<p>If you’re the new kid on the block, it might be somewhat intimidating to look at the competition around you. You have a new product and a new line of business, and you’re wondering what you can do next to really establish yourself within your market.<br />
Have you thought about social marketing? Social marketing is the hot new thing in the world of internet marketing. It is especially powerful because you can reach a wide range of people. However, it can be a pretty scary thing if you haven’t really looked at it from a professional standpoint. Building up your social media for social marketing purposes can not only help promote a product, but also help establish your brand among your consumer base. This new way of marketing can be delivered in a creative and newly innovative way; which is always a good thing.</p>
<h3>The Basics</h3>
<p>Social marketing is essentially internet marketing through various social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube, etc. Instead of looking at these sites as the way of keeping in touch with your high school friends, look at it as the map to your successful business! This new platform of marketing can help your business reach its fullest potential. Not only is this a creative way to reach your audience, but it has no fixed costs associated with it.<br />
Have something new to say, and want people to know instantly? By posting a tweet, your audience is immediately notified of any new changes or promotions to your business and product.</p>
<h3>Create Your Plan</h3>
<p>You can’t just jump into the social marketing pool without having a game plan first. You’re going to want to really develop the look and feel to your company before you begin to advertise it on the web. Think about your company logo, and how you want to attach it to your social media feeds. Think about your company name, and any “catchy” phrases to attach it with. The easier it is for people to remember your company name and brand, the easier it will be for people to follow you.<br />
Create a plan. Which sites you’d really like to focus on? Who is your audience? Without doing this, it is easy to get lost in the endless amounts of information shared on the web. By starting this, you’ll also be paying special attention to your company’s message, and how you are presenting yourself to the world.</p>
<h3>Know Your Web</h3>
<p>When you’re creating your business, you have to take the time and effort to plan what would work best for you and your company. Pick which social sites that you want to include into your marketing strategy.</p>
<h4><strong>Facebook:</strong></h4>
<p>with this particular social media site, you really have to know your audience. Facebook isn’t primarily made as a professional site; people go here to <em>escape</em> work. Keeping your updates and writing style light and fun is important. An exciting feature with Facebook is that they actually have business fan pages that you can create! This makes it easy for you to avoid coming off as a spammer.<br />
Use your page to talk about things that both affect your customer base and your product, and don’t directly advertise anything. This is about creating the tone for your brand and spreading awareness. You can embed to your company’s YouTube videos and link to your product pages, but make sure that nothing that shows up in people’s news feed looks like an ad.</p>
<h4><strong>Twitter:</strong></h4>
<p>this social site has recently been exploding with new followers and a whole new marketing strategy. Twitter is the place to quickly post a new promotional item, or tell your audience about the new things happening in your business. The exciting advantage about Twitter is how easily you can communicate with your followers, or update someone that tweets to you. Make sure you respond to customers that tweet to you, and retweet the compliments that are said about your company.</p>
<h4><strong>YouTube:</strong></h4>
<p>this site will work a little differently than Facebook or Twitter. Here, you don’t really want to include a bunch of “advertisements” per se, but rather some useful “how-to” videos. At the end, include your brand and your company, and give a shout out for people to “like” your page on Facebook! By connecting all of your social media platforms, you’re really engaging in the social marketing world.</p>
<h3>Don’t Be Boring</h3>
<p>Social media is <strong>not boring</strong>, so don’t make it boring! Have fun with your company and its products, and you’ll have more people following you than you could have ever imagined. Here are some quick tips to step out of the box:</p>
<ul>
<li>Contests:</li>
</ul>
<p>who doesn’t like to win gifts? By creating occasional contests, you’re keeping your audience engaged, and of course, having fun! By giving out branded merchandise to your audience, you’re easily advertising your product as well.</p>
<ul>
<li>Create personal videos:</li>
</ul>
<p>the more personal, the better. No one likes robots. Upload these on Facebook, Youtube, or Instagram. Heard of the Vine app? This could really help you get creative with your video sharing.</p>
<ul>
<li>Make teasers:</li>
</ul>
<p>update your followers and let them know of new and exciting updates or promotions with your brand.</p>
<h3>That’s Not All</h3>
<p>Those were only a couple of major social sites that you could use to market your brand, but that’s definitely not all. Keep an open mind when you’re on the hunt with social marketing; you can even reach your audience through a company blog, or maybe even a foursquare app that people can “check in-to” when visiting your company. The possibilities are endless here!</p>
<h5>Featured images:</h5>
<p><span class="license">License: Creative Commons</span> <span class="source">image source</span><br />
<em>Alyssia Lowe is a marketer working with </em><em>Leighmans</em><em>, based in Lancashire. She </em><em>has been working in that field for about five years now and is looking to interact more with the online marketing community.</em></p>

Social Marketing: The Next Level
