My Add-ons to “Lessons for Social Media Marketing”

Mashable.com’s Samir Balwani posted “4 Lessons for Social Media Marketers,” a wonderfully simple article on successful marketing via social media.

I love what he’s written, especially the part about some marketers learning about a platform like blogging and wanting to immediately jump on the platform bandwagon before thorough analysis and consideration about what’s occurring on the platform and how it might be a useful channel to connect with publics, share information, and, most importantly, gauge consumer perceptions and feedback.

I would, however, add the following points:

1.) BE GENUINE.  – - Okay, so anyone halfway familiar w/social media knows that bad marketing strategies are even worse, more drastic, and detrimental when a company spews them onto social media sites. Facebook is a perfect example. Facebook started as an on-line venue for college kids to screw around, post some pictures of themselves looking hot, and check out guys/gals they otherwise had no nerve to look at or speak to. While it’s become totally commercialized, users are still wary of bad attempts to pander products in their faces…or on their pages.

If companies or marketers have a product they believe in though, they can and should talk up that product and why it rocks. If this person is an opinion leader, the message will be all the more affective.

2.) Have a Relevant Message and Good Product. — I’m sorry, but there’s a lot of garbage out there that marketers and businesses try to convince people that they have to purchase or buy into in order to be complete. Truth be told, we could all survive with a lot less…

However, we live in a capitalist society, so if you’re going to peddle your products, make sure your message is relevant and that there’s a smidgen of a chance that your target demographic might actually be interested.