There's more to social media than just Myspace, Facebook and Twitter

In the last 12 months, the extraordinary growth in Social Media has lead to a huge amount of public attention. With celebrities on Twitter and bands on MySpace, it could seem to many that Social Media means little more than Facebook & Co.

But Social Media is so much more than these three Internet monoliths. Social Media is also a highly effective way to market your goods and services online. It’s a tool that develops a 2-way relationship with your clients and potential clients, and it’s not simply broadcasting your message like traditional forms of advertising. Based on the old premise that ‘people buy from people’ – it’s developing an interactive connection with others.

Blogging – The efficacy of blogging has been proven time and again. It is a fantastic way for companies to offer a ‘slice of life’ perspective to their potential customers on how their business operates. It also generates lots of high quality, original content that Google laps up. Allowing comments on your blog allows people to interact with you and commenting on other people’s blogs gets more great links back to your site and gets your name and reputation spread further.

One more thing – you can ask people to ‘Guest Blog’ on your Blog and if you’re particularly successful, you could Guest Blog on someone else’s blog too. Blogging builds credibility online and helps to hog some of the important keyphrases associated with your business.

Multimedia – An overused term, but in the realms of Social Media Marketing, this refers to sites such as YouTube and Flickr. Creating a video and uploading it on YouTube is a synch these days. What’s more, YouTube is a member of the Google family meaning your video can be easily found. Photos are similar; they offer something personal with which people can connect with you. Podcasting is also a highly valuable tool for promoting your brand whilst adding the personal touch.

Reviewing – The Internet now offers rapid ways for consumers to spell out their dissatisfaction, but it also helps brand loyalty too. When you review, you spread your knowledge and people learn to rely on it. When you allow others to openly review your own goods and services, you promote openness and benefit from immediate feedback.

Forum – There are literally hundreds of thousands of forum sites online where people discuss topics and subjects related to your industry. This is a great place to insert yourself, build your credibility, discuss important matters and stay current within your sector. Many entries from these forums are visible on Google, offering additional SEO value.

It’s not just a matter of trying to sell yourself with these Social Media tools. It’s offering people help, advice and solutions that build into relationships.

Again, it’s not enough to simply choose one of these forms of Social Media and market to that form. In order to reach the widest range of potential customers/clients, you must use a fully integrated approach. When effectively blended with your SEO strategy, Social Media Marketing becomes a powerful tool for the promotion and development of your business.

If you have any questions or would like to know more about Social Media then drop me an email at nikki@nikkipilkington.com