Social Marketing What?

Now that we’ve all gone ‘Web 2′, sharing the love and getting listed on Amatomu, Afrigator and whatnot, what does this all mean for your website and marketing opportunities? Well, in short, social online marketing is easy to get wrong. It’s something many people would say should stay social, but it’s impossible to ignore the power of what it can do for your business if you do it right.

The first type of social sites are called aggregators (like the above mentioned), which reads and distributes your content feeds to their member network, with search facilities and linkback love. This is a powerful for attracting attention with good written content.

The second type has a more social aspect in that they allow you to create profiles and join groups. The advantage of groups is that you can join specifically targetted groups and build up a network of ‘friends’. Now because no-one likes spam, it’s a fine line between good and evil here. If not done right, you’ll lose an entire network forever. It’s better to use the social aspect and build up contacts. Every profile you have on MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and all the other social networks allow you to build a new network of friends who can be possible clients.

Now something like this takes up alot of your time and if you’re not in the right target markets your efforts will be futile. It’s something we like doing. We’re a social bunch here at PERONii of course. It’s also something you can track and report on if implemented correctly and we can help you do that.

Just remember that you shouldn’t do it for personal gain only. If you give a little love, you’ll receive much more back. Well written content will always help you develop your social network. Another thing about social networks though is choosing what information to share. It’s important that you know that if you publish things online, chance is that people you know, and most importantly your competitors will be reading with utmost interest. Always keep that in mind before blabbering away ‘socially’.

The advantage of social online marketing is the different angle from which you approach your target market. It’s a way to get in their heads, to have your ears on the ground and get valuable feedback and referrals right out of the horse’s mouth. If managed properly you can only benefit from it.

Note: Also known as ‘Social Media Marketing‘.