Social Media: A Marketing Tool, or Just a Twit?

Monday, July 20th, 2009 at 10:09 am

Social Media Marketing, Network Marketing, Internet Marketing, Online Marketing, Affiliate Marketing Social Media, the Web 2.0 phenomenon that has begun to dominate the Internet Marketing industry. How is it being used, and why?

With the huge surge in Facebook, and Twitter users in the last 2 years, It’s easy to see the “WHY”. Here is an enormous gathering place of individuals, all meeting, greeting, sharing ideas, and building relationships. Any savvy marketer knows that good business can be obtained, simply by creating good relationships. Let’s use an analogy here.

In the “real time” world, Joe the Dry Cleaner has coffee at the local donut shop every morning before work. Bob the Car Dealer from down the street does also. Over time, they get to know one another, strike up conversations about common interests, and learn a little about each other’s business.

One day Bob is checking on a client’s car in the shop, and brushes against a mechanics rag getting grease on his sports coat. What’s he going to do? “Hey my buddy Joe down the street can probably take care of this for me”. He uses Joe’s services because he has gotten to know him and trust him.

A month later, Joe is ready to trade in his car. Where’s the first place he is going to think about? Over to see his friend Bob, because he knows he will be treated fairly and honestly by him.

This is a great analogy of how things work in the online world of Social Media also.

Here is what DOES NOT work.

Between Joe’s Dry Cleaning, and Bob’s Car Dealership, is Fred’s Furniture Store. Fred comes into the donut shop every once in awhile also. He is loud, he is pushy. He is always trying to pitch his business over coffee, and he is just plain annoying. He plasters bright lights and huge banners all over the front of his store, and floods the radio and TV with his loud, annoying Commercials over and over again.

As you might guess, Joe and Bob steer well clear of Fred’s simply because they are sick of the daily battering they get from his pushy sales style.

Joe and Bob both tell their customers about each others business’s and recommend that they go there. If either of them are asked if they know a good furniture store, they will likely mention one in the next town over before they mention Fred’s.

So now we see the successful way that Social Media can be used, and the Twit’s way of using it.

What strategies do you use?

Here Is To Your Total Success!!!