Get Involved - Social Marketing Campaigns

Again we are starting a New Year and one that is surely going to be filled with business challenges. The market is shrinking and consumers have reduced spending. To survive and grow business owners and managers need to combine traditional marketing methods with online marketing techniques and Social Networking is one of the most effective Online Marketing tools available.

What is Social Media Marketing?

Social Media Marketing is businesses becoming members of online communities and interacting with customers and potential customers in professional and / or social relationship.

The Social Marketing Mix

Developing the Social Marketing Mix most suitable for your business and your business niche is the key to Social Media Marketing success. No two businesses are the same and will not necessarily benefit from contributing and belonging to similar Social Networks. Determining which Social Networks will work for your business and the best methods of interacting with the community is not always evident, a Social Marketing Consultant has the experience and expertise to assist you with developing a Social Network Strategy suitable for your business and niche.

Have you got a Social Network Strategy?

Without a doubt Social Networking is a time consuming activity. I generally recommend to clients, that once I have developed a Social Network Strategy they work on developing their social networks and interact with the community themselves. The primary reason is, to be successful with Social Networks it is imperative to be, real, helpful and genuine something which would be difficult for a Social Marketing Consultant to achieve on behalf of a client not to mention the cost.

Types of Social Networks

There are numerous types of Social Networks available. I will only briefly investigate some of the options available and those I feel are most effective for business.

Micro Blogging

I like it what else can I say. If you have ever heard the term Gorilla Marketing, well Micro Blogging meets the criteria for Gorilla Marketing perfectly.You’ve got: 140 characters to get your marketing message to your customer, a flash is all you have edit it tweak it, but when you get 140 it’s all over.

Blogging Networks

Blogs are an effective method for getting in-depth information to your customers. There are numerous web sites available offering hosted blogs. These web sites are beneficial as your blog is part of a community. However, for long term SEO benefits it is advisable to host your blog on your own web site to gain the benefits of inbound links and traffic to your web site.

Professional Networks

Professional Social Networks are an ideal way to interact with others in the same niche, create new business contacts and to obtain feedback on the public perception of your brand.

It must be remembered that to use Professional Networks successfully useful interaction is required and it is not good social practice to openly solicit business. Be helpful, be friendly, be yourself.

Video Sharing Networks

If a picture is worth a thousand words a Video is worth a million. Providing the content of your video is informative and is completed in a professional manner. Businesses choosing to use this media have found it very beneficial. I wish I had the courage to stand in from of a camera but hey I’m a writing sort of person.

Social Bookmarking

Social bookmarking offers business three marketing opportunities. Encouraging visitors to Social bookmark your web site increases web site traffic, shows the popularity of your site and creates inbound links. So please while you’re here tell the world how much you liked this blog post by bookmarking me.

Social Marketing Campaigns – The Benefits

• Increase Traffic to Web Site
• Better understanding of public perception of your brand and services
• Develop new Business and Customer contacts
• Increase Inbound web site links
• Improved web site conversions
• Better results in Search Engine Results Pages

Social Marketing Campaigns – The Summary

Social Marketing Campaigns are personally my favored form of Search Engine Marketing, I find it productive with the added benefits of getting to meet and interact with new people, I think its great.
The biggest downside of Social Marketing is the time required to be successful in this realm, there is no doubt it is a time consuming exercise. The upside is apart from the time involved there is very little expense incurred in the process. My advice, get involved take part and enjoy yourself while your doing it, that has to be a great marketing mix all on its own.All things considered I believe Social Media Marketing to be the most powerful tool available to benefit web site owners, so don’t wait it is a New Year get it off to a roaring start.