Social Marketing…or, did you mean Social Media Marketing?

Ideen has observed people, to include our clients at times, using these terms interchangeably. We’ve even seen marketing professors get confused. So, are they the same?

In a word, no.

Social marketing refers to the application of marketing techniques to influence the public’s behavior toward a greater social good. Albeit targeted at academia, the Social Marketing wiki (http://socialmarketing.wetpaint.com/) is an interesting source for definitions, case studies, and other information.

Social media , on the other hand, is all about interaction, being highly accessible, and sharing. Most readers, even our grandparents, have heard of social media tools such as Twitter, LinkedIn, and the ubiquitous FaceBook. A commonly used graphic depicting the social media landscape can be found at http://www.fredcavazza.net/files/Q2-08/SocialMediaLandscape.jpg. You can search www.Slideshare.net to find an abundance of PowerPoint files that explain social media in very visual terms. Companies are scrambling to leverage the social media tools for marketing purposes -- some are succeeding, while others are stumbling.

Can you mix the two? Absolutely. Mashable Media is one interesting online source for trends in social media marketing and the intersection with social marketing. Here’s a link to an interesting article on how social media could change the Federal Government. Really…we’re not kidding…actually changing government… http://mashable.com/2010/05/19/government-agencies-social-media/. Nonprofits are seizing the opportunity as a cost-effective way of targeting and reaching donors. (Think "Haiti earthquake" and everyone texting a $10.00 contribution.)

Ideen will be featuring a series of blogs on social marketing and social media in the coming months, so check back.