Marketing ‘Speak’ De-Mystified
May 26, 2009 by Rebekah King · 1 Comment
Some friends and I have a running joke that marketers just make up words & phrases to confuse customers into hiring them. It’s time for some definitions …and before you get upset with the simplicity of the definitions – I’m not trying to be Websters here, just a light FAQ… and hopefully a little dose of reality in this crowded and cloudy marketing verbiage:
Social Media = any kind of media that creates a social or community experience for the audience. Facebook lets people do this by sharing photos and videos and news with their friends.
Social Media Marketing by Rebiz Works
May 4, 2009 by Rebekah King · Leave a Comment
The Unique Element: What makes social media particularly valuable is its ability to spread the word about a product, service, trend, or style. When marketing in social media platforms we work to present information or products in a way that encourages people to share it with their friends. A photographer can post pictures of their clients and “tag” their client in the photos, the client’s friends see who has been “tagged” in the photos and can share this with their friends too.
The Definition: Social media is simply a buzz word for any type of media that has a social component – sharing, posting, commenting, messaging, discussing etc. These are social practices you would be more inclined to see at a group gathering, or coffee shop, than you would traditionally have seen online. The media used in these communities can be primarily text, video, or photos, but the most engaging are typically using all three.
The Tools: When someone talks about social media we often think about tools like Myspace, Facebook, and LinkedIN, but there are over 80,000 different social media platforms around the world. Ning, Xing, Bebo and Orkut or a few examples of different social media tools. Typically it’s easier to get started on the more common applications, but the most strategic marketing plans focus on reaching out to the niche communities that best match our client’s target audience.
EXAMPLE: Tony Columbini @ Egge Machine & Speed Shop doesn’t do much on Facebook/Myspace/LinkedIn, but is extremely active in car enthusiast communities. They’ve seen a direct relationship between sales and this online community involvement.
The Business: Many social media platforms make their money from display ads on different parts of the site, or by charging people for advanced access or communication ability. One of the basic tenants of social media is the most simple membership be free, so many people can join – to create the community and bring enough people together to keep the site engaging to the audience.
EXAMPLE: LinkedIN charges for advanced communication, like InMail or number of introduction requests. Twitter is often a topic of conversation, because to date the founders do not have a revenue model for the tool, leading many to believe it may not last forever.
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