How Are You Busting Social Media Myths?

Loved reading Aliza Sherman’s post over at Web Worker Daily entitled Twittering Causes Blindness: Busting Social Media Myths. (Thanks @JosephCizek!) In her article, Aliza really simplifies the overriding thoughts about social media marketing and how businesses are trying to use it like they have used every other mass communications medium.

I was especially drawn to

Myth 6: Social media is the new advertising platform

It’s about communications not advertising! As simple as that. Really.
Clearly, smart folks are using the Social Media sites to express their thoughts and attempt to brand their offerings. Done right and that’s a great thing. Take a company like Vidli.com who is using the social media networks to find their next Social Media Expert. They’ve designed a contest (of which I am participating in) to see who can accumulate the largest number of sign ups for their beta services.
What’s important about this is that Vidli, and others maintain focus on their business models. Do they simply want a ton of possibly not truly interested folks signing up? Or is the longer tail of quality content being generated that eventually points highly qualified folks towards their business offerings going to make more sense at the end of the day?
I’m betting on the latter; however that takes time. And this contest ends on December 21st (Look on the Bright Side Day. Honest!) Not really a lot of time for genuine, quality content to take hold and start driving traffic and the message, but my gut tells me the Vidlians (my word!) will see my M.O. and entertain thoughts of inviting me to interview with them.
We’ll see. In the meantime, you should pay attention to what companies are doing in the social media space. How are they doing? Would you suggest ways they can use the medium better? Do share!

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• Seth Helps Me Describe Vidli.com’s Video Licensing (jamesdkirk.com)
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