The Difference Between Social Marketing and Social Media Marketing (And how to use each term correctly)
by Carrie Hinkel on April 4th, 2008
The two very different styles of marketing, social marketing and social media marketing, were created decades apart, yet there seems to be a growing confusion between them in today’s world. The biggest part of the problem is that their names are so similar and that social media marketing tends to repeatedly get shortened down to just social marketing. But, don’t worry, by the end of this article you’ll know the difference between them and how to use each term correctly.
Social marketing
Social marketing dates back to 1971, when Philip Kotler and Gerald Zaltman popularized this technique. It is defined as the use of marketing to bring about social change in a large group of people. Typically, you’ll see ads or commercials from non-profit companies or government agencies trying to bring about a positive change in the world. Popular social marketing campaigns are: stop smoking, stop underage drinking, encourage healthy eating habits, don’t drink and drive, don’t use drugs, etc. While no company benefits monetarily from social marketing, it is done for the good of society and it is the people who “profit” from it.
Social media marketing
One of the newest forms of marketing, which started around 2005, is social media marketing. It works by using online tools and websites to communicate individually with consumers. Social media sites like Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, MSN groups, etc. are used to gather groups of like-minded people together to interact and share ideas. Blogs, podcasts, wikis and other shared media sites work to share information to interested consumers. Social media marketing has become so popularized that companies big and small are using it.
Social media marketing gives companies a chance to communicate with their customers on a more individual basis, showing the human or personal side of their business. Using this style of marketing can also help to position a company as an expert in their industry, as consumers flock to their pages for quality content about their interests.
Chances are, your company won’t be launching a social marketing campaign, but it could (and possibly should) be involved in social media marketing. It’s easy to see how the two names could be confused, but it is important to keep the two separate. With a growing concern for the environment, social marketing is again on the rise. So, with both forms of marketing very much active, it would be extremely confusing to refer to both of them as “social marketing”. And, yes, while social media marketing is quite a mouthful, for the time being that is the best label we have for that type of marketing.
So, now you are in the know. Spread the word and let’s end the confusion surrounding these two marketing types. It will be easier for everyone to understand and certainly less misleading if a company is claiming to launch a big social marketing campaign, that turns out to be a MySpace page!