It's All About Community

When describing the difference between social media marketing and traditional techniques, experts will often focus on the interactive nature that the former offers. With social media, consumers can promote a brand by discussing it and by posting on a product page. Businesses and consumers can communicate back and forth as peers, even within the confines of the marketing process. In short, the one-way street of old has been replaced by a two-way thoroughfare – a broad connection between business and user that is strengthened by the traffic flowing in both directions.

 Perhaps the best way to do this is by selling a community instead of selling a brand. Consumers are savvy enough to realize that your Facebook page is ultimately intended to boost exposure, sales, and profits, but they don’t want to see such capitalism blatantly forced upon them. They instead want to be won over in the same way as they would with any other Facebook group – with an appeal to community. Similarly, people follow a Twitter feed because they find it entertaining or because they seek insights into details of a person’s life. A marketer is best served to tackle these two objectives before explicitly promoting the brand. This insures that the two-way street is as vibrant as possible.

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  One aspect of social media marketing we tend to overlook is the concept of community. People who engage in social media undoubtedly have a sense of community to find social media appealing in the first place. In a genuine community there is interactiveness and two way communication. If all we do in social media marketing is promote our Biz-Ops and programs without a sense of community our pages and profiles are nothing more than blatant advertising. In genuine community things of value are shared, things that make us laugh, think and profit in some material or physical way. Those receiving what we share then share it with others. Social media marketing is all about community.