Matt Owen’s Econsultancy post “Why social media needs to learn the marketing basics” is a spot-on look at how vital it is to integrate all of your marketing efforts. Owen begins by acknowledging that both “new” and “old” media are important to any serious marketing effort:
There’s no denying that social media is still experiencing impressive growth and has great potential for innovation and engagement. Yet traditional media is still huge and it’s concerning that some of the hype surrounding social media could eventually be doing more harm than good for businesses.
Part of the problem, Owen continues, is that “many social media managers have a background that isn’t based in marketing.” Some, Owen suggests, may even treat traditional marketing strategies with disdain:
This has led to a sense of superiority. It’s rare that you’ll find a broadcast media ‘guru’ after all, but while social offers some great opportunities, it’s important that as social media professionals we don’t get carried away.
Owen’s piece can be summed up in one sentence: “Social media will never be more than a single, albeit diverse, aspect of marketing.” But the whole thing is worth a read if you’re looking to truly understand where social media fits into our changing marketing and communication environment.
