Basic Principles of Social Media Marketing (SMM)

Basic Principles of Social Media Marketing (SMM)

Social Media Marketing has been around long enough that we can derive some essential elements of successful campaigns. These come as much from studying campaigns that failed as they do from studying effective campaigns. In its infancy, the problem with SMM was that the business community failed to grasp the essential nature of social media. It is a conversation among equals. Everyone has something to say and everyone is expected to contribute to the conversation.

Businesses typically operate from a "tell" model of communication. Managers "tell" their employees what they need to do and how they need to do it. Marketing managers "tell" their customers what they need and why they need it. Overalying that communications paradigm onto the social media world led to many early Social Media Marketing disasters. So here are some of the basic principles you need to keep in mind as you embark on a Social Media Marketing campaign.

SMM is about Socializing

This is the hardest principle for business people to grasp. Think of it this way. At some parties you attend you'll find conversations about a range of topics, including but not limited to your business. At others, the conversation is all "shop talk." As difficult as it may seem, Social Media is not about "shop talk." It is about building relationships with a wide range of people over time.

Personalize the Profile Page

Socializing should begin right up front on the profile page. People are generally more interested in the story of how your company was born than there are in the fine point technical details of how you manufacture your product. Give a personal face to key players in your business. People love reading about people. If your products are innovative, talk about the inspiration that led to the innovation, not about the metallurgical elements involved. Include contact information that will yield a response. Share news about your company, both good and bad. As strange as it amy seem, if you've experiencing a downturn in sales, people will respond positively if you talk about it openly and honestly.

While some see these steps as "fluff and folly" others realize this is a chance to build your brand. Keep the profile current with regular, preferably daily, updates. Remember, social media is all about "now" content. Proponents expect immediacy and a profile page that changes once a month won't cut it.

Join the Community

The interaction that is the hallmark of social media is a two way street. You or some one from your company needs to invest the time in takes to be a frequent visitor and contributor to whatever conversation is going on, right now. This involves a major commitment of time and effort on the part of your business. While it is difficult to measure the results of an effective SMM campaign in monetary terms, you can gauge the impact of positive impressions created about your company. And remember, "goodwill" is a line item in most corporate financial statements.

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