We've all heard of SEO or
Search Engine Optimization, but these days SMO or Social Media Optimization is
just as important. Social media plays an important role in marketing a business
online. The best part is that it's free!
You'll want to start with
joining a social media site. LinkedIn, Facebook and groups on Ning.com are
where you will find your target audience. Look for a group that has a lot of
members and open forums or groups to join.
Once you have joined a
group, take the time to set up your profile with any pertinent information
about your business. This should include your website address or business
location, contact info and a description of your services or products. Some
groups allow you to write your own blog. Ning.com groups usually have a blog
that goes along with your profile. On LinkedIn you can add a widget that links
to your blog. This will automatically update your profile page with your most
recent blog entries.
The second step of joining
a social site is to get involved. You cannot just build a profile and expect to
connect with people. You need to start conversations and ask questions.
Starting a conversation is
easy. Many times there will already be a discussion going on that you can join.
You can also start a discussion about current business news, ask for advice,
events, webinars or share free information that helped your business. Approach
people you admire and either leave a comment or ask to connect. Not everyone
will connect with you, but most are more than willing. A great way to let
someone know you are genuine is to tell them why you want to connect when you
send a request.
Be careful of spamming a
forum or discussion area with posts that are only ads about your business.
There are certain times when you can write about your business. Look for an
"Introduce Your Business" discussion where you can write about your
business. Another time to post about your business is when someone is looking
for a service/product that you offer. You can always advertise your business by
adding a signature with your name and website link at the end of any discussion
you post.
Continue to make
connections, build your network and find ways to work with other business
owners. After you have mastered one group, join another. Join as many groups as
you can without becoming overwhelmed about adding content and making new
connections.
Blogs are still a viable
way to spread word of mouth and build your brand. I recommend using a free blog
host through WordPress or Blogger. Your first blog post should introduce your
business. Your blog will have a sidebar area that you can add links to your
site, product photos, your logo and reciprocal links. Reciprocal links with
other blogs is a great way to reach a new audience. You can go a step further
and post reciprocal entries on each others blog about the others business.
Post entries to your blog
on a regular basis, either daily or weekly. This way people can see that you
are reliable and it will fill your blog up with great content. You can post
about your services and products. Each entry can showcase a different product
or service you offer. Adding commentary on relevant news about your industry makes
for great content. You can subscribe to a free service, Google Alerts on
specific subjects that are sent your email address. Use this service to learn
about news around the world.
Writing articles about
subjects within your industry is a way to show off your expertise and advertise
your business. You can submit articles to article banks such as Ezine or Hub
pages.
Once you have published an
article, you still need to market it. Add a link to your article on your site
and blog. There are several free services that will allow you to share articles
with the public. Popular sites include Twitter, Digg and LinkedIn. On LinkedIn
groups you can submit articles to the news section of any group you have
joined. You can also start a discussion about your article by asking what
others think about that subject and referencing your article via a link to
where it is located.
These are the basics of
social media optimization or SMO. The longer you're online the more you will
learn. You can use the internet to build lasting relationships with customers
and other entrepreneurs.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3395062
