The Social Media Marketer

5 Tips For Getting Started With Social Media Marketing

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The term "social media marketing" is one of newest, hottest marketing buzzwords, and rightly so.  The social media phenomenon may be one of the most important communication trends of the coming decade.

In order to not be left behind, you'll need to take it seriously and get started.  But social media marketing doesn't have to be daunting or intimidating.  It's quite simple to get started and can actually be lots of fun, if approached correctly.

Here are 5 tips for getting started with social media marketing:

1. Consult with someone who has social media expertise.  If you're really serious about social media marketing, seeking the advice of someone who has experience in the field will save you a lot of time.  Hearing about the benefits of social media is one thing; becoming proficient in this medium is quite another.  There are a number of experts in the field, including Pam Perry, whose hands-on approach to bring novices up to speed in the social media arena is among the best.  A brief tutorial of about two to three hours can save you weeks or months of frustration and misdirection.

2. Hit the ground running.  Once you've completed your social media marketing training, get started right away with setting up your social media operation.  Don't procrastinate.

   Set up your Facebook page or, if you already have one, enhance it with images.  Complete your profile and info pages.  Start posting information on a regular basis, at least weekly.  There is a 500-character limit on posts, but you can add links and images to bring a visual effect to your Facebook page.  In order to assure that you have ideas for posts readily available, you can keep a Word file on your computer where you can store ideas for creative posts as they come to your mind.  That way, you'll have some stockpiled for future use. 

   Set up your Twitter account.  Tweets are designed for brief communication and are limited to 140 characters.  You can tweet an abbreviated version of your Facebook post so your social media efforts work in tandem and you don't have to re-invent the wheel for each aspect of your marketing campaign.

   Create your blog and post your initial entry.  Don't feel as though you have to write a thousand-word post initially.  Many people make that mistake.  They post one or two lengthy blog entries, they've pretty much said it all, and then they abandon the blog altogether because it's simply too time-consuming to write that many words on a regular basis.  And there are thousands of people who have made this mistake, as evidenced by the abandoned blogs you'll find all over the Internet.  Instead, make your entries relatively short -- about 250 to 300 words -- and that will leave you with more to say later.

3. Inform friends, clients and associates.  To build up your Facebook fan base and Twitter followers, you'll need to inform your friends, clients and associates about your pages.  This can be easily accomplished via tools that both Facebook and Twitter have developed, which are accessible on their web sites.

4. Be consistent.  Like all forms of marketing, social media marketing requires a consistent effort.  Repetition is what makes advertising work.  Consistently posting to your Facebook wall, Twitter account and blogs will help build your brand and your customer base.

5. Be persistent.  Don't be discouraged if you don't see immediate results.  Only a small percentage of your Facebook "friends" and Twitter "followers" will respond to your posts.  But they will remember them and appreciate them, especially if you are providing helpful information, food for thought, or ways of saving them money.  If you persist with your social media campaign, you'll reap the rewards.

Social media marketing is becoming an increasingly important force in our culture.  Implementing the above 5 tips will get you onto the playing field instead of sitting on the sidelines.