Social marketing is salesmanship directed to the public sector that will be using the product, idea, or service that is being promoted. It belongs in the Search Engine Optimization group of advertising venues because it addresses the needs of those who are, supposedly, in search of what is being sold, acclaimed, or written about. It has been used since the 1970’s and was the direct invention of Philip Kotler and Gerald Zaltman. Instead of starting with a product or an idea and using it as a starting point with their advertising campaign, they believed that targeting the audience that would be using the service would be the best approach.

How  are the two integrated? It is integrated by use of social marketing sites such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other networking sites. It is a multifaceted way of helping others while helping one’s self to get a word out about their business, their site, or their latest article. In truth, it’s a new face put  on an old advertising gimmick, once known by: you help me and I will help you. In coarser terms it was more down to the nitty-gritty and immediate. You scratch my back and I will scratch yours.

In fact one could go further and say that social networking and SEO have their existence in common. Without the other, neither would exist. Let’s take that statement apart and look beneath its meaning: First,  an examination about how come one could not exist without the other. The explanation: Why would there be a need for an answer if there were no question? In other words if no one made a request for a comparison between headache remedies – as an example – why would there be a need for the representatives of these companies to carefully choose their SEO Words? And on and on that comparison could go. In no way could the two part company. What would they hope to gain?

Networking, otherwise known as social marketing, has no other means of reaching its objective but by words. Carrying that further, one could say the Internet, the whole bit, World Wide Web and all, exists as a social networking site. And how could it ever have come into existence without words! In other words, the Internet existed in its very first days because there were needs for words and lots of them.

Remember ARCHIE, that old timer who dispersed page after page of documents. It was a treacherous path to get information before entrepreneurs at the Berne site hit upon the simplified version of information retrieval. And then spiders and other crawling make-believe retrievers were harnessed as slaves to the researching public. We,ve traveled a long road in a short time to get from the archaic IT (Information Technology) to the now sophisticated Twitter, Face Book and others. With the flick of the wrist, alerts to what is for sale, what  messages are up for grabs, can be scattered hither and yon in outer space to land on pre-arranged sites.

That is so because what once was old, is new again. Although the concept when first looked at sees this kind of business oriented marriage between society and its needs as superficial and uncaring.  It is that, but deeper meanings aren’t always visible. And to understand the way social marketing and SEO words work hand in hand to benefit both the seller and the buyer, one needs to stop being so cynical. Of course the seller is trying to make money.

That has been a need since time eternal. Of course the buyers being targeted have needs and instead of having to ride on horseback long distances, as was the situation when George Washington, John Adams and others had to do when they wanted to vote on independence, those with preferences today have the Internet.

Of course It all starts out with selfishness, it always has, personal wants, personal needs, get together with others with like ideas and create change, sell products, and while at it, often having a jolly good time on the sidelines. Both using the other and while no one gets hurt, it is okay.

Learn more about this author, Effie Moore Salem.
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