It’s simple: the key to social media is getting involved in “the conversation”. Here are some numbers to illustrate the point:

Yahoo! News receives 44 million visitors per month. YouTube garners 70 million visitors per month. CNN.com experiences 28 million visitors per month. Facebook has 132-million visitors per month. MySpace has approximately 118-million visitors per month

What makes social media different from traditional media outlets such as trade pubs, newspapers,TV and radio, is the interactions between people as they engage in collective conversations about unique and meaningful content.

In traditional marketing, the product of the marketing effort is the message, whereas in social media marketing, the user-generated message is a byproduct the content marketed by its  social acceptance. So we could say that social media marketing seeks to contribute to a conversation in a collaborative environment where all sides are considered, not just the spin of traditional marketing or PR.

Social media is about giving people something to talk about. People love to share their experiences, and giving them an opportunity to do so empowers them. It also creates a positive interaction for companies who take note of what’s being said and address it in their marketing or product development. Companies can also extend the reach of social media by getting involved in blogs, forums, and niche communities. But first, it all starts with creating content and getting involved in the conversation.

Social media enables pull marketing—where the customer “pulls” the message in—for example, by searching for a product or service on the web, on their own terms.  So the key question companies must ask is “where is the conversation happening?” It’s happening online and in content created by online communities such as Wikipedia, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Digg, and in the blogosphere. This shift has companies asking how they can tap into this new form of media and the communities that power it.

What Is Powering Buyers?
“A Person Like Me” has now become the most credible spokesperson for companies, according to the 2008 Edelman Trust Barometer study.  The key to a successful social media marketing and public relations program is developing content angles and pitches that will resonate with your targeted audiences where and when they’re active. It’s important to start conversations with customers and the media that influence those customers. By doing that, you can capture and communicate relevant stories to the right audiences, at the right times, making them social enthusiasts of your brand.

In Summary
An effective social media campaign can have a huge impact on the publicity your brand receives and its success. Word-of-mouth marketing is ever changing, and there are many new influencers who can tell your story to their readers. By using social media platforms, you can bypass the gatekeepers and get your story directly to the public.

Social media is about creating lasting relationships— with journalists who appreciate good content, with customers who want to be informed about improvements to your brand, as well as future brands and products, and with other companies who may want to enter into partnerships, sponsorships, etc. Creating news that is search friendly, not only gets your instant visibility in a Google search, but also attracts social enthusiasts who can generate even more interest in your brand. With social media, you can create a storm of interest in a story, get the attention of mainstream media and help make your brand a success.

Excerpted from:
The Savy Agency June 09 BrandSpring Whitepaper