The Social Media Marketer

Build Your Brand With Social Media

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Running an effective social media marketing campaign is a lot like deep-sea fishing. Are you in the right place? Is the weather suitable? Are you using the appropriate bait? Do you have reliable equipment? Often, you can’t land “the big one” until certain conditions are met. Don’t let a future business opportunity be “the one that got away.” You have everything you need for an effective social media marketing campaign at your fingertips.

Every social media marketing campaign is unique, and for good reason. Businesses offer a different service to a different demographic, each having a different impact and achieving a different outcome. But despite these differences, there are five constants in social media marketing that can help to build your brand.

To use the deep-sea fishing analogy, let’s consider these five constants our OCEAN of activity. They include:

1.  O-utreach

The first step to any lucrative business venture is awareness. There are dozens of platforms to choose from…but you don’t have to limit yourself. You just need to identify appropriate online venues to showcase your skills. Facebook and Twitter are obvious choices for quick and easy access to clients. Photographers often branch out to Flickr for help, while videographers can promo their content on YouTube.

Other types of professional services link to Blogger accounts, adding to their search engine optimization endeavors. No matter what your business does, there is a niche. Find yours. Ragan Communications’ Social Media site offers great resources for doing just that.

2.  C-onnection

After you’ve decided what social media marketing venues are of the greatest benefit, the next step is to connect to clients. There are varying schools of thought on this – you can use social media to connect to everyone in an effort to increase your client base, or you can be more selective, focusing on a handful of clients and their partners who make the most sense for your business. Look at it like this: It is in McDonald’s best interest to connect to everyone.  It is in L2O’s best interest to not.

3.  E-ngagement

Now that you’ve made contact with your potential clients, engaging them effectively is the next step. Communicating with your clients using social media should be informative and interactive, not transactional. A key phrase to remember is “relationships above returns.”

One of the main goals of social media marketing is to personify your business online – to give it a virtual identity through personality and communication. Ask questions. Provide feedback. Be conversational. Would you patronize a business that doesn’t offer you an authentic identity? Neither will your customers. Check out Monical’s Pizza – they do a great job using Twitter and Facebook to engage their customers in a fun, savvy way.

4.  A-dvocacy

The work you do for any client engaged in social media has the ability to make or break your business. You are your own best advocate, and your work and attitude need to reflect that. Social media turns a business into a living, breathing entity…capable of great successes and—unfortunately—great failures. Always be courteous. Always be tactful. Always let your best work speak for you. If you provide the right service to the right people, they will start talking…and that’s the whole goal of social media marketing—creating an unstoppable advocacy machine that continues working for you long after your day is over.

5.  N-etworking

Here’s the payoff! You’ve managed the four previous steps effectively, and people are starting to talk up your business. In a world of corporate scandals and business mistrust, grassroots and positive word-of-mouth marketing will quickly become your new best friends. Scott Monty shares why this convergence is important on his blog, and as head of social media for Ford Motor Company, he knows what he’s talking about.

Each part of your OCEAN plan can be developed, monitored and adjusted to create a social media marketing presence that makes sense for you and your business. When those pieces are in place, you can enhance the reputation of your business from anywhere at any time. This type of comprehensive engagement keeps you connected and in tune with the evolving needs of your customers. Most importantly, it helps you build a brand for your business that continues to earn online attention, even when you're not able to tend to it firsthand.