Built-In Social: Essential Social Marketing Practices for Every Small Business

Chapter 1

How the Social Web Works

As new technologies are integrated with the growing body of social data, you can expect search capabilities to rise to breathtaking levels.

In the classic film The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy receives the following instructions on how to get to the magical land of Oz from Glinda, the good witch of the North: “It’s always best to start at the beginning, and all you do is follow the Yellow Brick Road.” Seems simple enough; start at the beginning, and follow a reliable path. Yet that sound advice is apparently uncommon when it comes to launching a company’s social marketing program. This is usually due to the fact that many people don’t know where the true beginning is—or the reliable path that follows from it.

The Internet was originally designed to connect multiple computers so they could communicate with each other and share information. As more computers were connected and more information was shared, it became necessary to make that information discoverable, which meant the Internet had to be searchable. The web as we know it today is driven by search. This is why you should always consider the impact of search when planning and implementing your online marketing—because search drives the web. Learn how it really works, trust it to guide your efforts, and you will control your destiny.

One of the greatest mistakes businesses make with their online marketing is to downplay or completely disregard how search will impact their results. Built-In Social ...