subject: Social Media Marketing Best Practices - Why Bad Comments Won't Hurt You [print this page] With the great, unprecedented success of social media giants like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, there has been a huge, almost palpable shift in internet marketing priorities. More and more companies are placing more value and importance on their social media marketing than they are on even their search engine ranking. Where SEO has been king in online marketing for the last several years, many businesses are letting that take a back seat to their social media marketing, and with good reason. Social media now has more than a half billion users between the various platforms available, making it one of the largest audiences available in the world. Smart marketers saw the explosive growth of this new form of communication and have already begun developing social media marketing best practices.
The most important thing to realize before engaging in any form of social media marketing is that you do not control the message. Much like a game of telephone, you get to make the original statement, but as it makes its rounds through the social network, it is the members that will cultivate and mould the message. A smart social media marketer knows who their audience is, targets the correct networks and engages in a give and take dialogue with the members, shaping the message. For example, you may start a blog and post articles about products, practices or trends impacting your industry.
People may visit your blog and comment on it. The comments might not always support your view or your company. Rather than quashing those comments and keeping only the positive, it is smart to respond intelligently in the comments and allow a dialogue. Although you may not agree with all of the posters, the more posters that are there, the more people there will be that are learning about your company. And you might be surprised, you might learn a thing or two about your company or industry along the way too. This is one of the most important social media practices out there.
Another really important thing to commit to before engaging in any social media marketing is that you must be honest about who and what you are. People are wise to companies trying to pose as multiple other personas who all claim to love "XYZ" company. Be yourself, and be upfront about the fact that you are who you are. Trying to deceive a social network is almost certainly destined for failure and that failure may come at a much greater price than you can possible withstand as a business. When the internet turns on you, it is hard to get them to turn back! Companies that are upfront about who and what they are on blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites may grow more slowly, but that growth will be sustainable, and those "friends" and "followers" are not likely to turn on you for being you.
One final principle to remember in your social media marketing is that this is not normal sales. People don't log into Facebook or read Twitter to have someone try and talk them into buying their kids the latest and greatest toys. They don't want someone to start a chat with them that is a hard sell to switch cellular carriers. They come to have a place to connect with others who are likeminded - or even sometimes not so likeminded. They want to be able to learn, and explore and discuss whatever is on their mind. By allowing your social network members to do just that, you are establishing a rapport that has not been seen between proprietor and customer since the days of the mom and pop shop.
Are you ready to get started? Now is the best time to take action and get started today!
