When social media really began to come on the scene, the entire basis of social networks was built upon interactions and connections.  However, as it grew in popularity, marketers began to see its value and started embracing it. Although many businesses have seen great success with integrating social media into their marketing campaigns, it seems that the level of real social interactions has decreased.

Are marketers taking over social media? What do you think?

While the concept of marketers “taking over social media” may be a bit of stretch, it is clear that social media has become an integral part of marketing today.  In fact, according to relationship marketing specialist Mari Smith, a better term for “social media” is actually “social business.”

“Social media is really transitioning into becoming social business,” she said. “It is simply the way we must do business.”

As she explained to WebProNews, even before Facebook and Twitter existed, any time marketers embraced a platform, members tended to move out. For this reason, she believes the secret to social success is to become a member and not a marketer.

Smith went on to say that social is not just a term. She, instead, said that it is about the relationship and the connection.

In her recently released book, The New Relationship Marketing, she points out that traditional marketing is transactional and more about a sale. Relationship marketing, on the other hand, is not a one-time deal but is a long-term strategy.

Smith admits that relationship marketing takes time, but she believes the benefits far outweigh the time since relationships have the potential to last a lifetime.