.