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Social Media is hot. It's something you have to get into if you want your business to survive. It's the only marketing way forward. But, like all buzzwords, the phrase is often thrown around without anyone really knowing what it means. So, what exactly is Social Media? And why does it matter at all? The aim of this article is to cut through the hype and the jargon and put the answers plainly.

What Is It?

If we think of "social" as relating to community (a group of people gathered together) and "media" as relating to communication (a message sent to a group of people), the phrase seems to repeat itself. All media is social. So, what is it that sets this form of marketing communication apart from others?

Relationship
n. a state of connectedness between people.

Traditional advertising [link to Marketing Evolution PDF] fired its one-way messages at target markets like buckshot. And until recently, that worked quite well. Big marketing budgets raked in big profits and built big brands. But the Internet changed all that. Not because it allowed an African villager to order books from Barnes & Noble in the United States. Not because consumers could find the lowest price in the world on eBay. The real revolution was that the World Wide Web connected people like never before. It became the largest referral database ever known to humankind. It opened two-way contact between sellers and buyers. But more importantly, it connected buyers to each other.

You're Invited!

When World War II ended, American inventor Earl Tupper decided to find a peaceful application for the plastic materials that he created to support the war effort. His food storage products sparked a domestic revolution: they were light, virtually unbreakable, replaced unsightly open packages and kept food fresh. What more could a domestic goddess want?

There was only one small problem: Tupper's legendary airtight seals were so innovative that they didn't sell well in retail outlets. Not because they were bizarre, but because consumers needed a demonstration to understand how they worked. So the first Tupperware Home Party was thrown in 1948. This direct sales approach was such a huge success that it replaced retail Tupperware sales in less than three years.

Marketing Tupperware through direct demonstrations did not only teach consumers how to use the product. It was a social event and a welcome diversion for Baby Boomer mums whose main focus was their family. It also enabled them to have a flexible career and forge connections within their communities.

Tupperware's products and parties have continued to evolve along with cultural changes over the past 46 years. One core element remains unchanged though: Tupperware is sold through social networking.

So what are you bringing to the party?

Network Marketing. Social Networking. Word of Mouth. Call it what you like, but you can't call it new. Social Media is just a new way to do something we've done since the dawn of time: share meaningful information. Only the channels have changed. We now use blogs, websites and platforms like Facebook and Twitter. The Internet has amplified the reach and impact of this primal urge to staggering proportions.

Why does it Matter?

The power of story is what makes Social Media matter. We want to share our stories with others and hear their stories in turn. This was true for cave dwellers and it's still true today.

On the most personal level, the Web helps us to maintain the close ties that social, political and economic factors put strain on. But it also gives us a much wider reach, making it possible to find and share ideas with a unique tribe of likeminded people across the globe. At its most superficial, Social Media gives us access to the thoughts, opinions and experiences of other consumers. This helps us to filter the overwhelming options that the global marketplace offers us.

The Good News

Social Media is not just another way for businesses to indulge in old-fashioned buckshot marketing (you could try, but it will probably backfire on you like it did on 3M). Remember: Its distinguishing feature is relationship, not publicity. Social Media has made marketing personal. Every buyer with access to the Web can now be a consumer journalist. That means that a good Social Media strategy can put you in direct contact with your customers. Mass media enabled companies to send messages to multitudes. Social media has enabled the multitudes to reply. The two-way connection means that your business can respond and your brand can evolve in a meaningful (and very profitable) way.

Harnessing the power of social media is not optional anymore. As Seth Godin says, "How can you squander even one more day not taking advantage of the greatest shifts of our generation? How dare you settle for less when the world has made it so easy for you to be remarkable?"

Want more? Have a look at "8 Reason to Build Your Brand with Social Media".

Up next:

Wondering how people will ever find you in the first place? Watch this space for the next instalment: "The Short & Sweet of SEO".

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