Have you ever stopped to count how many ads you see or hear every day? Would it surprise you if I said at least 200? I didn’t think so.

You also know that cutting through all that noise is a monumental task. People are overwhelmed. They’re tuning out. Guess what? That’s not new. We’ve been honing our selective attention skills for centuries.

• Can you remember the last time you listened to a commercial?
• When did you sit to read the whole magazine, cover to cover?
• How about the last time you read more than the first couple paragraphs of a newspaper article?

Exactly! Whatever your business, you likely struggle with getting – and keeping – someone’s interest and attention. None of us can afford to do a “spatter campaign.” We need to know our demographic and plan accordingly.

So why am I rambling on in a conversation about what you already know?

I am so glad you asked! Before we start talking about social media, I wanted you to see that core marketing concepts have not changed in eons.

• We are challenged to set ourselves apart from our competitors.
• We are on a quest to reach consumers who are bombarded with information.

So let’s get this conversation started!

Social Media Conversation – It’ Marketing

No matter what the label (social commerce, social influence, social marketing), the fundamental elements have not changed. The end game is still about building relationships, and that happens with conversation.

What social media offers are new – and often free – marketing portals with direct access to your consumers. Please don’t take that to mean I’m suggesting that you give up print advertising. Marketing and advertising are two different things, and you need both.

One of the first things I explain to students is that before we sign up for Facebook or start adding pictures to Instagram, we need to understand two things.

• Where our target audience is.
• What our marketing strengths are.

The answers are likely to be found in your mission statement and/or strategic plan.

To get the conversation started, we have already started publishing our platform-by-platform discussions. Subscribe to the blog to get the updates to our Social Media Basics series, and more.

Our goal is to help you understand this new social marketing paradighm. We’ll be explaining the terms – and the platforms – so that you can make the best decision for YOUR marketing strategy.

Not every tool is the right tool … and you know best what is the best fit.

The Honoree Portal is YOUR place for conversation! It is a two-way street, and we’d love to hear from you. Ultimately, I hope that we can get a conversation going.

We can start today if you like. Just add a question or idea in the comments. What platform would you like me to talk about first? What do you see as your biggest challenge for using social media channels?

Reading Worth Your Time

How to Build Trust Online: 11 Tips for Trust Building
Social Notz, October 2013

What is Social Proof and What Types of Social Proof Business can Use on Their Websites
[Infographic] Digital Information World, October 2013

You Don’t Have a Marketing Problem
The Soul Marketing, June 2013