What is Social Media Marketing?
The best place to start to answer the question “What is Social Media Marketing” is to understand social media and how it can be used for business.
According to Dictionary.com Social Media is defined as:
“Web sites and other online means of communication that are used by large groups of people to share information and to develop social and professional contacts: Many businesses are utilizing social media to generate sales”.
Read that last line again. It is very important, “Many businesses are utilizing social media to generate sales”.
They are doing this through Social Media Marketing.
I am sure you have heard this at least once, “If you are not using Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter to grow your business you are missing the boat”.
Everywhere you turn these days, you hear how important it is to use social media to generate sales and grow your business. Similar to the mid 1990’s when it was becoming very important to have a website for your business.
There are many reasons why using social media generates leads and is very effective. Here are a few of the best.
- It is like going to a huge networking event without ever leaving your office. Plus, you can learn much more about someone before you connect with them, as their profiles allow you to determine if they would be a good client or center of influence.
- If your business puts on events like workshops or webinars you can promote your events to a much larger audience much easier. As a result, bigger and better turnouts.
- You can engage online with potential clients and customers. This allows you to build trust, value, and relationships with prospects, so when they are ready to buy you are their choice. They already feel like they know you.
- Social media sites are a great place to gain credibility with your clients and potential clients with recommendations. The recommendations are in writing right there in your profile or page.
The most widely popular social media sites are Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Twitter. The main reason for this is due to the explosion of growth these companies have experienced over the past three years. The number of people on each of these sites is staggering. These social media sites greatly increase the reach of small business like never before.
Social media is much more than social networking sites and internet videos. It also includes websites that gives you more than just information, but also interacts with you while giving you that information. The interaction can be as simple as asking for comments or letting one vote on an article. On the other hand, it can also be complex like a website that makes recommendations of other people with similar interests.
It is about ENGAGEMENT of your potential clients. When you engage them, they get to know and trust you. People love to buy from people they know and trust.
Consider what we think of as traditional media such as the newspaper, television, or radio. These methods deliver information as a one way flow…to the masses, and you have little or no opportunity to share a response or express your thoughts on the subject matter.
Social media sites connect people all around the planet. Many of these people are your clients and potential clients, and they are talking about everything today online. You want them to talk about your brand, your products, services, and recommend them to others. It is a two-way flow using the internet that gives you and your potential clients the ability to communicate.
Social media also allows the small business owner the “One to Many Approach” form of marketing…and it is FREE or very cost effective.
Internet Marketing and Search Engine Optimization
So, what does social media have to do with internet marketing?
With the right strategy and consistent activity, these social media sites, coupled with a business owner’s website are powerful tools as part of an internet marketing and lead generation strategy that significantly increases revenues and profits.
I live and work in Denver, Colorado, and almost everyone I talk to these days has a Facebook page, a LinkedIn profile, or a Twitter account…many are business owners. Often times when I talk to these business owners about their social media site, they say that spending time on them is a waste. They never get any business from them.
Social Media Integration
The reason that the small business owner’s social media efforts have not worked is that they have not integrated their internet marketing and website with their social media marketing. They are not increasing traffic to their website, and they are NOT capturing any leads.
The biggest reason for this is that the integration of internet marketing and social media marketing is not the core competency of their business or what they do well.
This is the piece of the puzzle most business owners are missing…social media integration. Specifically, integrating social media with internet marketing strategies such as SEM (search engine marketing), SEO (search engine optimization), lead capture pages, and e-mail marketing campaigns.
When social media is integrated properly with these internet marketing tools, set on auto, and the strategies are driven consistently, the results are powerful.
Done right, business owners experience more leads, more business, more revenues, and more profits.
