I enjoy social marketing for many reasons.  My favorite aspect is that I now have friends that I interact with all over the country and the world.  I also enjoy the fact that social feels like an even playing field for the diligent entrepreneur.  As you noticed, I used the word “diligent,” not “well capitalized.”  That is why I see social marketing as a place where an unknown can become a known on a nominal budget. 

I spent a nominal amount of money marketing ONO, almost none through traditional channels.  Yet ONO has become a best seller and I am booking great speaking gigs as we speak. I also knew nothing of the online social marketing world before I began, and I paid very little to learn.  That is why I see social marketing as the Great Equalizer.  You can get a lot done with just good ol’ will and determination over time.  I dig stuff like that.

I love when I am put into a entrepreneurial situation where if I just work harder and smarter than most, I will be successful.  If you find yourself early in this learning process, just keep your eye on the prize—know where you are heading and engage in conversations.  Read your head off so you don’t have to bang it against the wall due to misinformation.  There is a ton of super high quality information available online.  Just make sure it is from a trusted source. If you are asking yourself who to trust, then get out there and start talking with folks you trust and ask questions.  

Social marketing is here to stay but it is a constant ebb and flow.  It is a baby in the marketing world and we are all still figuring it out.  If your planning on aligning with someone or hiring their services, make sure they have proof sources of what they have “sold.” If it’s only social marking advice that they have been successful at selling, buyer beware.  It’s worth attending a beginners course or buying a starting package to speed the initial learning curve. 

The key to social marketing is to be social.  Start there, and what works will show up as you socialize.  Don’t make the rookie mistake of thinking social marketing is a place to go for the pitch at every opportunity.  I suggest you read other posts I have written on twitter as to how to engage relationships on twitter.  Good luck.  Assume a humble rock star status in your own mind and you will have a chance to be one in social marketing, capitalized or not.