Defining Social Media for Ad Agency New Business

It’s going to be hard to “sell” social media if you can’t “define it.”

All you need to break into a cold sweat is for one prospective client asking for you for a definition of social media. After you babble on for some 20 minutes or more trying your best to provide an answer, you’ll lose all credibility. So be prepared.

I frequently conduct social media workshops to help agencies in understanding social media, how it will affect them and how they can embrace it.

One of the first questions usually asked is, “What is social media?”

If you conduct a quick search for a definition of social media you are going to find a wide variety of them.  You need to be ready with a succinct definition.

Hopefully you will find this to be a good start.

“Social media describes the consumer controlled online revolution, a fusion of sociology and communications technology, people use to share personal opinions, experiences and insights with others.”

A compilation from Wikipedia , Brian Solis and me.

Richard Scroble states, “The best way to understand new media is to compare it to what has come before.” He compares the attributes of traditional and new media to better define social. Read more of Richard’s article, “What is social media?”

Feel free to add your suggestions to improve upon what I’ve shared or offer your own own definition.

Additional articles that may be of interest:

• Four Ways Social Media is Changing Advertising Agencies New Business
• Ad Agency New Business News from the Front Lines
• Ad agency having explosive new business growth by leading with social media
• Social Media “Teaches” Ad Agencies to Promote Themselves the Right Way
• Difficult Times Create Opportunities for Small-to Midsize Ad Agencies
• Social Media: How to Generate Leads for Ad Agency New Business