This is a guest post by Calvin Sellers, @CalvinTheScribe.
The social media world is a cluttered mess where a lot of companies and individuals do things they don’t really understand — and much of this activity is done poorly. With so much going on, it’s unbelievably easy to get lost in the shuffle and lose sight of what’s really important. Fortunately, you can follow the tips below to get your message out there in an effective way.
Choose Your Media Outlet Carefully
A lot of social networking advertisers believe that social media is just a conglomeration of places to put your marketing message. While this is a part of the deal, that would be like painting a picture using only the undiluted color blue — it might look nice, but it would probably be incomplete. Instead, it’s wise to choose the social media site or sites that your target customers frequent and go after it genuinely.
Some customers love Pinterest, while others are glued to Facebook. Some tweet like it’s going out of style, while others are on YouTube having meaningful conversations while their videos load. You need to know and use these outlets if you intend to really reach people.
Really Blog
In this instance, blogging refers to any sort of blog-like website that is used to connect other people to your opinions. This can refer to traditional written blogs, podcasts, vlogs, or even a tweet where you describe an interpretive dance relating to some topic. The big thing about blogging is that if it isn’t honest, it’s not going to fly with most people. These days, people can tell a real statement from a lead-in to the next sales pitch. Let them learn to trust you before you start in with the hard sell — or better yet, let the soft sell happen naturally.
Use Nepotism Responsibly
Social media companies will often give added weight to their own components. The most overt example is Google, which gives a good deal of extra attention to their own Google+ platform. When you use G+ for your marketing, it will be indexed faster than if you use other resources. This can get your message ranked better and performing more quickly. It may not be perfect, but a little social media nepotism works wonders.
Plan for the Newest Technology
Today most people are not going to check out your social media pages on their computers. When you plan your media pages around the best smartphones, tablets and other devices, you open up your marketing plans to better options than ever before. If you ignore these newer and frequently used devices, you run the risk of being left behind.
Listen and Adapt
Social media is all about making the Web into a truly interactive place, where marketers really give the people what they want. When you listen and adapt to what you hear and read, you’ll do a lot better than if you just talk at people.
Social media is changing rapidly. Are you going to keep up, or will you keep doing things the old-fashioned way?
About The Author
Calvin Sellers is a freelance writer and graphic designer from Tampa, FL. Follow him on Twitter @CalvinTheScribe.
