Steve Hartley

 

Social Media

 

Social Media is the most recent addition to the Interactive Marketing channels.  Being new, it is also the most often misunderstood and incorrectly employed.  With terms like Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, FriendFeed, Delicious, Digg, and Technorati, it's hard to know what all the talk is about. 

 

Some organizations wonder why they should devote any of their resourses to what they see as just so much chatter. 

 

It's just talk, right?

 

Well, yes - Social Media is generally regarded as a conversation, but then again, so is word of mouth advertising.  Think of Social Media as the internet version of word-of-mouth advertising. 

 

Right now, somewhere on the internet, someone is probably talking about your company.  Social Media is used to monitor what's being said, and to influence what's being said.  Used correctly, and Social Media can create 'brand evangelists' - consumers that speak favorably of your organization and its products to other consumers.  Used incorrectly, and you can create problems that will be difficult to overcome.

 

Ignore Social Media at your own peril.  Your competition isn't ignoring it.  And do you really want to leave them alone with your customers?