We call it Media, it’s really a Medium

The definition of media is:

Media: the means of communication, as radio and television, newspapers, and magazines, that reach or influence people widely

I placed emphasis on widely. It’s about as true that Facebook or Twitter or any other Social Network is Social Media as is the telephone. A telephone is a tool. Facebook and Twitter are tools. They provide a gateway through a medium.

Medium: an intervening agency, means, or instrument by which something is conveyed or accomplished: Words are a medium of expression.

We don’t all sit around and watch Facebook on our computers, we interact with it and utilize it to communicate with others. As a medium, it’s important for Marketers to recognize it as such… this means they can’t simply post something out there and expect something to happen, they need to participate to make it happen.

About Douglas Karr

Douglas Karr is the founder of The Marketing Technology Blog. Doug is President and CEO of DK New Media, an online marketing company specializing in inbound marketing leveraging social media, blogging, search engine optimization, pay per click and public relations. Their clients include Webtrends, ChaCha and many more. Douglas is also the author of Corporate Blogging for Dummies.

View all posts by Douglas Karr →

http://www.gonink.com Chris

I totally agree. I think people get the interaction with the personal aspects of Facebook, but the business world is slow to catch on.

Especially here in Northern Indiana where I constantly see examples of where this area just doesn’t “get it”.
http://www.gutzmarketingblog.com Holly Powell

Nice post here. though it’s short it is informative and directly to the main point. Media is not just all about marketing, it is connecting, interacting and communicating with the communities.. To make things happen, you must actually work for it. Investing time and efforts are the keys to achieve something to happen.
http://superaffiliatez.com Justice O. Omorodion

Its true that we can not just post something and sit around waiting for something great to happen without real participation. And I’m a great active participant of these medias but never really have an enormous result with them.

What did you think I should start doing differently today?
Pingback: Analytical + Creative = Social Media Success | The Marketing Technology Blog, Indianapolis