It’s official. Social Media is not just a fad. The popularity and “stickiness” of sites like Facbeook, Twitter, and LinkedIn have already proven that they are here to stay. Unlike past fads (Pet Rock, Treasure Trolls, and Pogs), social networking provides value to people of all different walks of life. And it’s only just beginning.

Fact: wherever the people are, businesses will follow.

Companies have continually found ways to promote their product as the populous adopted print, radio, television, and the internet. Now, with a huge migration into social networks, the challenge for most businesses is to design successful social media campaigns.

Businesses beware: the rules have changed.

Using traditional marketing tactics on social networks don’t work. Social media democratizes power and control. The users own the social web. For instance, I can choose who I want to communicate with and I can regulate what communication I see. Traditionally, advertisers have been able to say whatever they want and we have had to listen. There is an unwritten rule, or social contract, that we all have to play by. I wrote about this in my response to a question posed at CRM Outsiders. I stated the following:

As owners of the social web, we grow apoplectic when traditional advertising/marketing campaigns find us in our social media sanctuaries.


The issue isn’t whether traditional marketing is good or bad, efficient or inefficient. It is about placement. There is a social contact that we all have agreed to. When I watch television I expect to be bombarded with commercials (most of which don’t even apply to me) that take away my life, 30 seconds at a time. Does this bother me? Absolutely not! I understand that these marketing campaigns are a required if I want to continue to watch LOST for free every Wednesday night. I get a free show; they indoctrinate me. I’ve accepted this as a fair trade.


However, advertising and marketing campaigns on Twitter are completely different. No conglomerate controls or dictates the exchange. We do. Now we decide what campaigns we subject ourselves to or even if we want to subject ourselves to a campaign. We expect to see only what we want to see. The moment a “Tweep” begins to take more than he/she gives we are tempted to smite them with righteous indignation by hitting the unfollow button. This is our world. Play by our rules.

The solution is simple. Don’t talk about yourself; talk about them! Immediately, you appear interesting if you express interest. The social web is a game of give-and-take. If you give, people are more apt to give in return.

Social media demands conversations, not a one-way sales pitches. Once a company engages in a conversation on a social network they create a relationship. This relationship can lead to anything - a sale, branding, or customer loyalty.

While the consumer may have all the power, social networking may prove to be one of the most powerful tools for a business.