This past week, my good friend Thomas Moradpour launched a blog. One of his first posts is titled Full Disclosure: I think Social Marketing is BS. The post raises some key points that I’ve seen a lot of conversations cover of late. For this Marketer Monday, I thought I’d gather for you some other posts that have argued along similar lines. Feel free to add your own post or comments to the conversation!
Jeff Wilson (@jeffthesensei) explores similar issues in his post titled Is Social Media Just a Channel? I’ve seen this question quite often, though perhaps phrased differently…Is Social Media just another tool, just another weapon, etc. An excellent post!
This post by Suzanne Vara goes into detail regarding how changes in Social Media can impact our other marketing channels. Check out 8 Tips For Embracing Change in Social Media.
Proof of how long this debate has been raging – examine this post by Jay Baer written in August 2009 (!) called 7 ways to use Social Media to build stunning brands. The first sentence begins, “Social media is perhaps the most misleading name for a marketing-related concept ever…”
Finally, rounding out my round-up for today, a fantastic post by Debra Ellis called Social Media vs. Direct Marketing: Place Your Bets Now. Like many in the Social Media space, Debra paints a picture whereby Social Media could actually work with other channels to make marketing enriched, longer-lasting, and more valuable.
Is Social Media marketing? Is Social Media Marketing the better phrase? Is Social Media something separate from “regular” marketing? Can it exist on its own?
Join the fray. I have a feeling this debate isn’t going anywhere!
Image by jolka igolka. http://www.sxc.hu/profile/coniferine
Hi Margie,
Thank you for including my post. Social media is the missing marketing link that allows companies to connect with the people who want relationships. It is a necessary component for any marketer who wants to move their marketing to the next level. It is not a stand-alone tool. Those who advocate it as such are doing a disservice because it prevents people from taking it seriously. I’m hopeful that more marketers will start embracing the unique benefits of social media and stop trying to make it replace all other marketing. Every tool has a time and place where it is most efficient. Great marketers leverage them to deliver the maximum return on investment.
Thank you, again.
Debra (aka @wilsonellis)
Well said and I couldn’t agree more. As I’ve said before on this blog, Social Media is a great tool, but trying to use it to do everything is like trying to use a lawn mower to make smoothies. It’s just not going to work. Or at least not very well.
Thanks for popping by!
Margie
Thanks so much for including me. I am, as always, honored.
I see social media contained within marketing as marketing encompasses advertising and when we get right down to it, social media is advertising. We are showcasing our abilities and our work on our blogs, we have profiles that allows people to come and check us out and then reach out to us, we create videos, etc. Social media is advertising but calling it social media advertising would have had a negative associated with it as when people hear advertising they cringe.
Online advertising was/is always going to exist. Revenue streams are needed to keep the economy going. Providing free tools where people could interact and engage while at the same time give some insight into their work, was a means of bringing more people online and having them stay. Think about how many hours we are online. Think of how many conversations you have with people online that you never would have.You are being exposed to a wealth of advertising and not feeling imposed or intruded upon. That is the power of social media and something that people do not see right away. We are all looking for new ways to advertise and bring attention to our brand. A good portion of the attention comes from being active. The rest, well you would have to hire me for that. =-)
And everyone should hire you, by the way. Given that that’s just a taste, I mean, c’mon, people! Are you kidding me?? 🙂
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