Those who have bravely entered and flourished in the vast universe of social media marketing can give themselves a big old pat on the back this week. Dozens of press releases and even a fresh story in the Wall Street Journal have all dropped in the last two days to confirm what savvy social media marketing pioneers have known for quiet some time- that it works! The Journal article cites big promotional outlets like Groupon and notes that while successful, social media marketing firms can be pricey. Elsewhere, articles mention the differences between Ford and Toyota’s social media marketing plans, the secrets to Twitter marketing and the many success stories that Langcavi has experienced in the field. And this is a mere sampling of what has been published about the topic since Monday!
So why this week is social media marketing making such noise? Maybe it’s because of the launch of Google’s Buzz. Maybe it has something to do with the stock market. I would guess however that social media marketing is finally becoming trendy. Like grunge and flannel shirts, people have been doing it for years before the mainstream has caught on. Myspace, who in my mind pretty much invented the darn thing, casually sold its friends everything from new movies to music to clothing without most people ever even noticing; and that was years ago. With the Twitter-caine and Facebook-volcano both raging on in full force, social media marketing has never had so many options to explode as it does right now. Plus smart phones have made reaching consumers on their favorite sites even easier than before.
The question, on every doom and gloomer’s mind is how long will this last? Far be it for me to sling sunshine, but I believe that social media marketing can last and evolve like all forms of Internet promotion and online brand building have.  Naturally, solely relying on Facebook to build your business would not be suggested… yet mixing it in with your current marketing plan makes sense.
But let me turn it over to you, Brandsplatees. Are you currently cashing in on the social media marketing craze? Have you reluctantly signed on but are still unsure of the results. And finally, if you haven’t drank the social media Kool-Aid what exactly is holding ya back?
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