The document provides 5 reminders about social media marketing. It notes that businesses earn customer trust rather than acquire customers. While customers may like a brand's social media presence, true advocates are those who think about the brand daily. Social media is primarily about human connections rather than brand promotion. Competitors are those brands that stay best connected to audiences, rather than just traditional competitors. Finally, while brands can listen, participate and influence discussions, they can never fully control conversations on social media platforms.

1. 5 Reminders about
Social Media Marketing
1) You don’t acquire customers. You earn their trust.
2) There’s a difference between being liked and
being loved. Yes, a consumer may like you on Facebook and follow
you on Twitter and subscribe to your YouTube channel or RSS feed. Those
consumers aren’t thinking about you 24 hours a day. For every consumer
though, there are a handful of brands for which he or she will be an
advocate.
3) Social media is about people connecting to
people. Brands play just a small part in people’s lives.
4) Your competitors in social media are often not
your traditional competitors. Brands must compete with
other brands that have a knack for staying connected to their audiences.
Your biggest competitors, however, are consumers’ friends and other
people they trust. See the previous reminder.
5) You can’t control the conversations. You can listen
and participate.You can influence and inspire.You can empower
advocates and defuse detractors.You’ll never have control. That’s a good
thing. How well would you react if someone was trying to control
everything you said?
Source: David Berkowitz, Sr Dir Emerging Media & Innovation, 360i;
published in MediaPost’s Social Media Insider