Here’s How Some Experts Define Social Media Marketing

In my article, What Really Is Social Media Marketing, I tried explaining the concept by first examining each of its two subunits, Social Media and Marketing. Now, I’d like you to see what others have to say in trying to explain the concept of Social Media Marketing.

Hootsuite’s 2015 Social Media Glossary defines Social Media Marketing as:

The use of social media by marketers to increase brand awareness, identify key audiences, generate leads, and build meaningful relationships with customers. Social media marketing should be well coordinated with social customer service, community management, and social selling activities to create seamless relationships with customers across their life cycle.

Marketo’s The definitive guide to social media marketing says this:

While our definition of social media marketing encapsulates the activities that modern marketers do on social media platforms to reach and engage their audiences, you may encounter different definitions and terms.

As a term, social marketing is often defined as marketing that builds awareness around social issues and causes with the goal of bringing about social change. While social marketing may use social media marketing, it is not the same. Social media marketing today is considered a marketing channel and activity (or set of activities) that marketers use to connect with fans, customers, prospects, and partners.

SearchEngineLand.Com gives this:

Social media marketing refers to the process of gaining traffic or attention through social media sites.

Neil Patel attempts to define social media marketing, and this is what he offers:

Social media marketing is the process of creating content that is tailored to the context of each individual social media platform, in order to drive user engagement and sharing.

Let’s give some respect to Wikipedia:

Social media marketing is the use of social media platforms and websites to promote a product or service.

Techopedia.com has this to offer:

Social media marketing (SMM) refers to techniques that target social networks and applications to spread brand awareness or promote particular products.

Now it’s your turn! How do you understand Social Media Marketing in a nutshell? Let me have your views.