social media marketing Archives - Page 11 of 37

The immense popularity of social media has resulted in a wave of social media “gurus”, “experts” and “strategists”.

Most of them never asked to be called a “guru” and I have to admit that’s the ones I personally like to “follow” and connect with because they know what marketing is all about and they are down-to-earth great thinkers but, most of all, they achieve results.

But there are others, the self-proclaimed “gurus” that are often people who try to ride the social media wave: the opportunists and fast money makers (don’t worry, they have always existed, long before social media existed).

I say: “live and let live but think twice before you decide to follow their example”.

Focus on your skills, the results you achieve with social media marketing and real metrics and marketing expertise, rather than on positioning yourself as a “social media expert” if you want to be hired as a social media marketing consultant.

If you don’t have the channels to allow people to connect with you, they will not communicate.

If you don’t look at what people are doing online, listen to what they say, talk to them and touch them, you will not be able to read their digital footprints, smell the digital signals they send out and ultimately go beyond simple social media connections to build valuable relationships and communities.

In social media marketing you need to have an integrated marketing approach, using all your channels and social media ‘voices’ and of course you also need to listen.

Besides those omni-channel, multi-channel or cross-channel marketing ‘voices’ and ‘ears’ you need stories.