The Social Media Discussion is Here to Stay

I just read an interesting piece on twitip about four things that the author is tired of seeing on Twitter. She got some giggles out of me, especially when she explains her grievance about using social media to talk about social media. An excerpt:

This is a bit like having a telephone conversation that goes:
“Can you believe we’re using the telephone?”
“I know. I love the telephone.”
“I’d like to know how you are using the phone to enhance your conversations.”
“I have been able to call many people and discuss how we can use the telephone.”

CC BY SA 2.0

Funny, right? From the perspective of a marketing outsider, all the talk about SMM might be pretty humorous. But people who share her opinion better stop following users that talk about social media marketing — or get used to it.

Because, no, we’re not going to stop talking about using social media for business. And we’re not going to stop figuring out ways to “monetize” it. You, dear author who blogs and tweets about your topic of expertise, know as well as anyone that social media is powerful stuff for promoting a brand.

Last week the people that brought us last year’s Social Media Revolution video released a follow up that illustrates just how big social media (still) is for business:

The point: social media isn’t a fad, and its importance in reaching an audience and converting new users is unquestionable. It’s the “how” that continues to evade businesses, and it’s that education and service that modern-day marketers are happy to help with.

Through blog posts they author or items they share via social media, Internet marketers are participating in a conversation that’s helping businesses adapt to the new media environment. Small and growing businesses recognize that the opportunity is there, but some guidance may be needed before they find a way to leverage social media that works for them. The more we know about who’s using services like Twitter and which platforms are most likely to convert followers to users, the better chance businesses have at achieving that all-important ROI. So write on, my marketer colleagues, write on.

Virginia Nussey is the director of content marketing at MobileMonkey. Prior to joining this startup in 2018, Virginia was the operations and content manager at Bruce Clay Inc., having joined the company in 2008 as a writer and blogger.

See Virginia's author page for links to connect on social media.