It’s a fact that the whole world is after social media. This is good but at the same time dangerous. I call it dangerous because there are some common mistakes that digital media enthusiasts make during their use of social media. Instead of going into too much of specifics of a digital media campaign, let us point out some shortcomings that we have noticed over and over again in various initiatives on this new regime of social media.

Sustaining the buzz

Usually, marketers spend their time and resources talking about the glamorous aspects of the advertising and marketing business. Buzz marketing, viral marketing campaign and "the big idea" are goals that some find more interesting than making money.

Great advertising concepts and innovative marketing ideas that generate buzz are honestly very appealing and convincing in all terms. And they can be shared easily and effectively by online social media. But one has to remember that creating buzz can directly lead to the demand of the product. If any marketer is creating demand for something through online social media advertising, be sure that there has to be an effective business mechanism that can meet that demand and capitalize on it at every touch-point.

As an immediate after-effect of the social media campaign, marketer will start getting queries and it becomes critical for them and the entire social media campaign to address to these initial customer hits.

A website needs social media edge

A website is simply one part of a brand's web presence. It is high time digital marketers begin to think in terms of their web presence, not their website. It is time digital marketers learn how to create their websites dynamically attractive for internet users and social media could be an important avenue for this.

But at the same, the marketers have to be selective in selecting the right online social network. Online social networks with a ‘me-too’ attitude can led to some unexpected and sometimes useless networks for brands. However, sometimes, in select cases, it is not feasible for a brand to experiment with a private social network. But there are two questions that need to be answered before any such experiment. First is about what is the real value that such experiment can bring for the brand. Secondly, the marketer has to find out, how interoperable can he make his network with other social networks. In other words, how easily does that new or experimenting network can leverage to Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, etc. Moreover, there are several issues involved in this.

Social media is a commitment, not a campaign

A far-sighted social media visionary always believes in a statement that, "Social media is a commitment, not a campaign." This is a notion which many marketers do not seem to understand or implement as a practice.

On a daily basis, companies and brands are coming on social media and creating new avenues. This is creating a huge upsurge of consumers coming closer to these brands and showing off their expectations. However, unmet expectations can also kill the brand. So a cautious and well-versed approach is needed for social media initiatives.

Conclusion

Today's marketing landscape has more ways to reach out to the audience. Social media is definitely among the most convincing medium.

Some marketers, however, are creating innovative initiatives and are starting to adapt to the new media landscape. Many marketers are struggling with one vital function in modern marketing: connecting the dots. At the same time, social media as an area is growing up in terms of skilled people who can manage such campaigns. So time is required in order to see the social media advertising at full swing. The way we are surging ahead in the social landscape, we can expect some path breaking social media best practices as well.

Let’s move ahead and let’s expect.