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!!