Understanding Social Media Marketing
February 9th, 2010 | 29 comments
I’ve gone over certain aspects of social media in several different posts over the years, but as far as I know I’ve never done an “all-in-one” type of post, explaining the differences that exist with Social Media and the different ways you can leverage them.
Social Media is growing like no media has ever grown before. MySpace was one of the first mass social platforms, then Facebook, Twitter and the list goes on and on. As Internet Marketers Social Media is a relatively new, HUGE market and opportunity, but it’s far from a secret!
There are millions of sites dedicated to leveraging Social Media to do this, that and the other. It’s a marketing machine, but only a small percentage of marketers are really benefiting from it because most are just confused by it all. This post is my attempt at clearing up that confusion.
Let’s start off with the definition. Wikipedia says:
“Social media is content created by people using highly accessible and scalable publishing technologies.”
That’s the “book” definition, but it really all comes down to the first word “social.” Any site that is driven by user-generated content is a social media site!
With that being said, let me tell you something that most people don’t realize for a WHILE, which causes them to waste time bugging legitimate users and spamming those users… eventually getting their accounts suspended: There are MANY different types of social media sites and each one has it’s own benefits to you as an Internet Marketer.
Some can be leveraged in the same basic way. Some provide the same benefit if leveraged properly, but all are different!
For instance, social bookmarking sites like Digg and Stumbleupon are best leveraged as direct exposure tools. Good, viral content that you produce can gain thousands, even millions, of new visitors from these sites when your visitors bookmark them. But, you don’t go to Digg or SU to build links (it’s all nofollowed) or to network. There are other social bookmarking sites that will give you a followed link. There may even be some that are good for networking. That’s where my point comes in. They are all different!
LinkedIn is a social site that is all about networking. Meeting other people in your niche. Making friends, which is really what networking is all about!
Facebook and Twitter are useful for direct exposure and networking. And as a side note, I recommend creating separate accounts for business and private use.
There is a big problem with many social media sites and spam, especially Twitter. This problem comes from confused marketers who don’t understand that each site is different. The problem is spam. But this spam isn’t coming from dirty, unethical scammers like most spam comes from. It’s coming from “newbie” Internet Marketers who are getting very broad info regarding the topic and acting on that info without any real clarity.
I get direct messages on Twitter on a daily basis from people talking like we’re best friends even though I have never talked to them in my life. They don’t understand that Twitter (for instance) is just like real life. Use it to make friends, talk NORMAL to people. Get to know them, help them…
Things like this happen on just about all of the big social sites. Each problem is unique to the site it occurs on, but it all comes from users trying to use a social platform in the wrong way.
So how can I be different and provide a clear solution? Unfortunately the best advice I can give you, or anyone can give you for that matter, is to look at each site differently!
Every time a new social media site begins to gain popularly I create an account and start using it HOW IT’S MEANT TO BE USED. Once I understand it, I then start to think of ways in which it can benefit my business, if any.
It comes down to this. Most social media sites are best leveraged by using them EXACTLY HOW THEY’RE MEANT TO BE USED! Don’t push URL’s onto people you don’t know. Don’t bend or break the rules of the sites. Just sign up, figure out the purpose and intention of the site and use it. Marketing isn’t always about ads and pushy sales talk. It’s also about making friends, sharing ideas and information, helping people and just being active.
image credit: Matt Hamm
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9th February, 2010 at 4:20 am
Nice post. I guess the real point is that Social Media is like all other forms of media — if it looks like SPAM, and smells like SPAM, it’s SPAM. Your point that you need to lear the platform to understand what SPAM means for that tool is right on (as usual).
Thanks,
Mark
9th February, 2010 at 5:06 am
Totally agree with what you’re saying, Josh. Far too many marketers try to find ways of ABUSING rather than USING Social Media sites and miss the mark!
jonel.
9th February, 2010 at 5:46 am
Good post Josh and it is definitely worth a retweet (which I have already done) I just hope it get’s read by the Twitter spam machine.
Thank you,
John
9th February, 2010 at 5:55 am
A point very well made Josh. Social media sites are meant for you to socialize and build a network. Spamming them only harms your credibility which is what you were trying to build up in the first place.
9th February, 2010 at 6:22 am
Thanks a lot. It’s given me an idea, or an idea or two on how to get to grips with it. I’ve completely avoided social media because as a relative newbie, hey I know a lot about overwhelm!
So I wasn’t about to add to my difficulties needlessly. What I’m saying is I didn’t want to buy the line that this was going to be my meal-ticket. But I’m seeing ways in which it can be a useful or very useful adjunct. I’ll view it like that and take things from there whereas I was actually minded to avoid looking at this – although I knew it might have meant missing the boat.
9th February, 2010 at 6:25 am
Hi Josh,
I totally agree that social media sites can bring in traffic, but they may not bring in revenue. Case in point, I “invited” FaceBook friends to a post on one of my sites, just to see if traffic will come. True enough, traffic did come! As much as 82 visits in just one day. And they left plenty of comments, too! This went on for about four days, and then it started to fizzle out. I must admit I was pleased with the traffic, even though it only lasted for a few days. But guess what? Not a single adsense click from all that traffic. Bummer. Any tips how I can get “friends” to click without me being banned?
Jaime
9th February, 2010 at 6:58 am
Thanks Josh for this post, again very good information.
I totally agree when you say that when we use social media as a marketing strategy we have to make sure that we understand the purpose of the media and use appropriate practices when using them.
Having said that, do you have a way to quantify the real benefit of using social media as a marketing strategy and how we can measure the level of success we are having with same.
And do you use Social medial as a long, medium or short term strategy?
Philippe
9th February, 2010 at 9:29 am
Good post, I have colleagues in my business who are getting signups through Twitter, but what puts me off is how automated it has become and very few tweets are genuine chat. But I am building up the social media marketing area in my marketing as I think it is the way forward.
Rachel
9th February, 2010 at 9:47 am
That clears a lot of “stuff” up Josh. I guess I need to just relax and “meet” people instead of trying to market so much. Thanks for the breath of fresh air Josh.
David in SC
9th February, 2010 at 12:46 pm
As a novice w/ SM I’ve just come to this same conclusion, Josh…they are all so different and each requires a learning curve. With a focus on Twitter and sifting through the plethora of “how to Twitter” trainings, it seemed each offers a gem or two of worthwhile and applicable pointers. It is a time consuming process to learn it all.
Long term marketing strategy is best for SM, imho. Somewhere I read that a high percentage of marketers discontinue using Twitter, for example, as they cannot measure or determine if what they are doing is effective or even correct.
Those who persevere to learning (the right way) will win, of this I am certain.
And I was one of those who felt that SM in its beginnings was a flash in the pan. Ha! Live and learn.
9th February, 2010 at 1:16 pm
Thanks, Josh. I think one of the main things I’d love to do with Social Media is actually meet new people. Unfortunately, too many spammers have made us all suspicious to any that reaches out.
Just like real life, you’ll just need to reach out, explain who you are and what you want — then hope for the best.
9th February, 2010 at 3:08 pm
Well said, Josh! Never really thought of social media in this lght. You make it simple, use social media the way it’s meant to be used! The hard part is finding out how each site is set up, after that it should be easy!
Wayne
9th February, 2010 at 3:49 pm
Good post Josh. The root of the problem is the “get rich quick mentality” most folks have online.
IM guru’s are constantly feeding the newbie person with quick get rich schemes.
Blogging for cash, twitter riches in hours, and a list of other b.s. programs that are longer than a wal mart register line.
There some very good social media stuff that will truly help the newbie but these are few and far between.
Paul
9th February, 2010 at 6:34 pm
Like all things you write or comment on is very intuitive and I try to read every word. However when it comes to this social media stuff, let use twitter, I still don’t see how you can target a niche group. Like you mentioned, you should have a different twitter account for each niche your in.
To my understanding, when you do a tweet, it goes out to the whole world. So if niche “A†does a tweet and niche “B†does a tweet, both tweets go to everybody. So if that’s the case, then why have separate niche accounts. I tell yah, I for one could use a lot of help in clarifying how to target a niche group on tweeter and also Facebook.
9th February, 2010 at 6:46 pm
You hit the nail on the head again Josh. Thank you for clearing up the confusion. I made the same stupid mistakes when I first started out.
9th February, 2010 at 9:15 pm
Thanks Josh
I have never really sat down to think about social media the way you point out. To be honest like most newbie internet marketers I have been using them as link building tools.
I guess it is time to do e rethink and not just “follow the herd and do as I am told”
9th February, 2010 at 9:40 pm
Hey everyone,
I have never been to this blog but I want you to buy my products.
The site is…
SPAM SPAM SPAM
Just messing w/ ya
9th February, 2010 at 10:15 pm
I’m glad you suggested keeping different accounts for personal vs. business use. This had occurred to me, but, I wasn’t sure how easy it would be to keep them all going. Most of the problems on social media sites are that the info is covering the complete spectrum of personal and business interests. Wading through all of that info is irritating and a waste of time. Two accounts could help with this……..
10th February, 2010 at 2:34 am
Informative post Josh.
I think the most important point to be taken from it is in your last two sentences. “Marketing isn’t always about ads and pushy sales talk. It’s also about making friends, sharing ideas and information, helping people and just being active.” I wish more marketers like you would pay attention to that, maybe my email box wouldn’t be constantly filled with exactly that…pushy sales talk.
Thanks for putting that little gem into perspective for me
10th February, 2010 at 2:58 am
Hi Josh,
Great article with a lot of useful information for old as new Internet marketers. You hit it right on the head when you pointed out each site has a certain function for us to use to build our business.
Freedomteamleader
10th February, 2010 at 3:59 am
good post Josh – thanks for letting us know the differences between some of these social media sites. I have yet to use social media for marketing but when I’m ready to I shall heed your advice and check how they are meant to be used first.
10th February, 2010 at 5:13 pm
I agree with you Josh, many people just don’t know how to use social media well. They instead spam it, they do not know that it’s the most potent tool for promotion and generating traffic if done right.
11th February, 2010 at 11:05 am
Great post Josh, honest and to the point as usual.
One thing I’ve noticed a lot of people are doing is linking up certain accounts. So for example Facebook becomes a mixture of Facebook updates and Tweets. Personally I find it annoying but do you think there are instances when it makes sense to link up accounts like that?
11th February, 2010 at 12:00 pm
There are not many good articles on using social medias for business purpose and the advice about acting normal (like in real life)seems to be the best i have seen so far.
11th February, 2010 at 3:41 pm
Great post Josh.
If used correctly social media is an awesome tool to have in your arsenal.
Graham.
11th February, 2010 at 5:57 pm
Hi Josh!
Thanx for another good educational article! I’ve not been using Twitter all that long but it is amazing how many folks on Twitter do nothing but beat me over the head with their opportunity!
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t need to hear about your PB&J sandwich you just had for lunch but some ‘social’ networking dialog would be nice!
Using social media for what it was intended to be used for is great advice, Josh, thanx again!
25th February, 2010 at 1:01 am
I definitely don’t appreciate or respond to high-pressure sales tactics, online or otherwise. A social media component can help make an internet marketing strategy effective, but I agree to use the tools as their meant to be used and not harass people!
9th April, 2010 at 3:11 pm
I agree with you that people need to use the tools as they are intended. Newbies do not understand exactly how each social media is meant to be use and the result is egoist self consumed posts and comments. You know that is not how they want to portray themselves. Worst yet people start to unfollow with a bad taste in their mouth about that particular person or business
21st June, 2010 at 5:49 am
I am sure most social media bookmarking websites that start out DO NOT intend allowing there visitors to make money from them, this was never in their plan! In fact, and by contrast I am sure it is the other way around, they want to make money from us via advertising etc. However, humans being the innovators which we are, constantly adapt and find ways to manipulate and use the social marketing tools to attract interest and engage new listeners and then monetise their audience in some way.