Using Social Media Marketing
Looking first at audience, there are certain types of people that depend on social media more than others. Professionals generally do not flock to twitter to learn about the days events. More likely, users log into accounts like Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace to find out about social events, entertainment happenings, and perhaps news and other relevant information. Finding and catering to your audience is the first step to increasing visibility of content and to help bring new users. For instance, someone looking to promote their blog about entertainment may use Facebook as a way to draw in users, this could be through a banner ad, a recruiting campaign, or simply putting out friend requests to see who stops by.
After determining audience it is important to determine which platform is going to suit the company and the individual needs best. For instance, someone that is trying to promote a longer pieces of work may want to try out something like Twitter. Creating eye catching headlines in the form of Tweets may draw in viewers. Another example may be someone that is trying to promote a site that they have worked on and are proud of, using Facebook or similar platforms to create a page for the site that gives visitors a taste of what is to come is a great way to draw in potential viewers. Creating a page with all the necessary information and a link to the content can certainly draw in viewers.
Another issue to consider is catering promotions to the site that is being used. For instance, trying to fit an entire article or press release in a Tweet is impossible while promoting an independent site that features content is not all that plausible on a site like Linkedin. Catering to the site is the best way to insure that you are getting the most out of the work that is being put in. Looking at a few popular sites, Twitter is best for short blurbs or messages that will leave viewers wanting more, Facebook is great for spotlighting sites and allowing for a social forum feel, and Linkedin is perfect for spotlighting the creator of the content being promoted. Keeping all of this in mind can help users create a very well constructed, very succinct and to the point campaign that will bring in viewers.
The next thing to consider is using banner ads and other forms of advertisement on these social media sites. This is stepping away from using the social media site as a user and approaching it as a business or independent entity. This can be helpful for start up business and other professionals. Banner ads are a great way to get users to click over to another site. However, they should again be catered to the people that are using the site in question. Teenage girls for instance that are following their favorite teen heartthrobs on Twitter are far less likely to click on an ad for an accounting website or a job search website than professionals using a site like Linkedin. Banner ads are generally priced according to the popularity of the site.
After considering all the issues above, it is important to consider how this branding is reflecting on your business, content, or personal bearing. Just as many employers use Facebook and other social media sites to gauge potential and current employees, users that are clicking to your content are also judging you. Creating a page for your site or content then friending other users that may appear unprofessional can bring down your personal image. Also, posting irrelevant, obscene, or senseless things on your page can also help to make you look far less professional and less dedicated to what you are trying to achieve. Keeping each action and repercussion in mind prior to posting or doing anything on social media can help save your reputation and that of the endeavor you are trying to achieve.
Focusing on what you are trying to achieve is another great way to insure that you are getting the most out of your social media experience. While it may be fun to tell the world what you ate for breakfast, it does nothing to help promote your content or move your endeavor forward. Also, being distracted by the social media you are using can help you lose track of what you are trying to achieve. Keeping focused on your goals is the best way to insure that you get more traffic and attention for your content.
Still another issue to keep in mind is keyword density. People search on social media sites and insuring that your content is keyword rich is a great way to pull ahead in internet rankings and get more attention for your content. Just like SEO (search engine optimized) content gets better search rankings, social media advertising and content can help draw attention to your overall work. This can help to draw attention without taking any extra time or real effort on the part of the user.
Yet another thing to keep in mind is that it is not always best to be long winded. Keeping it short, sweet, and to the point is the best way to insure that you keep your potential viewers keyed in to the content and that you do not lose them half way through. Sure it is very rewarding to talk for twenty minutes about what you are trying to achieve, but it is far more useful to simply draw in viewers and let them discover what you have to offer. Allowing users to make decisions themselves is a great way to build confidence in your viewers and in what you yourself have created. Keeping it to the point helps to insure that not only you stay focused but that your viewers also stay focused.
Another thing to keep in mind is that it is better to have one excellent campaign on a social media site than ten that are just lacking. Keeping in mind that generally it is harder to maintain more sites than less, having a few choice adverts, pages, and social media sites on hand is far better than having as many as you can muster that are simply lack luster. Quality is certainly more important than quantity when it comes to driving viewers home to your site or to your content. Taking the time to create a social media page that tells viewers what they need to do and that points them in the right direction of your content is key. It is better to spend all your time perfecting one social media outlet than spreading yourself over all of them.
Lastly, keeping in mind that social media sites come and go, it is important that users be able to manipulate these sites to fit their needs for as long as they can. If a site is waning in popularity or in the type of audience you are looking for, it is far more beneficial to move on and find another outlet than it is to keep working on an old site that is no longer viable. Keeping up with current trends can help users get the most out of their social media advertising and can help cut out any unnecessary work that may take away from quality promotion of content in the future. Content is only as good as the advertising that is being used to promote it, keeping any of these issues in mind when using social media advertising can help increase visibility of content in the short and long term.
