subject: Social Media: Your Content Distribution Network [print this page] On the World Wide Web, you should never underestimate connections. The whole Social Media landscape is founded on the interpersonal relationships between different users as well as their personal and professional connections. That's why it is surprising that many companies fail to optimise their content distribution network. Whatever content they launch on the internet, be it articles, videos, images, or podcasts, needs to be effectively promoted in order to get noticed.
Apart from uploading it on their website or blog, it is also important to launch it on social media websites such as YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr. In fact, in some cases, placing the content on these "third-party" websites may be more effective for a variety of reasons. So it is recommended for you to create a company profile in all appropriate sites, make "friends", and get fans in different social network. This step is so important has become so popular that some companies even direct their links to these profiles to increase awareness:
The trend is driven by the following factors:
Real Time Search - with real time search, social media has become even more important. Newly uploaded content can immediately appear in Google search results. That's why companies are scrambling to create content on a regular basis to get the top ranking. Now more than ever, it is crucial for companies to work closely with SEO consultants to know the exact strategy that needs to be implemented.
Social Search - you're probably familiar with the search box found in majority of websites by now. Well, popular Web 2.0 websites have those too. In fact, these search boxes are used so frequently that YouTube has surpassed Yahoo as the world's second biggest search engine a few years back already. There is no doubt that Twitter, Facebook, and blog directories are seeing the same trends as well. Optimising your profile with the right keywords can help your site get found.
Social Community - your social profile acts as your "digital embassy" on the internet. For example, whoever is interested in your company can immediately make contact by becoming part of your social community. In communities too, it is easier to get the word out. Viral marketing is usually the result of people spreading the news on social networking sites. You can benefit from this through maximising the use of your content distribution network. There are plugins you can use on your blog to promote the word being spread about you.
