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The Truth About Social Media

Guest post by: Harvey Farr

Article Overview: Social Media -- what is it and what role does it play in the marketing mix? Is it the future of marketing or a fad? How is it used and why is everyone talking about it?

The Truth About Social Media

It is virtually impossible to attend a marketing seminar or class without social media being front and center. Marketing via social media – Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn and so forth – appears to be the future of marketing. Gone are the days when companies only wanted an article in the Wall Street Journal. Today, everybody wants buzz on the internet and as many Facebook friends as they can gather.

While new media appears to be more exciting, futuristic and the way to capture young minds, is it really all it is pumped up to be? Are companies really able to brand themselves, move product and sell services using only social media alone?

Let’s start by examining what makes social media so different than traditional media. It is rather simple. Before the advent of the internet and sites like Facebook, marketing relied on companies having a one-way conversation with customers. This was done via advertising in newspapers, magazines and on radio and television. It also relied on PR professionals placing news articles about companies in the media.

What social media has done is allow consumers to have conversations with one another and not rely on a company telling them how great they are. The entire process of “viral media” which is most evident on YouTube and measured in numbers of hits, is simply people sending information to other people in a manner that can cover thousands, tens, hundreds of thousands and millions of people in a very short span of time.

The power of social media is the ability of people to enter into the conversation and not only be talked to but do the talking as well. If they like a new product or company, the power of social media enables them to pass it along at lightening speed.

But the problem with social media marketing is that it works for products that most people already know about and have interest in. For example, when a new IPhone comes out, it is everywhere on the internet and the buzz is amazing. But how does it help the 99% of companies that have products that nobody has heard of? Can social media take an obscure product and make it an overnight sensation?

I suspect it is possible, but highly unlikely. People talk about what they know and have interest in. Talking about products or companies that nobody has heard of doesn’t produce buzz. The only buzz it tends to produce is in the minds of the companies who think they will get massive exposure on YouTube simply because a product is released. Unfortunately, reality sinks in when their video attracts 25 hits over the first six months rather than the 25 million hits they envisioned.

The lesson to be learned is that traditional marketing, like getting a feature story in the Wall Street Journal, is how companies that are relatively unknown become known. Yes, it is more hip and fun to try to get Facebook friends, but social media needs to be used as a support mechanism rather than an entire campaign. Every company should have a Facebook page and be on YouTube, and should hire 22 year olds to do that, but social media does not make an entire campaign that usually consists of advertising and publicity. If there is not solid strategic planning and a proper marketing mix that introduces a company and its products to new customers, relying on social media certainly won’t do it.

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Article Tags: marketing, marketing plan, PR, public relatiosn, social marketing, social media



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Re: Kevin needs "social glue" ideas - Hi, I like the idea of "10 items that could act as "social glue" because I am an internet marketer. But I agree with the rest that the 10 recent post is nice. Maybe we should open up a new section in the forums on Social Media...or Social Media Marketing. I will tell you that the world is about 1 1/2 behind when it comes to understanding social media. Building a section now will put EvanCarmichael.com is a great position a year down the road when people realize Social Media can produce more traffic than SEO. Jeff
Re: Kevin needs "social glue" ideas - [quote="WebBizIdeas.com":gvtxsu7g]Hi, I like the idea of "10 items that could act as "social glue" because I am an internet marketer. But I agree with the rest that the 10 recent post is nice. Maybe we should open up a new section in the forums on Social Media...or Social Media Marketing. I will tell you that the world is about 1 1/2 behind when it comes to understanding social media. Building a section now will put EvanCarmichael.com is a great position a year down the road when people realize Social Media can produce more traffic than SEO. Jeff[/quote:gvtxsu7g] Hi Jeff, Thanks for the suggestion. Why don't you start a new post (with a poll) to see if there's enough interest in your idea for a social media section?
Re: UPDATES: New Campaign! New Layout! New Ideas! - GT - thanks for the FYI - I'm not sure if we'll put a link back. Something to consider though! Trent - the new category is "Social Network and Media" which was put in to compliment the Online Businesses category that currently exists. Overall the new categories are: - Looking For, Networking and Events - Review My... - Social Network and Media - Brags and Rants These came as a result of Ringo doing research on other forums and thinking about what could be improved on ours to give a better experience for everyone. I hope you enjoy them! David, I'm looking forward to reading your Brag / Rant!
Re: Marketing 2.0 - What Are Your Thoughts - Hi Shri, Thanks for posting this. I also read it and I believe Social Media is here to stay, until the next best thing comes up. Social media proved to be useful for me many times and I think everyone should use it for their business.
Re: Social Media Marketing Ignorance - [quote="vbn411":7qciluxl]Social Media is space that you have to be in to succeed in our current climate. People are going to be discussing your brand / product whether you like it or not, so you might as well join the conversation and add value. [/quote:7qciluxl] I think that's probably one of the most realistic way to think about it. There's no real textbook way of understanding Social Media, it's the networks of people and their interactions that will exist with or without your input. As for Jennifer, You can always have 2 Facebook pages. Many people do. There is also LinkedIn, which is like a professional networking version of Facebook. The only way to know is to try it.


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