Social media and digital marketing….social marketing and digital media.

Words spoken and written by millions of people everyday…

Have you really ever stopped for a minute and thought about these phrases?

No?

Well I have and we use them as buzz words… throwing them around and not really thinking about what they mean and if we are using them in the right context.

You can look at all the definitions of Webster, Wikipedia, or Dictionary.com but what do they know?

At GROW we live and breathe this stuff….

So here is our definitions and recommendations to you…

Marketing is an action, media is a thing

Marketing: is the action of promoting and selling products or services.

Media: is plural for medium and represent the main means of mass communication. Examples being television, radio, newspapers, and the Internet.

Being Social is an action, digital is a thing

Social: is relating to society, an organization, or a community of people.

Digital: is data, content or signals in electronic form.

Social marketing…not social media

Social marketing: is being first in the mind of the consumer when they have a problem and need a solution.

That means social marketing is being on social platforms (social media) forming connections and relationships with a community or group of people so that when they have a need or a problem they think of you first.

You do this by creating conversation and content (digital media) that creates engagement by branding you and your business into the minds of others.

Social media: is just the platforms (websites and applications) used to market yourself socially.

Digital marketing…not digital media

Digital marketing: is being found first in an online search when the consumer realize they have a problem and need a solution.

That means digital marketing is creating electronic media (digital media) such as video, blogs, audio, and art so when someone searches online for a solution to their problem they find you first.

You do this by creating digital media to answer questions and provide solution to those who are searching for that solution.

Digital media: is the electronic content you use to be found.

The Wrap

So when we say use social media and digital media to create relationships and be found online, is that right?

Yes it is, if you are talking about the mediums used..

If you are talking about being first in mind and/or being found online when the consumer has a problem and needs a solution then, social and digital marketing is what you do and what you should say.

Media is what you use, marketing is what you do..

Understand the difference and you will know what to use when being found and what to do to create relationships.

This has been Jason D Cass of the GROW team.