Social Media Marketing vs. Social Media Optimization

Social Media Marketing (SMM) and Social Media Optimization (SMO) are two new phrases that popped up to define online marketing through social media and social networking websites.

Even some great experience holding internet marketers seems to be a lot of confusion between the two. But personally I see them as two different emerging marketing techniques.

I'm not trying to point fingers at anyone though; even I find my self making the same mistakes. In my opinion creating something new is more about marketing than it is optimization.

SMO refers to the process of refining a website (optimizing it) so that its awareness and content are easily spread through social mediums and online communities by users and visitors of the website. We all have made our self familiar with some icons like digg, stumble upon, del.icio.us, and many more.

SMM on the other hand plays more of an active role in relation to social media by referring to the creation and distribution of content and other messages through the social web platforms like face book, my space, hi5 and many more by some form of viral marketing. You tube is one of the great ways of viral marketing in today’s web world.

I think we all also know about Push & Pull marketing techniques, I know a little of the same. So, please correct me if I’m juggling up some other stuff with this.
In a way with Social Media Marketing you are pushing your message to the people, but the moment you stop pushing your message, it should move on it’s on. This helps me to think about viral marketing.

A true viral marketing campaign is so good that it spreads on its own, and people will take the responsibility to make it a success on your behalf.

I have seen some of the great viral marketing stuff which always made me think about it, my idea about viral marketing is as low as most of other e-marketers have, other than that I’ve couple of names loaded in my hand book to go though as and when require.

I would love to get some comment on this and more than comment some valuable in put towards Social Media Marketing and Social Media Optimization.