By M. Isi Eromosele
Social media marketing is the methodical use of marketing with other technological
concepts and techniques to achieve specific goals for a company. In simple
terms social marketing means building a business through many different social media, like Facebook,
Twitter, LinkedIn, viral videos and blogs, because these could give your
company effective and expansive exposure.
Social proof is becoming more important in consumer approval
or disapproval of a product or service. In order to use social media marketing
effectively in your business, you have to get people talking about your
products or services. This is true word of mouth marketing and it can be very
powerful for your business.
Small businesses can now leverage social media marketing and
actually compete with big companies. Social marketing, if done correctly, can have
a big impact on your business.
Four Ways To Use Social Marketing
Keyword Research
You need to remember that using appropriate long-tail keywords
in your content is very important not only for page ranking but also for
connecting with your target market on social networks.
Networking
You can establish fantastic contacts and connections that
can pay off huge in the future if you use social networking. You can also create more opportunities by
driving more traffic to your sites. Keep in mind that social networking is
mainly about establishing connections.
Online Communities
Another fantastic social media marketing method is to get
involved strategically on various online communities and forums. Make it a
point to provide helpful links and valuable comments when joining discussions. Again,
the main goal here is to form and build relationships. You can also build your
credibility as well.
Social Bookmarking
This is one clever method which can essentially provide your
content additional views and improved ranking on search engines. To do this, just
use a particular bookmarking site, like Propeller or Digg to bookmark a link to
a video or article you’ve done; this way, you’ll immediately improve your ranking
on Yahoo or Google.
Effective Strategies Of Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing is mainly about connecting with others
and becoming known in your circles. To be effective you'll need to implement the
following strategies:
- Make
it a point to be constantly active in every social network you’re involved
with. Always update your status, share useful materials, make comments, follow
people and tweet.
- Your main goal here is to establish your name and your venture in different online networks. To advertise your services and products, it’s vital to plan when and where you need to advertise. You shouldn't be all about advertising.
- Remember
that you also need to discuss more than just your services and products. It’s
counterproductive to advertise your business all the time; sometimes, you
also need to take a personal approach. If you’re constantly advertising, you’ll
end up being labeled a spammer instead of a real person.
- When
it comes to social media networks, it can be hard to keep your focus. Know
what you need to say to make yourself known. Attract followers by making a
unique and interesting personality.
- Know and understand the terms of each site you use: Re-tweet and favorite the tweets of others on Twitter, Facebook, blog commenting and other platforms.
- The end result is for users to visit your blog or website and to retweet or like your products or services. In other words, your success would depend on word of mouth which is how social advertising works.
A Successful Social Media Marketing Campaign
Before you start any form of social media campaign, a plan is
definitely needed. No campaign would succeed without one. Any form of social media
marketing is doomed to fail without thorough planning. Follow the following
steps for a successful campaign on Twitter or any other networking site.
- Define
your target customers. Identify your customer profiles, financial and social
situation, education level, gender, age group and other important factors which
could influence their decision to purchase your services or products.
- Identify
your USP (Unique Selling Position). Every business begins with an assumption
that it has new and unique qualities which makes them stand out from
competitors. Along with this comes the belief that customers will prefer them
for their USP (Unique Selling Position). To be able to succeed, identify
your unique selling position which will make you stand out from the rest.
- Find
out how your customers can benefit from your business. Initially, most
customers would look for consultation, tips, advice and information to
serve as guidance to purchase the best service or product. Carefully evaluate
client needs and give them informative and honest advice/tips. This will
help build your image as a reliable expert. Always be honest with your
services. Keep in mind that trust is a very important commodity in online
business.
- Closely observe your competition. Observe your competitors. You will be surprised to know that you will learn a lot from them. Aside from this, you will have an idea on what to avoid so you won’t repeat their mistakes.
The Do’s and Don’ts of Social Media Marketing
The Do’s
- Familiarize
yourself with a site before posting comments. Learn about the social culture of the
community that you want to become a part of.
- Build trust and credibility. You cannot buy credibility; it has to be earned. To do this, join the conversation and establish yourself as a credible and trusted expert in your chosen field.
- Be
human. A social networking site is a place where people can interact
and connect. If you can connect to the community, you’ll find it easier to
market your products and services.
- Provide
original and interesting content to attract the right audience. The
content should provide the opportunity to start a dialogue focused on your
brand or product to give it media exposure.
- Socialize
and be friendly. After all, it is a social site. If you see something
you like, vote on it. Leave helpful comments if you have something to say.
Add friends and spend time on the social site. This is also a great way to
establish credibility.
- Keep your social profile fresh and updated. Post comments, new information, blogs, photos, etc. Nobody wants to view a dead profile.
The Don’ts
- Don’t
promote yourself. Remember, this is a social site. That means no press
releases or blatant marketing. While this may seem to run counter to your ultimate
goal which is social media marketing, keep in mind that people will be alienated
by overt advertising on a social site.
- Don’t spam. This type of submission will get you banned from the social site. If you send out a lot of messages about your site and products, users will see you as a spammer. Post other messages and leave comments on other users’ posts. Interact with them in meaningful ways. Don’t just send links to your site.
- Don’t
forget you SEO efforts. Social
media marketing should complement SEO. Optimize your site and use social
networking to build links to your site.
- Don't
use software to add followers or fans to your lists. This is looked down
upon and some platforms like Twitter do not allow certain uses of software.
- Don’t deceive or pretend to be something you are not. News travel fast in social networks, your deception would eventually haunt you in the long run which could lead to a tarnished or trashed reputation.
M. Isi Eromosele is
the President | Chief Executive Officer | Executive Creative Director of Oseme
Group - Oseme Creative | Oseme Consulting | Oseme Finance
Copyright Control ©
2012 Oseme Group
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