Social Media Profiles and Social Media Marketing Strategies Overview:

There are many reasons social media can be an effective marketing platform.  However, the most important statement we can make about Social Media Promotion is it IS NOT a casual endeavor.  Social Media Communities require participation.  If you are not going to participate, you are not going to succeed.  That said, your desired outcome should dictate the strategy and tactics used for developing a social media promotion strategy.  A few common outcomes for social media marketing efforts include:

• Gaining Insight Into Customer Needs/Trends - While customer satisfaction surveys can be a good tool, interacting with customers in their own environment, 'on-line communities', is without a doubt, one of the most effective means for gauging customer trends.  You will seldom find more honesty from your potential customer base than by interacting with them on an equal playing field, 'community member to community member'.

• Building brand Identity & Authority – You’ve heard it before, Conversations are happening online about your products, with or without you.  It's time for you to start guiding those conversations via the creation, distribution and promotion of on-line media.  Provide the world with direct, engaging and educatonal information about your brand, products and services.  And of equal importance, provide this informaiton via an entertaining means.   Then watch as your customers and potential customers begin to spread your content around with their 'implied' endorsement.
  

• Link Building, Backlinks and SEO - Creating linkbait and promoting it to social media news and bookmarking sites can attract a slew of links from bloggers, article spiders and other sources.  But if you want to REALLY benefit from social media promotion you have to remember the cardinal rule.  Your content MUST have value.   Pure 'spam' content will not only make for short term links, it will turn people off of your product.  People don't scour social communities for advertisements.  People want to make a connection, learn something and/or be entertained.  If your video, image and/or article content satisfies at least one of those needs, your on your way to making viral content.  And more importantly, toward building a permanent network of active links driving traffic to your site.