One of the latest buzzwords in Internet marketing is “social media” – social media  marketing, social media management, social networks, etc. What does it all mean, and more importantly why should you care?

A common misperception is that “social media” is another word for “social networks”; and that your social media strategy should be restrained to Facebook, Twitter and the like. The term “social media” is actually defined as, “media designed to be disseminated through social interaction, created using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques.” What that means in layman terms is media (or content) that is designed to quickly spread amongst online acquaintances. If your social media strategy is limited to the social networks then you are missing out on a huge piece of the Internet puzzle for your business. Social media encompasses blogs, online forums, podcasts, video, social bookmarking sites, business review portals and social networks.

I get asked, “why should I care about social media?” The answer is simple: if you aren’t creating a social media marketing strategy then your Internet plan basically boils down to: “I hope someone finds my web site” or paying people to visit your web site via advertising. An effective social media strategy doesn’t just bring your business to the people you’re trying to reach, it enhances your brand, increases your search engine rankings, engages your audience and encourages your customers to share your message with their friends.

A successful social media strategy not only engages your customer base where they spend the most time (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) but also creates content that encourages your visitors to learn more about your product and spread the word! A successful social media marketing strategy is based around defining your brand. Many amateur social media marketing strategies outline how many status updates they’ll make for you in a week – what a waste of money that would be if that’s all you did! There is definite value is maintaining your social networking presence on a regular basis; but that activity is akin to putting a post-it note on a big refrigerator – it won’t do much for you in terms of advertising.

When I develop a marketing strategy I take into consideration three things: where are we now, what are our benchmarks for success, and what is the timeline? If I’m going to help you market your business I need you to give me an honest evaluation of where you are now. You may not really know where you are now; but I need to gather as much information as I can about your position in the marketplace, the areas where you need improvement and figure out what the average consumer knows about your business. Once I’m able to gauge where you are now I’ll start developing a plan to accomplish your goals for this campaign. Short-term achievable goals include building brand awareness among your target demographic, creating a small boost in sales and informing your current customer base about your other offerings so you can generate more repeat business (and some referrals!). Lastly, I need to know what your timeline is for this campaign. I will work with you to set goals for 30-, 60-, 90- and 120-day milestones. We will work together to generate content for you that will continue to bring in business for you long after it’s been put out there on the Web; engage your customer base where they are and encourage your customers to not only try other products or services you have but to spread the word about your business to your friends.

Lastly, remember this: a good social media marketing campaign will provide a small boost in your sales; a great social media marketing campaign will leave a lasting impact on your bottom line, your brand and your base.

Don’t settle for a cheap worker who will just post some 140-character discount coupons from your Facebook page, hire a professional for your next marketing campaign.

I wish you nothing but the best of luck as you pursue your entrepreneurial vision and chase your dreams. Let me know how I can help.

Alex Branning
Founder
Branning Group
560 W Milling St Suite C, Lancaster CA 93534
(661) 951-2252
branninggroup.com
alex@branningroup.com