I once met a web professional who claimed he “hates everything about popular culture.” I thought this was an absurd thing to say, coming from someone in a creative industry that thrives on the aggregation of billions of pieces of information relating to pop culture. I’d be nothing without popular culture. Without it, Ace Frehley would never inspire me to play guitar, Bono would never inspire me to try and eliminate extreme poverty, Henry David Thoreau would never inspire me to climb mountains, Jack Kerouac would never inspire me to see the country, Gary Busey would never inspire me to be deeply fascinated by the human condition, and Arnold Schwarzenegger would never become the Governor of California.

In 1987, Schwarzenegger busted the box office with Predator, a brilliant and fanciful piece of pop culture. What transpires throughout the film can safely be regarded as an early form of social media marketing on the web (just kidding – no really, I’m not).

Arnold and his band of special forces descend into the jungle for a classified military operation. Sooner than later, they realize they’re being hunted by a powerful alien warrior beast with the power to literally assimilate with its surroundings, become invisible, and view its prey with permanent night vision.

The movie is basically a Tom and Jerry scenario where, as much as Arnold wants to engage with the creature – to find out the why, when, where, and how – he really has no choice but to kill it. He participates in the Predator’s various chases, disguises, and even injures himself in the process, but ultimately gets frustrated, exhausted – fed up. Arnold finally decides to use a shameful, but necessary, device for a veteran soldier – using himself as bait. Face to face with the monster, with a booby trap all set and ready to go, Arnold demands, “Come on. Do it. Do it! Kill me! I’m here! Come on! Do it now! Kill me!” Sucks for Arnold, because the Predator recognizes the trap and goes on his merry way – extending the cat-and-mouse… temporarily. Long story short, Arnold wins, but not without the Predator self-detonating and destroying half the jungle.

So who’s Arnold in social media marketing? That’s right – all of us: web users, product purchasers, fans, likers, followers, outspoken protesters, voters, and audiences. Of course, we don’t see our favorite companies, organizations, artists, and makers of our favorite products as “predators.” And we certainly wouldn’t lay a trap for them to fall into or want them to kill us (although some might argue against the latter… see: fast food chains). But all good marketers (and web marketers) are able to imagine themselves in those shoes. They are able to step into the lives of their customers, to engage, to participate, to listen – and to see/hear what they want.

Now, as a predator company, you no longer have the clout to intrude on our lives. Viewers fast forward through commercials, have stopped buying magazines, and no longer have time to flip through cumbersome (and inky) newspapers. They are letting you know IF they want to be contacted by sharing their interests – and themselves – through Facebook fan page comments (“I just love your new album, Justin!”); tweets (“The new [company] vegan cheese is disgusting”); or blog participation (“I hear what you’re saying, [Blu-Ray player maker], but your player still explodes after two hours and my house exploded.”).

Social media optimization (SMO) is gaining strength in a web marketer’s world. Not as a replacement for SEO (yet), but as a viable method in getting higher search rankings and more traffic to your website. You’ve got the accounts set up, the blog up and running, and the necessary tools to generate these quality leads, but you need to be active. Your customers are willing and welcoming and are ready to let you into their lives. Consistent activity, open-minded participation, and relevant and interesting content are the only ways to be successful at marketing with social media. This is the new marketing – being transparent and available. Like Arnold’s character in Predator, consumers are tired and fed up. They’re wise to the games and old ways of advertising.

It’s time to optimize your social media presence. Come on. Do it. I’m here. Do it now.

Josh Valentine is Chief Marketing Strategist at Promenade Media. He is also the upcoming President of the Maine Marketing Association.