Social Media Marketing Defined

There are so many parts to social media marketing that often get over looked.

Most people these days think that social media marketing is selling your product, opportunity or services through Facebook or Twitter but it is really so much more.

Let’s look at the definition of the words social, media and marketing.

Webster’s Dictionary Social:

Webster’s dictionary defines social as:

1. involving allies
2. marked by or passed in pleasant companionship with one’s friends or associates
3. of or relating to human society, the interaction of the individual and the group, or the welfare of human beings as members of society

Definition Of Media

The definition of media is: a medium of cultivation, conveyance, or expression. The dictionary goes on to say that the singular media and its plural medias seem to have originated in the field of advertising over 70 years ago; they are still so used without stigma in that specialized field.

Definition of Marketing According To Webster

1. the act or process of selling or purchasing in a market
2. the process or technique of promoting, selling, and distributing a product or service
3. an aggregate of functions involved in moving goods from producer to consumer

Define Social Media Marketing

Based on the Webster dictionary’s definition of social, media and marketing it would be safe to define social media marketing as:

Creating relationships using online resources for the purpose of selling or purchasing products.

I have always maintained that marketing is best achieved by attraction and creating desire as opposed to selling.  Therefore special emphasis should be placed on the relationship aspect of social media marketing.

Social Media Marketing More Than Facebook – Twitter

There is a lot more to social media marketing than just Twittering and Facebook comments. Listen to this tele-seminar on social media marketing presented to the DSWA members.

Other forms of social media activity include:

• Do you subscribe to the RSS feeds of your friend’s sites that are in your niche? Do you frequently support them by making comments on their blog?
• Video Submissions: We all know about YouTube and yet there are hundreds of other sites that take video uploads.  Some of them even support files that are up to an hour long for training purposes.
• Photo sharing is done on Facebook and also in social networks specific to sharing photos
• Chat rooms, Ning networks, podcasting and more are all a part of an online social network.
• Social Bookmarking: Do you see the panel below this article that says share? When you enjoy an article, not only can you share it on Twitter and Facebook, you can also bookmark it for others to see on different news or bookmarking sites.  This is showing the world that you felt as though the article, the blog and the topic has value.  Do you have an account with Reddit, Digg or Stumble Upon?

Share This Page In Social Sites

I am sure many of you have shared good articles in Facebook or Twitter. Have you shared an article in Digg or Stumble Upon? Click the Share Link below and open an account if you have not.

All of the above social networking formats are recognized by the search engines and bring value to a blog.  When you bring value to other’s blogs you will be returned the favor, I am sure!