Social Media Isn't a Bad Word

Mike Marn asks, "Why are B2B companies so anti-social when it comes to social media?" Part of the problem is the use of "social media." Many still don't know what it means. They may even use it and don't realize it.

Wikipedia is hit or miss with its articles, but its definition of social media is on target. "Social media is an umbrella term that defines the various activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio."

This includes:

• Blogs
• Mini-conversations / microblogging (Twitter, Pownce, etc.)
• Instant messenger (AIM, Yahoo! MSN, etc.)
• Network sites (LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, LastFM, etc.).
• Podcasts (audio)
• Vlogs (video blogs)

Why should businesses care about social media? It opens doors, connects you with prospects and experts in the industry, puts a face behind the company, adds a human touch, gives others an idea of what it's like to do business with your company, and more. Social media = building relationships.

Marn explains, "Simple fact: social media fuel relationships. And relationships fuel sales. But you can't jump from A to C. You need "B" in there along the way. And while you're pursuing those virtual relationships, don’t focus on the sales value of each contact or on-line exchange, any more than you would stop and measure ROI after every stroke in a round of client golf."

It's no surprise that companies struggle to measure the ROI for social media activities. It does benefit businesses over time and it may not be noticeable. For instance, a one-person business met someone on Twitter who profiled her business on an industry-related blog.

You go to meetings (not necessarily sales) and gatherings without a second thought, right? Social media is no different except it's virtual as opposed to in-person. In fact, social media marketing has one big advantage over in-person networking (keep going to face-to-face meetings -- they still matter) -- traffic and search engine optimization.

Social media gives you many opportunities to link to your site and resources (like newsletters and blog). And it costs almost zero dollars. The only resource it takes up is your time, but it's part of marketing and marketing is a core part of a company's success. Social media will give back whatever you put into it. Invest little, and you'll get a little return. Invest some, and you'll get a good return.

If you're ready to take serious steps in social media marketing, Dosh Dosh explains the why and how. It's more than enough to get you started without having to read dozens of articles.