The New Community Rules

Preface

Social media marketing is more than just a buzzword. It’s a way of life and a means of survival in today’s Internet lifestyle. Whereas the Internet of the past was more about “me, myself, and I,” the past few years have brought about substantial change: our online interactions are now more social. Our product purchases are often driven by user reviews. We enjoy reading interesting stories shared with us by our friends and colleagues. We have seen the rise of online communities where individuals with similar backgrounds or interests can connect to one another.

Regardless of whether you’ve done traditional marketing online or absolutely none at all, diving into this unfamiliar territory is not that much of a challenge. To understand the basics of “social media marketing,” let’s break down the terminology. The idea behind social media marketing is to leverage the “social” through its “media” (communication and tools) to “market” to your constituents.

The big idea behind social media marketing that you are focusing on is communication. Fortunately, communities exist that already have active participants—those passionate about a specific subject—and better yet, there are numerous tools that can help facilitate this kind of communication. If you’re a small-business owner or even a member of a corporate entity but are unfamiliar with this territory, there are many ways to dive in and become part of the conversation.

Conversation is a two-way dialogue. Unlike traditional marketing, ...