Old verses New? New Age verses Old School? The more things change the more things stay the same?
If you ask people in marketing whether there is a difference between social media and traditional marketing, you are likely to get different opinions. And that's ok. But keep an eye out on the blogs - cuz this debate will be written about often.
But when my clients ask me about a difference between the two, I say that they are the same, but different.
How are they the same? For one thing, there really is no difference between interacting with "friends" on Facebook or "followers" on Twitter than interacting with guests at your local Chamber networking event. You are making relationships, gaining referral sources, and building a community of friends with the long-term intention of helping each other out. They are both "networking" - one of them is just on-line.
But there is a difference between social media and direct response marketing. One is networking, but the other is soliciting a direct response from a prospect to take further action, whether that is a sale or seeking more information. You don't - and shouldn't seek to - make hard sales pitches at networking functions. (You know what I mean - when someone on Facebook is constantly making comments about their products and services - it is annoying).
The point? Social media is here to stay, and you are a fool to not get on board. But you are also a foolish to abandon traditional marketing tactics - they aren't going anywhere. And if done right, still very effective. The key is integrating all these tactical tools into your overall marketing plan.
I continue to be amazed at how much traffic is driven to my blog from sources such as Twitter and Facebook. But I also continue to be pleased with the response I get from direct response. They are different tactics, but achieving the same goal - building a list of qualified prospects and growing a list of referral partners.
Your customers and prospects all make buying decisions differently. And employing different tactics may help you cast a wider net to effectively reach everyone in your target niche market. It's like using a complete tool box verses fixing every problem with a hammer.
Social media and traditional marketing shouldn't be a choice of one or the other. Integrating them is the key to success. Good luck!
Todd Schnick. Be Intrepid.
Posted in Daily e-Journal, General Marketing Strategy