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Are you using the right "approach" to social media marketing?

By Becky McCray

Watching people discuss using social media/social networks for marketing, I think there is a division that isn’t being talked about. The idea of “social media marketing” is used to mean two completely different approaches to the market.

This matters in business and in tourism, because your approach determines whose advice you should listen to, what strategies and tactics actually make sense for you, and influences the kind of results you’ll achieve.

This is the place
People argue over terms like “social media”
versus “new media,” but is anyone
acknowledging the diverging marketing
 approaches?

The Broadcast Approach
One is the broadcast approach, focusing on reaching as many people as possible.

  • The goals are maximizing total views and increasing the numbers of Likes and Follows. 
  • Those following this approach work to create viral content, optimize the times for publishing, and optimize content for search engines and social sharing. 
  • They participate on as many social networks as possible. When a new network appears to reach critical mass, they will establish a presence. They may share lots of prepared content or links, but seldom interact. 
  • This path is usually associated with corporations or destinations with large budgets. 
  • The intended result is a large audience that can be broadcast to, in order to achieve sales.

The Connection Approach
The other is the personal connection approach, focusing on reaching individuals in a meaningful way.

  • The goals are building deeper connections with few individuals. 
  • Those following this approach work to learn about the people they serve, create content that serves their specific needs, and be part of conversations and exchanges with individuals. They may refer to the ideas in The Cluetrain Manifesto. 
  • They may use fewer social platforms in order to focus on quality interactions. 
  • This path is usually associated with small businesses and destinations. 
  • The intended result is a small community or interactive network that can be connected with over time, in order to achieve sales.

This matters because your approach gets deeply ingrained in you, and it’s easy to forget that others may have a different approach.

For example: 
I just read a spirited exchange of blog posts that illustrated the two approaches, and how blind we are to our own viewpoint.

  • One marketer said a single blogger with smart, useful content could succeed today, even though the online world is crowded. 
  • The other said that with the amount of noise online today, only slick budgets and “A game” efforts can break through. 

To me, it’s clear that they are talking about two different things. They are coming from the two different approaches. I think the individual marketer who really connects with the right few people can succeed today using the personal connection approach. I think the company with the slick video productions can succeed today, using the broadcast approach.

Is one approach “right” and the other “wrong”? I don’t think so. Each has a place. I put my effort into personal connection, but that doesn’t make it “right” for everyone and every business. In the best scenario, each marketer learns from the best of both approaches, and companies and destinations learn to understand the differences and best applications of these two.

Most small businesses and destinations (under 10 employees) would be best to pick one approach to get really good at. If you’re a big business or destination, you should probably have people who can do both, as well as someone who can bring the two together into one integrated plan.

In almost all social media advice dispensed today, the author’s intended approach is left unstated. 

The next time you read a social media article, try to figure out which approach the author is intending. If you can do that, you can quickly eliminate a lot of advice that does not fit the approach you’ve chosen.

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About Becky McCray

Becky started Small Biz Survival in 2006 to share rural business and community building stories and ideas with other small town business people. She and her husband have a small cattle ranch and are lifelong entrepreneurs. Becky is an international speaker on small business and rural topics.
  • Downtown is your town’s core: How to make your case - February 22, 2021
  • Zoom Towns: attracting and supporting remote workers in rural small towns - December 10, 2020
  • In an economic crisis, spend your brainpower before your dollars - November 25, 2020
  • Video: How to fill empty car dealership buildings for the holidays - November 6, 2020
  • How has 2020 changed the challenges rural small towns face? Tell us here - October 20, 2020
  • The Idea Friendly Method to surviving a business crisis - October 6, 2020
  • Join me for the Rural Renewal Symposium online Oct 13 - September 26, 2020
  • Cheap placemaking idea: instant murals - September 11, 2020
  • Refilling the rural business pipeline - July 7, 2020
  • Huge vacant buildings: grants to renovate? - June 9, 2020

January 22, 2013 Filed Under: marketing, social media, tourism

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Comments

  1. Tomara Armstrong says

    January 22, 2013 at 10:41 pm

    Personally, I like the connection approach, but with the overcrowding of everyone marketing everying on social media, it’s getting tiring and more people are tuning it out. I think we’re going to have to come up with a new approach… soon… to stay ahead of the game.
    ~2

  2. Marco Terry says

    January 25, 2013 at 6:38 pm

    Becky,

    Is your post implying that both approaches are mutually exclusive for the same company? If so, I’m in trouble :-)

    I can see companies wanting to combine both approaches. You could use a broadcast approach to cast a wide net, while at the same time trying to develop connections with influencers.

    Best,
    Marco

    • Becky McCray says

      January 26, 2013 at 1:49 pm

      Marco, while I said big companies should do both, talented small companies can as well. But it isn’t easy to do a good job. It takes hard work.

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