Social Marketing Revolution

Blogging and Social Media
Asking if blogging matters to social media is to ask the wrong question in the wrong way. Social media, like blogging, is a marketing tactic. Like all marketing tactics blogging and social media should come wrapped in a blanket of strategy.

Like all marketing strategy the tactical and strategic blanket that wraps blogging and social media should start with a brand's why - the raison d'être for a product, company, brand or service to exist. 

Every communication should flow from the spring of what Simon Sinek so well defined in his must read book Start With Why (use that link to buy the book on Amazon to make a small donation to cure cancer).  Sharing is what is happening. 
 
The "sharing economy" may be part hyperbole, but sharing is a form of communication and a tactic and a strategy few can afford to not embrace. Our Curagami post notes the importance of content curation in support of blogging.

We mention @Scoop.it as the best content curation tool we know and use. Curation is important to form community and so your voice doesn't begin to sound shrill and demanding. Better to curate the relevant (to your branding) communication of others than attempting to create (write or blog) you way to submission these days. 

Blogging, done right, is a conversation between a company, brand or product's WHY and customer reactions, ideas and desire to join the movement. Movements are bigger ideas than brands, but smart brands have harnessed the power of bigger ideas.

Nike's Just Do It, North Face's "Never Stop Exploring" and Apple's Think Different are all brilliant examples of connecting brands to bigger ideas (read Jim Stengel's excellent Grow for more on Brand Ideals). Blogging is a share and so a natural extension of harnessing brands to movements and bigger ideas.

Goes blogging matter? Yes and in more ways than we know or fully appreciate. Is blogging critical to social media? Yes since blogging confirms a company, brand or products digital listening skills while reaffirming the brand, company or website's presence in the game / conversation.  

Ten Benefits of Social Media Marketing

1. Increased Brand Recognition.

2. Improved brand loyalty.

3. More Opportunities to Convert.

4. Higher conversion rates.

5. Higher Brand Authority.

6. Increased Inbound Traffic.

7. Decreased Marketing Costs

8. Better Search Engine Rankings

9. Richer Customer Experiences.

10. Improved Customer Insights

Does your business LOVE social media marketing OR are you simply complying with lowest requirements. Take the test to find out and discover tips to learn how to love social media marketing.

You may catch Marty combing through Vogue, Elle and Vanity Fair at B&N. Why? Fashion mags are great visual marketers - 8 Visual Marketing Tips From Vogue:

• Be specific & BIG NUMBERS are great ways to be specific.
• Be branded – take advantage of existing brands such as Shades of Grey.
• Be topical – March is “fashion week” in NYC and both magazines have extensive features.
• Be welcoming – note how both models look directly out at the viewers (my favorite online engagement pose).
• Use SOUND – “Sexy, Shiny, Bouncy Hair sounds fun. “Full on Fashion Force” sounds forceful. Words create rhythm and sounds that adds to or detracts from compelling images.
• Juxtapose – “street chic” and “fashion force” are examples of creative juxtapositions.
• Use Action Verbs – which of these action verbs AREN’T on either cover? grab, be bold, upgrade, must have, takes on, and rock? Yep, all of those “action verbs” are in sub-headlines.
• Simple Colors – ONLY colors used for headlines and sub-heads are black, white and red.

Social Media It's The Conversation, Stupid is about the new rules of branding being created by a social world.