Local Business Marketing Strategy - What is Social Media Marketing and How is it Different Than Traditional Marketing Strategies?

Ever get an e-mail from a friend or colleague asking you to joi LinkedIn™ but didn't know what it was or why they were asking you to join? Did you know that Facebook™ and MySpace™ are more than just websites that high school and college kids spend their time on? Have you ever heard of Twitter™ and Squidoo™ ? If these words or websites are not in your current marketing vocabulary, then you and your company are missing out on one the most important Internet phenomena since e-mail. I kid you not. If you are not taking advantage of what some experts are calling the Social Media Revolution, then you are missing out on the #1 opportunity to significantly grow your business, bar none! Marketing is no longer a one-way conversation. Consumers are talking back in record numbers and giving their opinions on everything. From politics, to music to what they buy and who they buy it from. Almost anyone can now produce and publish articles, pictures and video and send it out to a global audience within a matter of seconds with the simply "push of a button" and for zero cost! Social media marketing is a method of promoting your brand, product, service or company by making your presence known via a variety of social media networks. In addition, social media marketing is much more viral than traditional forms of marketing because users now become content producers by posting blogs, writing articles, leaving short comments and messages. This relatively new marketing allows you to enter the minds of your consumers and prospects and have a real conversation and/or tell them a story about your company, products or services. The bottom line is that consumers trust referrals from friends more than they trust advertising. In this case, friends are those they’ve met and built a relationship with within their specific community or network. And even though they’ve never met, a bond and level of trust has been built up over time and multiple interactions and "conversations". Social media websites are changing where consumers are getting their information before, during and after they buy products and services. According to a 2008 Harris Interactive Poll, 54% of Americans do not trust the media. In a different study conducted by Nielson, 78% of survey respondents said they trusted, either completely or somewhat, the recommendations of other consumers. To learn more about social media marketing go to http://www.IncreaseSalesWithSocialMedia.com