Social Network Marketing: Catch More Flies With Honey

Web 2.0, rich media, social media, social networks what ever you want to call it, IT IS DIFFERENT. In this blog I write tirelessly about the need to largely abandon much of the traditional advertising methods that have been in place for eons and embrace the wonder that is the new medium.

Since the beginning of time advertisers have been positioning their messages "next to" interesting content:

• Read the newspaper for the news, the ads are little boxes next to the news


• Watch TV for the shows, the advertisements are for snacks and toilet breaks


• Surf the web, the advertisements are the banners around the interesting content, and banner ads served all around them


• Videos on the internet now have advertisements tagged to the front and back of them

After all this time you would think that someone could have come up with something a bit more clever. But the reality is, since the beginning of time the same method of serving up advertising has changed very little. And not surprising people's views on advertising have changed even less.

If people don't like advertising and people do like engaging content (e.g. news, tv shows, web pages, and videos) why is it an impossible leap for advertisers to just start creating interesting content and say "forget it" to advertising.

Well the truth is most likely of three sources.

1. With an industry as large as the advertising business, it is unlikely that even if it wanted too, it would or could change quickly


2. Old habits are hard to break, and consumers support the old model, even if they don’t consciously want to


3. Well, I can't think of anymore

Thank goodness for Social Networks. With the creation of Social Networks each individual now has the same ability to influence as big business has traditionally had. Collectively, individuals on the internet can now make or break a brand by their input. Now content created by individuals is viewed more often than professionally produced content making the internet a truely democratic forum.

So, like in any true democracy, you need to vote for what you like and against what you don't. Therefore, if you like content vote by clicking on it. And if you don't like advertising -- don't click on it!!!