You heard about it from your kids months ago. Then you heard it mentioned in the news in passing. Suddenly, within a matter of weeks, Facebook and Twitter icons began popping up on everything from Fox, CNN, and major networks to mainstream publications and restaurants.
Social Media Marketing has hit mainstream. And, while MySpace has been thrown under the bus, Facebook and Twitter are thriving. How well? Well rumors of Google’s interest in Twitter are all the rage and if Google’s track record of picking winning online strategies is any indication then don’t expect this wave to end anytime soon.
Not only has social media technology hit mainstream, yes, even grandparents are checking out Facebook and blogs to see the latest pictures and videos of their grand kids, businesses have seen this as an opportunity to market their products and services.
Social Media Marketing using applications like Facebook and Twitter are allowing businesses to market to their customers in real and near real time on their terms, and the public is responding. This new form of communication is opt in. People choose to receive messages and updates from their fellow Facebook and Twitter users. These days that group is not just friends and family, it includes celebrities, media outlets and yes, businesses.
Businesses benefit from getting a dedicated audience, ready to hear what they have to say. To marketers, this is pure gold. However, businesses beware. If you do not use this medium correctly you can do more harm than good. While social channels provide unprecidented access to potential customers, the social market is a fickle one. And, if you come across poorly, you cannot only be dropped, you can become blacklisted by your customer base.
It is important that ANY messages you send out to your social network not be seen as SPAM, mundane or worthless. Anything you send must have value. The way to determine that value is by first having an in-depth understanding of your audience. By effectively predicting what your audience deems worthwhile, you can have a significant impact on your customer relations and your sales in an almost real-time and fluid way that cannot be rivaled by any other form of media. The loyalty you can instill in your customer community and your ability to attract them to your offerings may surprise you.
While no marketing tool is a silver bullet, each has its place and Social Media Marketing has secured its place as a viable mainstream strategy.
Contact thinkWEBSTORE.com for more information on Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM).
thinkWEBSTORE.com is a Mississippi based company that specializes in website design, web technologies, logo design, business identity and marketing strategy. thinkWEBSTORE.com is co-located with Advanced Microsystems (www.advmicrosystems.com), a company specializing in computer repair, networking and network administration.
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