http://tier10lab.com/2012/01/30/social-media-machine-for-creative-content-human-engagement/ - The technology that enables social media platforms to run is at the cutting edge of website design and development. The power of social media, though, is in the humanity of its users and the creativity of those users to connect and interact. [...]

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Social Media: A Machine for Creative Content and
Human Engagement [INFOGRAPHIC]
http://tier10lab.com/2012/01/30/social-media-machine-for-creative-content-human-engagement/
January 30, 2012
By Joseph Olesh
The technology that enables social media platforms to run is at the cutting edge of website design and
development. The power of social media, though, is in the humanity of its users and the creativity of those
users to connect and interact.
Not more than ten years ago, it was very expensive
to distribute photo and video content. Newspaper
and magazine ad space was dwarfed in cost only
by television airtime. The other glaring problem
with these types of media was a lack of interaction
between the brand and the consumer. Messaging
was more a monologue than a dialogue.
The advent of MySpace and Friendster eventually
led to the more refined Facebook and Twitter.
2012 brought Google+, Instagram and a number of
other networks that are built around the premise of
sharing information and digitally interacting with
others. Amidst the droves of businesses racing to
this new frontier of marketing, something was lost
-- the initial premise that acted as catalyst to the idea of social media in the first place: Human
Engagement.
Social Media, at its best, is about telling stories, connecting with others and ultimately empowering its
users. The two best variables for gauging a successful social media platform are the original creative
content it produces/shares and the level of engagement that content creates.
A few vignettes to consider:
• SOPA brought attention to the fragility of an online community. The ability to share information
and create content is not an inalienable one; it's one we must fight to preserve.
• Going beyond the simple feat of "having" a Facebook page to advertise your brand ultimately
yields the greatest amount of value from social media as a marketing device. Focus on engaging
and interacting with your base, not only advertising your product/service. Audi has done a
tremendous job of developing games and interactive portals into their Facebook experience.
This, according to AdWeek, has given Audi a more engaged fan base than Justin Bieber.

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• The North American International Auto Show is one of the largest of its kind. Press from all over
the world cover the event for their particular markets. The New York Acura Association made the
decision to aggressively cover the event for their customers in New York, capturing breaking
Acura news via AcuraSocial.com, the association's blog. This commitment to original content
creation, with smart distribution tactics, garnered the site nearly 8500 page views in a two week
period and saw considerable subscription boosts in their Facebook, Twitter and Google+ profiles.
Tactics to take away:
• Remember that the size of your business matters little when it comes to value that can be derived
from a properly developed social media strategy.
• Creative content refers to original blog posts, photos and videos. Use whatever resources
available to produce this content and commit to a schedule whereby distribution is regular and
consistent.
• Apply SEO best practices to your social media content (keywords, meta description, meta tags,
anchor text optimization, etc.) Google's recent algorithm changes have brought "Social" closer to
"Search" than ever before; keeping SEO tactics within your social media strategy will yield much
value in visibility and engagement.
• Remember that "users," "followers" and "likes" are in fact PEOPLE; treat them as such. Social
media is not the place for cold, corporate messaging. Allow your brand's personality to shine,
loosen-up a little, and have some fun.
• Most importantly, social media is about human interaction. Do not let the technology involved
scare you or fool you into thinking it will market your brand on its own. Social media, be it
Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or Instagram, is a delivery mechanism… and a spectacular one, at
that. YOU are the driver of that machine; make sure it reflects the personality of the brand and
conducts itself with the utmost transparency.
The following graphic by BrianSolis and Jess3 show how Social Media "points a brand in a physical
direction to genuinely and effectively connect with customers, peers, and influencers…" We highly
recommend the work of Brian Solis and Jess3 for further discussion on social media, digital marketing,
and the like.
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