SMC of SLC

by Erin McBride, SMC of SLC member

Social media marketing is still in its infancy. The potential for these new communication tools is still not yet known, but we love brainstorming possibilities.

Today, I would like to propose my own humble suggestion: that we stop calling it social media marketing. To better encapsulate and explain what we aim to do with social media tools, I propose that we call it Social Media and Engagement Marketing.

The change is simple, but to practitioners whose focus is to converse with the customer and empowering them as contributors to the brand, “engagement” defines everything. We’re not just here for the conversation anymore. We are here to engage the audience. So let’s call it what it is.

I’m not alone in my thoughts. John Cass in Social Media Today defined engagement marketing this way: “I use the term engagement marketing to explain the process of listening to customers and taking action on what they have heard.” And how do we do that? We listen and take action using social media tools.

I propose that we stop and ask ourselves, and the companies we represent, if we want to be known as “social media experts” or “engagement experts.” The choice we make speaks volumes about mission, goals and activities.

Are you here to solely broadcast your message using social networks? Or are you here to engage the customer? Are you only using social media tools to dominate search engine results? Or are you using them to listen to what your customers are saying?

There is no right or wrong answer. Not all companies are ready to engage the customer in two-way communication, so simply broadcasting their existence online may be the appropriate activity right now. But for others, it is more important to be known as the company that engages the consumer and values their participation in the brand.

I see the difference between social media marketing and social media engagement as being similar to that between a TV personality and a news reporter, or a stewardess and a flight attendant, or even a secretary and an administrative assistant. We all know what the first one does, but the second one is more empowered and respected.

So what will it be? How will you be known? Are you a social communications tool practitioner? Or are you a social media and engagement marketing expert?

Erin McBride is the director of social media (hopefully soon “engagement marketing”) for CheapOair.com. She also expounds upon SMEM on her blog at http://mcbridemarketing.wordpress.com and on Twitter as @ErinMarketing.