Social Media is NOT the Panacea

Whenever I do a social media marketing workshop, I always start out with a segment on Marketing theory. It’s important to me that everyone in the room, some of whom may not be marketers, gets onto the same page (or PowerPoint slide, as the case may be).

And while Marketing has changed significantly over the last 20 years with the advent of the Internet, and now Social Media, there is one thing that has not changed.

Word of mouth has always been, and will remain, your number one form of marketing.

Excellent customer service, really knowing your customer and finding out what they want and how you can help them, going the extra mile, well, that never goes out of style. One of my favorite shining beacons of customer service is Zappos. Although the service is, sadly, now unavailable in Canada, Zappos has become incredibly successful. It might  seem over the top, but it works – and regardless of where you live, you can still learn from their approach by checking out their website.

Today’s rant is brought to you courtesy of this really fantastic article I recently read on Peter Shankman’s blog, called, I Will Never Hire a “Social Media Expert,” and Neither Should You.

Check this:

Being an expert in Social Media is like being an expert at taking the bread out of the refrigerator. You might be the best bread-taker-outer in the world, but you know what? The goal is to make an amazing sandwich, and you can’t do that if all you’ve done in your life is taken the bread out of the fridge.

Social Media is just another facet of marketing and customer service. Say it with me. Repeat it until you know it by heart. Bind it as a sign upon your hands and upon thy gates. Social Media, by itself, will not help you.

And it just gets better. Read the entire article here.

And check out: Please Don’t Call Me a “Social Media Expert.”