subject: Social Media Networking: Put Your Sign on a Crowded Highway [print this page] Social Media Networking: Put Your Sign on a Crowded Highway
Do you remember when Al Gore used to call the Internet the "information superhighway?" Well don't use that term out in public now, or you may be quickly labeled as a 1990s guy. Still, that was a great analogy for describing the neta crowded highway full of travellers. Internet traffic moves at 90 miles per hour and they're always going somewhere. Just think of how successful you would be if you could put a sign on that crowded highway.
That's the general idea behind social media marketing, the newest trend in online advertising. In fact, social media feels more like the "highway" analogy than SEO or PPC does, since a great deal of social media advertising is not targeted. In fact, a great deal of it is promotional.
Let's say a company offers you a service and you buy it. After the transaction, they invite you to their official Facebook or Twitter page to keep up with new goings on. What a great strategy, and it works independently of targeted advertising. Think about it: if you like going to a local cinema and you find out they have a Facebook page, why not waste 60 seconds and look to see what they have up? (What's playing next week, what food items are being added, etc.) You may even like what you see and decide to join the official page!
That's not to say that there is no targeted advertising in social media. You can definitely keyword optimize all of your social media profiles, your new listings, your blogs, videos, and practically any other tools. Of course, the tricky part is targeting and keywording without seeming too conspicuous.
Believe it or not, the Internet population is sick of spammers and doesn't like to encourage them by clicking on ads. Consider social media networking the "refuge" of heartless online commerce. This is where people come to fellowship, to crack jokes, post links and generally talk about their day.
Yes, this is a massive highway indeed! Your social media page is your sign, the one that's going to attract a large amount of traffic because of the convenience and value you offer your customers. The key to success is putting your sign or billboard at just the right spotas opposed to blocking traffic with a barricade and forcing people to listen to you! If you don't have your sign up and ready, how are you possibly going to communicate your message?
Many SEO firms and online marketing companies are now branching out into social media marketing. Find out what a social media site can do for your business by asking for a free consultation!
