Social Media: Listen Less And Sell More

IMEDIA CONNECTION — Your brand may have a lot of Facebook fans and Twitter followers, but chances are your social media marketing methods aren't working that well to drive what really matters: sales. In 2010, you need to move beyond using social media to create buzz and actually get consumers to buy. Social media in 2009 was all about engagement. Marketers large and small jumped onto Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social channels in a rush to amass as many "fans" for their brands as possible. The hope was -- and it worked to a large extent for many marketers -- to create brand advocates who would spread your messages virally to their friends online. But while social media is great for creating buzz, many marketers are beginning to realize that is doesn't -- and shouldn't -- stop there. Social media is also a great direct marketing channel that drives valuable sales...