This will be the first part of a multi part post on steps to take in social media marketing. The first thing that many people tell me is that they have no idea how social media works and do not know where to begin.
The best advice I can give anyone who really wants to harness the power that social media can offer for their business is to listen to the conversations that are taking place regarding similar products, services or industries as their own. Let's take a step back. Here are some of the main types of social media:
Social Networking- Facebook, Myspace, Linkedin
Social Sharing- YouTube, Flickr
Blogs
Microblogging- Twitter
Social Bookmarking- Delicious, Diigo
Social Events- Eventful, Upcoming
Social News sites- Digg, Reddit
Forums and Message boards
Wikis
How does one find those social media communities best connected to their product or service? Here the most obvious would be to do a google search or similar search engine search. You will quickly see the top listings for your industry, product, service, etc. You will find blogs, forums, discussion groups. You should also do a Twitter search and a Facebook and Myspace search. Here the point is to find where these conversations are taking place. Your particular product or similar product may be present in the form of blogs and on Twitter and not have a significant presence on Facebook or Myspace.
After you have done substantial listening, you can actually join in on the conversations, being honest with who you are and what you are interested in learning and more importantly, sharing. Do not make the mistake of trying to pitch your product or idea to the community because chances are you will be kicked out. Social media communities do not want to be marketed to. Good luck!
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