Social Media Marketing has its roots in an age-old business
concept: the power of listening.The Internet, with its stranger-to-stranger
connections, may seem like the last possible place where real listening can
occur.However, a company that listens to its customers can eventually
capitalize on real relationships and reliable business ven on the Internet.Thats
where social media marketing steps in.Lets take a deeper look at the marketing
phenomena currently revolutionizing the way people do business on the Internet
and all over the world.First, a Few Facts about Social Media An ancient proverb
says theres nothing new under the sun and this is certainly true for social
media.Audio blogging and podcasting both have origins in the activities of
early hackers who borrowed unused corporate voicemail lines to leave messages
and codes for others in their hacking network in the 60s.By 1980, it was
possible to chat or exchange messages online with those within their business
and personal networks for the hefty price of about $30/hr.These and other
pioneering social media venues paved the way for todays modern social media
platforms.Top Platforms for Modern Social Media Marketing It would be pretty
difficult to list all the social media platforms out there in one article near
impossible in one sitting.There are dozens.Generally speaking, social media
platforms consist of a few basic online forms of communication: written, audio
and video blogs, social networking sites (such as Facebook), social bookmarking
sites (like Delicious), as well as Email Marketing and online subscription
services.Beginners usually get their feet wet with Twitter and perhaps a
Facebook business page, while the pros are currently looking closely at social
bookmarking sites as the next big thing.Communicative Content Worth Sharing Use
of strategic combinations of these social media platforms gives companies the
opportunity to make a lasting impression one that has the potential to go viral
and bring in a considerable amount of new business.That said, two very
important elements of social media marketing should never be overlooked or
underestimated.The first is valuable content.Valuable content means posts,
submissions and Web Design that reflect the company is listening and in tune
with its customers.The second, sharability, means creating content worth
customers time and action.Engaging in Ongoing Conversation So then, of course,
it makes sense that if the goal is to fill blog posts and Tweets with powerful
and appealing information, a company must be listening to what the customers
have to say to begin with.This means that companies must become a part of its
targets conversations, responding to comments and feedback, asking questions to
field interest and decipher desires.These simple practices lay at the heart of
the best social media campaigns, and separate the mediocre from the elite when
it comes to capitalizing on social media marketing efforts.Opportunity for
Unique Customer Contribution Yet another characteristic of social media
marketing is its ability to thrive on customer participation.Older forms of
marketing outreach are much less capable of, say, polling customers to
determine the colors for a new clothing line.These benefits rest on the premise
that customers who are actually brought into a companys decision-making process
will be more likely to speak highly of that company to friends, co-workers or
relatives and will do so often.Most importantlyArticle Search
, the will be
probably also be more likely to complete a sale.
Social Marketing Photo
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