Social media marketing definition: 2 essentials

Last week we launched our ComMetrics blog checklist from CyTRAP Labs GmbH with:

Using social media metrics, social media marketing and social media monitoring tools, these posts are intended for bloggers, and Twitter or Facebook users (see also Social media DOs and DON’Ts). Today’s blog post addresses the challenge of finding a social media marketing definition that works. We will also be posting:

Why PR fails with social media marketing

Corporate blog definition: 4 essentials

4 ways to foster dialogue with corporate blogs

4 strategies to leverage usability tests

4 tips for crisis management through social media

5 critical steps for reputation management

8 guidelines for fostering social media engagement

5 corporate blogging trends for 2011

Read on to see the second of this series.

What is social media marketing?

In short, social media marketing is the process of promoting your brand, service or product and building your reputation through social media channels, such as weblogs and social networks.

More specifically, to understand social media marketing we also must accept that the purpose of social media marketing is to benefit your target audience, not the marketer. This technique has been used for health programs regarding drug abuse prevention, heart disease and organ donation by helping victims, patients and raising awareness.

Accordingly, social media marketing is less about what you can get for yourself, and more about what you can give your current and prospective clients (something many forget when joining LinkedIn and Xing groups).

More information, more posts, more contacts, more referrals – all of these can lead to an increase in business over time.

Social media marketing consists of using social media to convince friends, associates, customers and prospective clients that your company, products and/or services are worthwhile and useful.

These efforts help build your reputation and mark you as a trustworthy source of information, an important step to getting people to buy into what you have to offer.

Social media is a long-term exercise. Short-term activities are unlikely to allow you to reap the rewards (e.g., ABB blog for the FIFA 2010 World Cup South Africa – a flash in the pan).

3 golden rules for social media marketing

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Bottom line – how social media marketing differs from traditional marketing

Social media marketing uses pull techniques, through which the customer is pulled in by good content. Traditional marketing pushes your content at prospective clients through paid advertising or brochures.

Accordingly, good content offered via social media will not only pull people in, but also allow them to engage, for example by writing a comment. But offering to share a blog’s content using other social media channels, such as Facebook or Digg, is just a first step on the continuum to better engagement with clients through to social media marketing.

Ultimately, social media can and must help you enhance your efforts to improve customer relationship management and client services.

Nevertheless, all else considered equal, if you have deep enough pockets you may be able to outspend the other guy in advertising to limit damage caused by a potential social media marketing faux-pas.

ComMetrics social media checklist – 2. Social media marketing definition: 2 essentials

This short video gives an overview of this post and additional insights.