Social media marketing: it’s about more than nice-looking profiles

The web is the primary tool in market globalisation. Borders and distance are no longer a hindrance in getting people to buy and sell services or products. Social media marketing is becoming a top priority for many website developers and this is encouraged by the huge success of the popular social media channels.

Various social media channels have millions of users around the globe and this makes these channels the perfect target for digital marketing. These channels are more than just a meeting spot where people can make friends. Marketers are using the potential of these channels in various social media marketing strategies as these systems are great for advertising.
Five of the most promising social media channels today are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and YouTube. Though they are all using different mechanisms for networking, the concept stays the same. Connecting is done by becoming a fan, following a member, add a connection, following a channel, and adding someone to a circle.

Your social media profiles
By only creating a profile on these channels will not bring you success. Many marketers online claim the fact that social media is a “cheap” and a “quick” way to get you noticed, but depending on what you want to achieve with your social media strategy, doing it “cheap” and “easy” can do your business more harm than good.

The integration of social media inside your company is not a quick and easy way to get noticed online. Even though it is much cheaper than traditional marketing, it costs time and lots of research to run a successful social media marketing campaign.

Social media is all about listening before you start selling and providing value before you start marketing. Find below a brief description on the 5 most popular social media channels and action points on what you can do.

Facebook
Facebook’s appeal lies in its convenience and popularity. Creating a dedicated Facebook business page for your brand and then inviting targeted people to your “space” on Facebook can easily increase exposure for your services or products. For every instance that a person “likes” or leaves a comment on your Facebook page wall, this is sent to their own profile where other people in their network can see this. It is a very fast and efficient way of getting others to advertise for you.

Action point: Focus on who you want reach on Facebook to create and curate content specifically tailored to them. Promote your Facebook Business Page on your traditional marketing campaign and your website. Integrate Facebook with your blog to let your blog readers now they can connect with you on Facebook.

Twitter
This is one of the easiest social media channels where you can create a profile on. When you follow people on Twitter, you can keep track of whatever they post. This could be in the form of a reply to another user or a personal update regarding their daily activities. Twitter is very effective in passing the word around for a product or service that you are marketing.

Action point: Do not just tweet about your services and products as this is one of the easiest ways to lose followers. With any social media channel that you are using, provide value first before you start marketing.

LinkedIn
LinkedIn is seen as a professional social network. Businesses on LinkedIn are able to build networks with other businesses, job hunters, and even entrepreneurs. Discussion threads keeps the linking wheel going on. Initiating a discussion and posting a blog post enables others to respond on what you have to say. They can also ask questions about the services or products and even details on making a purchase.

Action point: Make sure your profile is 100% complete. Join a couple of groups related to your industry and engage with others that are sharing your interests. The Questions and Answers section of LinkedIn is another powerful way to engage with like-minded professionals. Ask or answer questions related to your topic.

YouTube
Adding YouTube to your social media strategy can be very powerful, but video marketing is a strategy on its own. People all over the world rely on YouTube search for an increasingly wide range of information. On YouTube there are thousands of new videos uploaded to this channel every day.

Action point: People are searching the web for answers to their questions. It’s an information portal. Create short videos on how to use your products and services. To create these short video clips are easier than you think and you can use your smartphone to capture these. Integrate these videos on your website and blog.

Google+
Some call it the “Facebook Killer”, but I really don’t see it as that. It is just another social media medium to use for building your community online. Google+ is packed with many interesting and exciting features. Even though some say it’s going to die soon, with Google announcing that it’ll be splitting off some features it’s still has a lot of potential.

Action point: Similar to Facebook, create a dedicated Google+ page for your business or brand. Post informative and relevant content on your page to attract people who are interested in what you are offering.