Lately, it appears as if every company in the world that has a Twitter account is selling “social-media services.” Given that there is no definition of social media marketing, how do you sell such services?
- Social media is about creating conversations, not about selling.
- Social media is about raising awareness, not product sales.
- Social media is about involving the community, rather than directing them.
But, more importantly, it’s about knowledge and expertise in the particular industry. For the past week, I’ve been on a number of press-events and every major PR firm is selling social media techniques to their clients. For some agencies, it’s a natural fit, because they actually involve their clients, partners, and customers. However, many agencies are just throwing stuff at a wall hoping that something sticks. You don’t need 5000 friends on Facebook or 500,000 followers on Twitter. You need a passionate audience that can interact with your message.
Another interesting fact — many people that are actually developing client strategie either a) don’t have a Twitter account or b) have had one for less than 12 weeks.
