Last
updated December 3, 2007
Definitions
for the New “Social” Networker
Social Media 101
Social
Media…it’s the hottest marketing trend that’s
gaining traction and attention worldwide. In fact, according
to a recent Coremetrics survey, titled, “Face of
the New Marketer,” 78%
of marketers indicate that social media initiatives give
them a leg up over the competition. Yet, some may ask,
what exactly is “social media?” And, how should
I apply it in my marketing?
The
answer to the first question is fairly straightforward,
while the answer to the second (how to apply social media
in your marketing) will be an evolving answer …and
perhaps key topic in future Marketing Minute articles.
First,
what is social media? According to the current online dictionaries,
social media is defined as anything that uses the Internet
to facilitate conversations.
Wikipedia defines
social media as “an all encompassing term, defining
the activities that come together in a medium using more
than one sense of sight, sound, or motion to create displays,
picture-sharing opportunities, and connection points through
content. Collaborative opportunities to create, post, or
react to pictures and videos is critical to social media.”
There
are various avenues to share information in social media.
Some of the many forms of social media include Internet
forums, message boards, blogs, podcasts email, instant
messaging, vlogs (video sharing), photo sharing, music
sharing and VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol.
Within
Internet marketing itself, social media is considered the
marketing tool that is driven by the users in a collective
setting. Audience or reader participation is often a key
attribute in social media.
Social
media can be broken down into two key processes: Social
Media Optimization (SMO), which pertains to tactics webmasters
utilize to improve their Web site, blogs or other social
media exposure. There a variety of ways to create optimization,
such as adding links to a Web site, key word entries and
so on.
The
other social media process is Social Media Marketing. This
aspect of social media includes creating content that gets
attention and creates buzz. The more newsworthy or applicable
the content is to the user, the better. Standing out and
pass along value are important in social media marketing;
success in this arena is recognized as when a social media
posting takes on a life of its own and becomes “viral” (or
shared via the social network by viewers).
As with
any marketing strategies, it is important to integrate
tactics in order to capture continuity and create greater
impact. If social media is not part of your marketing plan,
now may be the time for you to integrate it into your plans
for 2008! It’s a great time to be social!!
