social marketing
As we explore the universe of Social Media, some thoughts about selling vs. marketing come to mind.
In the link I've just given you, the top two Google responses based on relevance discuss the differences. I like the following comparison in the second article:
Marketing is everything you do to prepare for sales. Selling is closing sales that make you money. Thus, you could say ... Marketing is money OUT the door. Selling is money IN the door.
And then in both articles we get a laundry list of activities that can be categorized as one or the other activity.
As a sales and marketing veteran, my simple comparison between the two boils down to this: marketing is about awareness, selling is about value.
I recently signed up for LivingSocial and started getting fantastic local discount deals in my inbox. Today it was something that normally sells for $79.00 on special for $19. WOW, that's more than 75% off!
Congratulations, it's all about awareness from here.
But not all businessess can engage in marketing using the retail consumer psychology. I have a friend in real estate who's looking into social media. He'd dramatically increase his awareness to get on LivingSocial and advertise 75% off ANY home purchase in Tallahassee, even if it's another agent's listing. But he'd be handling a lot of closings at 25% split commissions.
On the other hand ... let's say that Martin opens up a bistro here in Tallahassee where he conjurs up the most fantastic lobster bisque this side of the Atlantic. Before you know it, someone with 2600 Facebook friends posts on their wall, "The lobster bisque at Martin's is ORGASMIC. It's a little pricey, but it's worth every dollar!".
But then we'd have Clyde's Cafe who also makes a halfway decent bisque for half the price of Martin's. And someone with 2600 friends posts, "Clyde's lobster bisque is one of my favorites, at half the price of Martin's Bistro."
Did that comment help Clyde's, or just establish Martin's Bistro as the standard by which all other local lobster bisque is measured? Maybe that depends on your persepective, awareness or value.
Back in the early days of mywebmarket.com, I produced a website for a local portable building business. You see them along many Florida roadsides. They have prefab units ready to be shipped to your location, or can customize a unit for your particular need. Back then, this type of business seldom had a well optimized website if they had one at all.
Try though I might to limit the geographic meta coding to the areas served by this business, it was overwhelmed with requests from all over the country for all sorts of portable buildings, including some substantial orders for multiple customized units.
The owner called me, frazzled. "Wil, is there any way you can limit the website to people in North Florida only? I'm getting hammered with requests from all over the country!"
... to which I responded, "Why don't you create a referral relationship with a national outfit and sell them your leads?"
Selling vs. marketing. Two concepts that we'll rethink in terms of social media: the difference between the two, the limitations ... and the opportunities to turn awareness into value.
