Brief: how does social media differ from traditional marketing?

There are more similarities than there are differences.

Marketing is marketing, and whether you do it in the traditional manner or you use social media, the objectives are the same.  You are trying to increase your audience’s awareness of your product and you are trying to increase your business.

Social media has advantages.  It emphasizes social interaction.  Not only are you doing the marketing thing, but you are personalizing your message to the individual by the possible interactions with them.  You are establishing a relationship with members of your audience before doing business with with. This brings a humanizing element into marketing.

Social media tools that are currently being actively used with good results include (in no particular order) Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Yelp, and blogs.  If you are currently not using these, then you need to do so.

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