What does it really mean when you are “liked” on facebook, or “followed” on twitter?  Clicking the “like” button connects a lot of things that you might not be aware of.  If you choose to click on an advertisement, you are in essence endorsing that product.  You have now attached yourself to it.  It will appear on your wall and will now be available for all of your friends and connections to see it.  You have just begun advertising for that product or company.

Many people think that just clicking “like” means that they are just giving their opinion about something.  However, many companies use those likes to help to propel their marketing to the next level.  This is all well and good if that’s what you want.  But if you didn’t realize that is what was happening then you might want to rethink how freely you use your “likes.”

Social Media Marketing: Facebook and Twitter

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The appeal of sites like Facebook and Twitter is the personalization of it.  When dealing with businesses, people feel that they are treated more like a person if the business has a facebook page.  A business with a facebook page is approachable and available.  Now, with the falling trend in the economy people are looking for help wherever they can.  After all a friend who “likes” something is more trustworthy than a strange ad somewhere.  Aren’t they?

What about all those Twitter followers?  What does it mean to “follow” someone on Twitter?  It is pretty much the same thing.  When you “tweet” and publish you have now taken that information and made it available to the world.  It is now in the hands of the public.  People who want to know what you are doing can then choose to “follow” you and what you are doing.

These things are not bad in and of themselves.  Options are always available to block or unlike or to stop following.  Social Media has become the norm in society today. Yet, one has to wonder with the constant frenzy to get the latest gadgets and to have their own little piece of the sky in their own website that they have not taken the time to understand what really happens when they interact with others on sites like Facebook.

A business that has a profile on one of the social media sites can easily get in touch with an entire community without having to shell out a penny.  People pass that information from one network of friends to another without even a thought as to what they are doing.  If someone gets a good deal on something or finds out important information people are more than happy to pass that along.

Social media sites are an easy way to get your fifteen minutes of fame.  You can easily establish an online identity that can spread around the world in a matter of days.  Social media can provide a lot of wonderful things for the average person and for the business, but it is in everybody’s best interest to take the time to find out exactly what is happening each time you click on something.

Remember every time you open a site you are inviting people into your home.  Make sure that you don’t invite any unsavory or unscrupulous individuals into your living room.