So what is digital and social media? Is it a cocktail party you haven’t been invited to yet? Is it some spooky IT thing that you never want to understand? NO!
The best way to define social media is to break it down. Media is an instrument of communication, like a newspaper or a radio, so social media would be a social instrument of communication.In Web 2.0 terms, a social media tool could be a website that doesn't just give you information, but interacts with you while giving you that information. This interaction can be as simple as asking for your comments or letting you vote on a blog or an article, or it can be as complex as the iPhone app called ‘Urban Spoon’ recommending which restaurant to dine at based on the ratings of other people with similar interests.
Think of regular media as a one-way street where you can read a newspaper or listen to a report on television, but you have very limited ability to give your thoughts on the matter.
Social media, on the other hand, is a two-way street that gives you the ability to communicate too.
Social media and digital marketing is one of the fastest growing areas of communication and media today. Ever heard of Facebook or Twitter? Do you want to get into the picture and build an enthusiastic and committed following for your product or service?
Forward thinking companies are investing in social media for a variety of reasons, including gaining a competitive advantage through building relationships, creating content and capturing mindshare. I think it’s safe to say that companies making investments in better connecting with their customers now, will have a distinct advantage over those that are resolved to “wait and see” how the social media thing pans out.
Most of the companies I talk to are intrigued and even excited about social media. The challenge for those businesses is that they’re often not exactly sure where to start or what will happen if they do.
For many companies, kicking off a social media effort is like jumping off a cliff. The aim of these columns is to demystify the process, making it manageable and most importantly, ensuring it works cohesively with your traditional marketing and branding activities.
Social media today can be a thoroughly viable resource in communicating your brand and its’ message to a wider marketplace. Social media and digital marketing is fabulously flexible, but because of this, no one site or resource suits every situation. This is why it’s important to find the right mix for your business or service.
Used wisely though and I guarantee you will be able to drive traffic to your site, turn readers into sales or leads, or build a meaningful following of evangelists through your Twitter account that will promote your company; this column will teach you how to develop a customised, appropriate and time efficient solution that suits your business or product.
Social media marketing is a journey of discovery and in today’s market might even sound risky. But one only has to think about how people get their news online every day, to how we resort to online shopping in today’s hectic times and even the overwhelming popularity of Facebook and Twitter… suddenly the digital strategies don’t sound quite so risky.
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