When will you learn marketers????

http://www.forbes.com/sites/steveolenski/2013/09/09/the-catastrophic-social-media-content-marketing-mistake-marketers-are-making/

Social media marketing has been prominent for more than a decade; however, we still see marketers fail miserably in utilizing such wonderful tool. This article by Steve Olenski points out one of the most costly mistakes marketers make to this day: focusing on selling rather than building a brand in social media.

In discussion of this saddening trend, I want to focus on the two of the many points highlighted by Mr. Olenski: 
1.Marketers are putting more emphasis on selling than they are at establishing relationships with consumers via branding.
 2.Marketers would rather try and sell you something than say tell you a story.

It's surprising to find out that marketers still continue to put more emphasis on selling. From Mark 4450, we have learned plenty of reasons of why this does not work in social media. More than anything else, consumers these days are just too smart to fall for such cheap tactics. Everyone is savvy to realize when marketers are trying to sell something than establishing relationships. Most consumers disregard any message or content on social media when it turns out to be an advertisement.

What consumers want out of brands in social media is real content. Content that tells you a story. Consumers want to be involved with the brands, and stories help them connect. The more connected you feel to a brand, the more your loyalty grows. Stories generate interaction which can increase brand equity. As a consumer myself, I love to be involved when brands tell me a story. It makes me feel like the company cares about what I have to say.

Hopefully, marketers will learn from these mistakes. There is so much to be gained from social media marketing. It is not about who has the more likes and the most traffic. Utilizing social media marketing the right way will be beneficial both to the consumers and the companies.