Social Media Marketing

Social Media Marketing (SMM) is a form of internet marketing that capitalizes on Social Media to drive traffic and attract attention.  Primarily done by employing engaging content that can get shared from user to user and thereby raising awareness of the subject (the product, service, event, offer, etc.)

The growing popularity of social networking sites like Facebook which boasts over a billion users has induced companies & marketers to engage with the intended target audience on this channel.  Besides Facebook, the onslaught of other related platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, etc addressing different segments has made Social Media a much sought after medium that cannot be ignored.

Today, Search Engines also count Social Media engagement as one of the factors in ranking websites on the organic search listing.  SEO efforts as such must take into consideration the influence that social signals can exert for Search visibility.

How to market using Social Media

Social Media provides an effective medium for low cost Brand Awareness, interactions (talking and listening) with your audience, driving traffic and possibly conversions.

A high-level run down of marketing approach, on a social media platform like Facebook would be –

Which Social Media platforms should you choose from

Facebook – With its dominant status as a Social Networking Site and a user base of more the 1.2 billion, Facebook provides a solid ground for B2C marketing that well suited brand awareness, user interactions and highly targeted paid advertising.  With users in Singapore spending as much as 40 minutes a day on an average, Facebook is the much sought after social networking site for Social Media Marketing.

Google+ – is the Facebook competitor promoting a similar environment where you can share photos, videos, links, etc.  Allows feature to segment your connections in groups called Google+ Circles.  Being a Google site, your Earned Media on Google+ has a better chance of showing up on Google Search results.

LinkedIn – is a social networking site for professionals.  Primarily a text based, business oriented platform for professional networking and dialogue.  You can have a Company Page to raise awareness and educate potential customers on your products and services. It’s a popular place for companies to advertise and attract talent.

Twitter – a micro-blogging social platform that lets you broadcast latest news and updates.  Ideal for interacting and reaching out to people frequently and directly.  Follow tweeters in your industry, write live updates on events, deals, etc and aim to build a steady stream of followers.

Pinterest – ideal for retail businesses to showcase their products with visual imagery.  Allows members to post (Pin) photos, videos to their pinboards for sharing.  One can comment, share and click on the webpage from where the image was sourced.

YouTube – the video sharing site needs no introduction.  It’s a good platform to host and share entertaining and instructional videos about your product.  The added advantage of YouTube is that it’s a Google’s Web Property so your videos may have a better chance at ranking for search results.

Locale based Sites – such as Yelp, Four Square, etc offer business reviews based on the location where the user is.  Well suited for small businesses in Food, Shopping, Lifestyle and Wellness services.  You can simply register your business and location to have a presence here.

SMM vs SEM – Market on Search or Social?

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) has traditionally been the focus of online marketing efforts and budgets.  However, the advent of Social Media and its prevalence among the masses has provided an alternative avenue.  But, where should a business invest its marketing spend and efforts on? Here’s how the two compare on different viewpoints –

SMM is ideal for brand awareness & active prospect engagement, whereas SEM scores well on being able market on-spot to prospects searching with an intent to purchase.