Social Media: Flav of the Day or Here to Stay?

Pardon the pun, but everyone seems “atwitter” about social media these days. Facebook, Digg, Twitter, Myspace, LinkedIn, Ning, FreindFeed, Jaiku… it’s akin to the ‘90s when the Internet began its revolutionary change to the way the world communicates. Like the dotcom bubbly days, this young technology is evolving faster than anyone can predict… and challenging to categorize. Many corporations, politicians and marketing firms have all boarded the train, not sure where it’s going, but certainly trying to figure out how it can be added to the arrows in the marketing quiver for their clients’ audiences. However, like any media you chose, it needs to strategically fit into your marketing mix.

Just like employing any media in your plan, there needs to be a solid rationale. The benefit from understanding social media for your company could provide an advantage over your competitor. Companies who employ social media do so for a variety of reasons. While some do it to be on the forefront of marketing trends, perfect for making impressive cocktail party conversation, others truly understand how it can benefit their customers and build solid, long term relations. The first step, however, is to be sure you know your target market and the communication outlets they use and are most effected by.

Certainly younger markets and products that cater to them are a sure bet. That’s not to say that Baby Boomers are not a growing market. In fact they represent the biggest growth potential in the medium. AARP even has its own social marketing network. However, younger consumers have grown up with MySpace, Facebook, YouTube and other social communication outlets on the Internet and its second nature to them. If your product or service targets an 18 to 35 market, it’s a sure thing you should consider social media. However, even in all ages, there are those consumers that don’t chose to spend their free time sitting at a computer chatting with their friends on-line. The important issue is to consider social media were it is strategically appropriate, not because it’s the latest trend. It is not the answer to every marketing problem.

Now that the medium is on a roll, there are different on-line social outlets being developed nearly every day. That can be a make your decisions confusing, with more and more choices. Or that fact can help better define where your focus is best directed. Ultimately, social marketing is basically all just online conversations. The crux of it is communicating to your customers and accessing where they converse back and forth, whatever on-line social medium it is. Social media is a continuation of the new millennium’s move to marketing to smaller, more defined groups. The rifle shot vs. the shot gun blast. It’s certainly not the end all be all. But it’s worth seeking out the right resources to learn what potential it might in your over all marketing strategy.