<p>Weighing the value of content creation and management versus social media marketing is a bit like asking whether the chicken came before the egg.</p><p>Prior to the advent of social media in the early 2000s, businesses were obsessed with SEO and SEM for driving sales. In the early days of Icreon, we quickly strove to master the new tactics for attracting new business to our website.</p><p>Fast forward twelve years and Google is still a critical sales driver for ourselves and thousands of companies worldwide. However, keyword density and backlinks are no longer as highly valued as they once were (although they are still critical). With the introduction of social media as a more personable means of assessing a brand, new web-based strategies are needed to adapt to the change.</p><p>Today's digital marketing efforts are closely linked to social media presence, engaging media, and website content; the idea is that social media notoriety will drive traffic to a website. Effective execution of a social media strategy depends on having a treasure trove of engaging media and content. Such web content works to establish market authority and thought leadership in online communities.</p><p><a href="http://www.clickz.com/clickz/column/2303759/why-a-cms-is-crucial-for-a-social-business">Keep reading...</a></p>