Internet Marketing - Web 2.0 Style | Niche Marketing Strategy Examples

span lang=”EN-GB”>A while ago, I saw a fantastic slideshow on slideshare.net by Marta Z Kagan, a social media marketing guru based in Boston, Massachusetts. The catchy title, “What the F**K is Social Media” is probably what first caught my eye. It’s really worth watching to get an overview of the current reach and penetration of social media.

I’ve replayed the slideshow to myself several times over, mainly because the figures are just so staggering, it’s almost hard to believe. These numbers are a sign that the internet has changed, customers’ expectations have changed and, as a result, marketing has to change.

What is ‘social media’?
What is social media really? Wikipedia broadly defines social media as “the use of electronic and internet tools for the purpose of sharing and discussing information and experiences with other human beings”. Kagan sums it up nicely saying “social media is people having conversations online”.

The platforms for these conversations include of a number of mediums. Some are communicative, others are collaborative and others include multimedia or a combination of all three. Social media can take many forms, but one of the key elements that sets all of its incarnations apart from “traditional” media, is that social media is produced to be shared.

Don’t be deceived into thinking that social media only comprises social networking sites. Sure, sites like Facebook and MySpace get a lot of coverage and have massive numbers of active members. In fact, Time magazine wrote in October 2007 that social networking sites are officially more popular than porn!

Social media is anywhere were people interact, talk, engage, share and create.

Other examples of social media include wikis, microblogging, blogs, social bookmarking, photo sharing, video sharing, podcasts and many others. Social media represents a major shift in the way people interact and communicate.

What’s the fuss?
There are over two and a half million articles in English on Wikipedia. 75% of Americans watch at least one video online a month. YouTube alone has hundreds of millions of videos being viewed daily. There are over 200-million blogs on the internet. Just under 60% of people online have joined a social network. Facebook has over 100-million active members: it is the most-trafficked social networking site in the world and the fourth most-trafficked website in the world.

So we know that social media has massive reach. What now? And what does this mean for marketers and brands?

The rules of engagement
In a nutshell, it’s about conversations and creating a dialogue with your customers. Users want to control and customise their own online space and experience.

As social networks and social media continue to grow, it’s becoming clear that they are also starting to aggregate.

This is obvious when one considers developments such as the announcement of Facebook Connect; which will allow for trusted authentication, for your friends to follow you on other sites and will save you having to create multiple profiles. Google Social allows developers and communities to work off one open API for a similar purpose.

At the same time, social media is also fragmenting around niche interests. This is the perfect place for brands and marketers to hit that “sweet spot”, and talk to an audience that is interested in your message.

Now the trick is getting involved
People don’t want a new website. They want content and applications to make their online space their own personal one. This is where savvy marketers can really capitalise; if something is targeted correctly, there is massive potential for it to spread virally within a community.

Think about how you can add value.

Whether you’re thinking about widgets, blogging or creating social media profiles and personas – be interesting! Don’t bore people – and remember to listen. Social media is about creating things to be shared and to be enjoyed.

To succeed in social media marketing you need to ensure that you are transparent, inclusive and consumer-driven.

Jonathan Andrews
http://www.articlesbase.com/social-marketing-articles/internet-marketing-web-20-style-727729.html

Internet Marketing – Web 2.0 Style

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