What is Social Media?

I know that you‟re ready to jump right in and start building a social media strategy. Before we do this, it is essential that you understand what social media is and why so many people are using it. Let‟s start with a definition. According to Wikipedia,
“Social media is online content created by people using highly accessible and scalable publishing technologies. At its most basic sense, social media is a shift in how people discover, read and share news, information and content. It's a fusion of sociology and technology, transforming monologues (one too many) into dialogues (many to many) and is the democratization of information, transforming people from content readers into publishers. Social media has become extremely popular because it allows people to connect in the online world to form relationships for personal, political and business use.”
Wow, that‟s a lot of information! So let‟s break it down into its 3 main components: publishing, information diffusion, and relationship building.
Social media can be leveraged to create wonderful marketing masterpieces. Big name companies like Skittles and Dell have successfully used social media to increase their sales, brand, and the community around their products. Small companies like Kogi BBQ are using social media to increase their sales and dominate the late night food craze in Los Angeles. No matter your company size, social media can be used to start a conversation with your target market and elevate your brand.
SEOP‟s Social Media Consulting Team has successfully worked for clients and built strong campaigns that drive traffic and build community. Through our experience, we have developed the proprietary 5 Pillar Model that teaches our clients how to use social media for business and how to execute the strategies that we develop together.
This EBook is your guide to the 5 Pillars of social media marketing, and how you can leverage social media for your company‟s success:
Pillar 1: What is Social Media? – We breakdown social media marketing into its core components so that you can understand the fundamentals. Social Media is about building a conversation with your clients and consumers.
Pillar2: Common Mistakes Companies Make With Social Media – Though you may understand social media and have a solid foundation to build on top of, it is still possible to fall into the common pitfalls and mistakes that most companies make. Avoid the crucial mistakes and you‟ll be well positioned for social media success.
Pillar 3: The Different Ways Companies Use Social Media – Now that you understand the common pitfalls, it‟s time to take a look at the companies that get it right. Companies are successfully using social media to drive sales, build traffic, hire employees, build a community, and create a positive, well-known brand.
Pillar4: A Framework for Developing a Social Media Strategy – The strategy development portion of a social media campaign is crucial for the success of a company. You must ask and answer the appropriate and relevant questions to develop the right campaign: What social sites are your target market currently using? How much time is needed to consistently interact with your social community?
Pillar5: How toMeasure Return on Investment – Strategy and research are of course only half the battle. Once your strategy is set, it‟s time to execute by either building a team, training your current team, or hiring outside consultants to implement. This is by far the most important part of social media marketing so it is of the utmost importance that you get it right.