Dear Marketers, You Ruined Social Media
And I was a part of it.
Don’t break the bank for good ad management.
Built for service-based businesses.
Dear Marketers,
I find myself reflecting on the early days of social media, a time when it was a playground for connection and amusement. In its original form, social media was a digital utopia designed to bring us closer to each other to build relationships and share experiences.
Platforms like Facebook, pioneers of this world, were unassuming in their inception. They served as conduits for friendships and interactions. In the beginning, everything was pure, simple, and undeniably fun.
However, as these platforms grew and evolved, businesses began recognizing their enormous potential. An untouched territory brimming with millions of potential consumers offered an unparalleled opportunity for direct engagement.
Slowly but surely, the landscape of our social media began to change. This shift was initially subtle and barely noticeable until our feeds began to contain updates from friends and family, sponsored posts, and promotional offers.
I can recall a time when Facebook did not even have business pages.
Businesses created profiles like any other user to friend request potential customers and inundate their feeds with posts about their products and services. As a marketer, I must confess that I participated in this practice too.
That's what marketers do, after all. We’re always looking for the most effective ways to reach our target audience, making the most of the tools at our disposal. Yet, does this make us nothing more than digital door-to-door salespeople? The answer lies within the tools themselves.
Tools are what make marketers great.
Google Ads, WordPress, Hubspot, MailChimp, LinkedIn - are all tools crafted with business in mind. They were designed to elevate marketing, refine our approach, and foster authentic engagement.
Without them, our role could quickly devolve into the clichéd perception of a pushy salesperson peddling wares without thought or consideration for the audience.
These tools empower marketers to be more than just sellers. They enable us to become storytellers, relationship builders, and value creators.
Ironically, while these tools have been pivotal in transforming marketing, they have also contributed to the metamorphosis of social media from a purely social platform into a marketing powerhouse.
Businesses drive revenue to these platforms and, in turn, benefit from the vast reach these platforms provide.
Yes, marketing has indeed altered the landscape of social media. Some of the original innocence and lightheartedness that made social media such a charming space for social connection has been stripped away.
It's a classic case of a double-edged sword. While marketing has leveraged social media, it has also enriched it, providing businesses with a means to connect with customers more personally and immediately.
As marketers, our challenge is remembering the 'social' in social media and striving to maintain a balance.
We must ensure these platforms remain enjoyable and engaging while effectively serving our commercial needs.
What do you think?
How long have you been working in social media?
Do you think social media is still “social”?
Personally, do you use social media a lot?