Social Media Versus Paid Advertising - The Writing On The Wall

In the news yesterday I read about yet another local North Carolina magazine going out of business. 'Changes in the publishing business' was the reason given by the owners. These closings follow the track of larger magazines and newspapers across the country.

Magazines and newspapers are having a tough time these days it seems. Why is this occurring? Frankly it is because magazines and newspapers need ad revenue to survive and, for many, it is just not there at the levels required anymore.

Many blame the Internet for this turn of events. However, it is most likely not the Internet itself that has caused the problem. It is, rather, the fact that people have simply begun to say 'Enough is enough'. The mindset of the modern-day consumer is a far cry from that of the Silent Generation, the Veteran Generation and the Boomer Generation. These folks would sit still for those blatant, yell in the ear tactics. Not so today. Things have changed and they have changed permanently.

As a society, we have advertised ad nauseam. Though it used to work well, advertising no longer works like it used to. A recent study showed that a very high percentage of people who can skip advertising DO skip advertising. Advertising must produce results or it is money wasted. If nobody is listening or watching, it will not produce those results.

People simply do not like ads. Think about this. When you pick up a newspaper, do you prefer to read the ads or the stories? When you watch television, do you jump up to make a sandwich when the show comes on so that you can get back in time for the commercials? TIVO, spam blockers, popup blockers, paid radio - the list goes on and on. The success of commercial skipping technologies is a testament to the simple fact that people dislike advertising. As a marketer, the very last thing you want is to have people fast forwarding past your message. People do not like to read ads, but they do like to read about subjects they find to be interesting. This is why content is king and why publicity works.

This is also why social media marketing is quickly taking the front seat in regards to producing results for business in the Internet marketing environment. There is one form of message that people love more than any other form - hearing from their own friends. That message is read. That message is not ignored. That message can and will produce results.

Social media messages, sent via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or any social media delivery system, from one person to another, represent the modern-day equivalent of referral marketing, generally considered to be the most effective form of delivery for any marketing message ever devised by mankind. It is always been the most effective, is still the most effective form today and will always be the most effective form of creating awareness for any business.

Magazines, radio, tv and newspapers will never disappear, but they will be forced to develop different operating models and the Internet takes more and more of the revenue share. Those who can manage to incorporate social media marketing into their revenue generation model will survive, while those who do not or cannot most likely will not survive.

Posted by Don at Free Publicity Focus Group