What is social media?
This might seem very obvious to some of you but what exactly does the broad term “social media” cover? What about “social media marketing,” “digital marketing” or “content marketing?” Are these all umbrella terms under “social media?” Do the terms cover overlapping topics?
Social media is still in it’s infancy. It’s important to note that the definition of social media is not clear in any way. This post should clear up a few misconceptions and help further define “social media.”
Definition
According to Wikipedia, Social Media is “the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into interactive dialogue.”
The analogy we like to use over at Generations Beyond is that traditional marketing is talking into a megaphone at a group of people who might be interested in your product or service. There might be several different people with megaphones trying to shout over you, those are your competitors. Whoever has the biggest megaphone wins, not necessarily the best product or the best offer. Social media marketing, on the other hand, is a conversation. You need to talk but listening is key. Building relationships with people will get you engagement which will affect sales. The key word is “dialogue.”
Next Time: Social Media 101 – Pt 2: It is more than just Twitter and Facebook.
