The Little Black Book of Online Business: 1001 Insider Resources Every Business Owner Needs

Chapter 68. Social Media Marketing

Social media differs from traditional media because the readers can participate in the creation of content by either adding content of their own or changing the existing content.

When most people hear the words "social media" or "social network," they think of MySpace and Facebook, but social media in its most basic form has been around long before these emerged.

For example, discussion boards (forums) have been on the Internet since 1996, and even before the World Wide Web existed, there were numerous bulletin board systems.

While it's true these didn't have the numerous social devices we have today, they still allowed people to form an interactive community based on a common interest—and isn't that what a social network is?

Social networks aren't the only kind of social media. You can share photos with Flickr and videos with YouTube without becoming part of a group or community there. These are nonetheless considered social media sites, because they're designed for the purpose of sharing and they allow viewer participation via comments.

Social media marketing generally has two goals:

1. To gain exposure for your business. This means you get out there in front of as many people as possible and give them great content and solutions. You don't market your products or services directly (though it's okay to let people know you have them); instead, you become the authority figure in your particular niche so people will think of you first when they have ...