Options For Social Media Marketing On A Budget
Posted by Kim Adams on Tue, Oct 04, 2011
In the old days, when a business wanted to launch a marketing campaign, they saved their 
pennies, quarters and dollars and took out ads in the newspaper, or, if they had some spare cash lying around, they would buy a television or radio commercial. This wasn't exactly social media marketing, but it did target customers.
With the creation of the Internet, marketing has taken a more personal turn. The use of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, has made it easier than ever to reach new potential customers. And as an added bonus, the need for the pennies, quarters and dollars has shrinked dramatically. Now, this does not mean you no longer have to pay for a good social media marketing campaign. It just means that money is applied in different areas.
Before, you were paying for good content and exposure. Now, you have to pay for the content. And in almost equal measure, you will exchange the lower costs with an increase in time spent doing the marketing yourself.
According to Social Media Magazine's Kent Huffman, the time commitment can be significant, but building relationships, which is the cornerstone of a good social media marketing campaign, is well worth the effort.
Be Active
It's not enough to just start a Facebook page and never post. You have to post on a regular basis, and when people comment on your page, you need to respond. Quickly. Creating a dialogue is the quickest way to start building a relationship and earning the trust of your visitors. Visitors who trust you, will become customers.
Create Content Worth Reading
This is where the trade-off between getting free social media marketing and spending that money in other areas meet. Your content needs to be as interesting and engaging as possible. There is nothing wrong with admitting that you are not a wonderful, engaging writer. If you can't write the content, hire someone who can.
Put the Wonderful Content On a Blog -- Then Share It!
A blog is a tool with several purposes. It is its own form of social media marketing, but it also serves as a platform for other social media outlets. For example, you write a blog entry, then you share it on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. People read it, love it, and share it. You gain more readers and potential customers, and all you did was click a "share" button.
These are low-cost, high dividend marketing ideas that will get you started on your social media marketing path. So, go forth and socialize!