Social Media Marketing
Social Media, also known as the Social Web or Web 2.0, is the growing evolution of the Internet. This evolution empowers consumers to care control of the content on Internet through social networks, online communities, blogs, wikis, etc… The primary difference between Social Media and the old model of the Internet is that consumers control the content on the web. Content published by companies for the sole purpose of generating revenue, is quickly weeded out and buried by fresher more popular content.
Social Media Marketing is the act of marketing specifically for Web 2.0. When done effectively, the message shared with the consumer is passed on. Over time the message spreads virally drawing attention to the company that initiated it. This type of viral message creates several positive results. First, it attracts new previously unreached consumers to the company. Second, it generates Internet content that is tracked and indexed by Google and other search engines. Third, this content naturally increases search engine ranking and draws additional consumers to your website.
Social Media marketing is the fastest growing marketing technique today. It is the type of planned marketing effort that leads to the “Viral” spread of a company’s message. Unfortunately most companies, and even more unfortunately most marketers, do not understand social media or marketing in this dynamic new marketplace.
Most people venture into this marketplace with the values popularized by older forms of marketing. These values simply don’t hold up when marketing in a web 2.0 environment. That is because the new model for the Internet is dynamic and requires dynamic tactics.
A decent analogy: 5 years ago, marketing on the Internet was much like a lecture. Companies were given free rein to deliver speech after speech. Since there was little to nothing else on the web, these speeches generated traffic. Today, Web 2.0 has changed the Internet from a collection of speeches to interconnected on-going dialogues. Social media marketing requires companies to seek out, join, or initiate conversations with their customers, industry peers, or even their fiercest of rivals. These conversations are then read and distributed when other people join in the conversation.
In the old model of Internet marketing, campaigns took months to prepare and the weeks to execute. These timelines still hold true for proper SEO or SEM campaigns. However, Social Media Marketing is completely different. The Social Media Marketing takes an hour a day. It is executed in small conversations not long, well rehearsed speeches.
These differences in time to market create some of the biggest challenges. Practicing social media marketing an hour a day sounds counter intuitive to anyone with experience in the marketing industry. Surprisingly, this type of marketing can be highly effective at promoting your company’s brand and expanding your marketing reach. However, it requires a thorough marketing plan and a solid understanding of your brand.
Score Consulting and Social Media Marketing
Score Consulting has been involved in the evolution of Web 2.0 since it began gaining traction. We have helped several organizations prepare social media marketing strategies. In many cases, we have even assigned consultants to oversee the execution of these strategies. This experience will allow us to help you expand into the realm of social media. Throughout the process, we will work with you to help you maintain the desired level of involvement. Contact Score Consulting for assistance or advice at any stage of your Social Media Marketing efforts.
