In today’s world the talk is all about Social Media Marketing. It is very often confused as Social Marketing. They aren’t even close. I hear professionals continue to use the term incorrectly and it drives me nuts since they are both so important in their own ways.
We all know and have heard us talk about Social Media a lot, so I’d like to just clear up the Social Marketing side of things.
Social Marketing is for the good. For nonprofits, cause, health and other organizations working toward health or social change. In the early 70’s, ad agencies started using marketing techniques to promote the adoption of healthy pro-social behaviors. To change individual behaviors to improve their own health or well-being, or to help society for the greater good.
Today it has evolved and has added the online component as a new medium – the same as any other brand or industry. This is where the confusion in terms may have started. The most famous campaign of all may be the “Truth” campaign orchestrated by one of the best agencies in the biz. We’ve been exposed to Social marketing for years and we just didn’t know what it was. “Stop, Change, Quit.” If you see or hear that in the copy, chances are it’s for a damn good reason and probably pretty informative.
While writing this, I began to think and realized how many Social Marketing clients I have had the pleasure of serving over the years. At this very moment we are in the throws of a campaign to protect and preserve the Chesapeake Bay. And you know what? We’re going to use Social “Media” to help us do it.
