What is social marketing?

In our changing online world, few people are satisfied with sitting in front of their computer staring at the screen and clicking the mouse. At first, when personal computers first started appearing in homes, the masses were happy to sit and read. They quickly became bored with that, and so savvy marketers gave users plenty to click on.

The users were happy clicking for a while, but soon demanded more. This is when socialization made its way to the Internet. You may have heard the term Web 2.0. This is a term used to describe any application that allows users to interact – either with the application or with each other. Using this definition, there are numerous online activities that could be considered Web 2.0.

Today, the most common Web 2.0 elements are social networking, social bookmarking, blogging, video and audio, surveys and polls, and niche socialization. You can use all of these elements in your marketing plan to build a brand, increase your credibility, or to make more sales. These are the aspects that we will be discussing in detail in this report.

But before we get into the ‘how’s,’ let’s discuss the ‘why’s.’ Why should you get into social marketing? You may believe it’s because everybody else is doing it. This is one reason, but the second reason is because it works. Anywhere that people gather, you have the opportunity to make money – especially online.

When the buzz about MySpace first started, marketers quickly found a way to use it to their advantage. As new technologies come into play, again, marketers will find a way to use it to their advantage. It is just the way of things in the online world.

You can easily use social marketing techniques to increase business. It is just a question of knowing how to do it, when to do it, and even why you are doing it. Any good marketer will tell you that you don’t do anything without having a specific purpose in mind. Social marketing is the same way – you must have a purpose or goal in mind when you start.

As with any other marketing technique, social marketing takes time and therefore, it is important that you make time for it. However with social marketing, you must use caution: its fun. You can easily get lost in it. While you need to employ social marketing techniques, it is important not to leave those older techniques that still work well behind. So, be sure that you schedule time for both.