Posted by sam on March 1st, 2010
Posted in Social Media, Social Network |
The acronyms the online community has come up with nowadays already number in the thousands. For online marketers though, two of the most important would have to be SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and SMO (Social Media Optimization). Given their similarities, SMO differentiates itself through its demand for active involvement, mediums of information communication, and key audience. The million-dollar question begging to be asked is, of course, “What is it for?” The principle of SMO is grounded on the power of making information yourself (company, brand, unique selling proposition, individual, etc.) easy to share. We live in networks where re-tweeting, re-blogging, stumbling upon and Facebook posting drives people to impact the online presence of organizations with critical SMO strategies.
Beginning is always the most difficult step, but it can be made easier with the following pointers:
- Know that SMO and SEO, albeit extremely powerful when effective, function primarily as drivers and not directly as sales converters. Therefore, compelling content, targeted marketing, and a convenient sales process will be crucial most especially for e-commerce sites.
- Keep the end in mind — what are your goals and performance indicators? Will an increase in site visits, registered members/subscribers/followers/fans, page comments be the main metrics of success? Holding community-exclusive promotions (raffle, refer-a-friend, print-a-coupon, and crowd sourcing) are also an excellent means of making full use of SMO.
- Pick your weapon of choice. A shotgun approach to SMO might not be the best way to go about conquering the online sphere. Spamming is a big no-no especially when it comes to niche networks. These are communities, not just a gathering of people. They do not take it lightly when people try to take advantage of that. On the other hand when one provides the community interesting and relevant pieces, the group also tends to respond with an unimaginable swell of support.
- Make sharing instinctive through content worth spreading and ease of bookmarking/forwarding/re-posting. Constantly visible icons to the most common social media tools: Twitter, Digg, Facebook, Del.i.cio.us, Stumbleupon will increase the likelihood of your word being spread. But this is only second to the most critical factor — having content that people will want to share with in the first place.
- Participate! Commitment to being involved is the key distinction in SMO. Companies who harness this potential are able to make it a win-win situation. Now “knowing your customer” has become quite possible, accurate, and up-to-date. Also, press releases and other big announcements can be coursed through these networks, thereby ensuring that they reach the people for whom it matters most. On a bigger scale, industry news/developments can more easily be picked-up by keeping abreast with the field’s authorities. Niche communities also make the social media sites a gold mine of innovative ideas and consumer insights.
Tags: link building company, link campaign, link popularity, seo, smo, social media optimization
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