You’ve taken the time to build a killer website. You’ve got the best customer service, best product, and best prices around. You built it but they’re not coming.
Like the Copyblogger writer Jessica Commins points out, the blogging/SMM/SEM Field of Dreams concept of “if you build it, they will come” doesn’t work on the web. Web 2.0 technology has changed the way consumers find information on the web and if you want Page Rank and customers, then you have to pay attention to the core needs of your social engine and social media marketing.
A social media specialist who can blog (well), be a great customer service rep, and interpret the results of your Google analytics is an integral part of your marketing team and will be the driving force in your SEM and SMM campaigns.
A few of the steps your social media management specialist will take to increase your ROI
Step 1. Set up accounts, begin to build relationships and community with others in your industry, your area of interest, or your target consumer base. Engage, share, discuss, debate, and tell jokes. Be human.
Step 2. Start a company blog (which I’ve already written about, and the six reasons you need one as well as the qualities to look for in a blogger). Write about the topics that come up during your social network conversations. If they’re being talked about on Facebook or Twitter, then they’re fresh and relevant. Your current and future customers want value, not a sales pitch every time they follow one of your links. They want something that will matter to them in some aspect of their lives.
Step 3. Be consistent and leverage the tools out there to make this easier and less time consuming. Schedule your tweets, but be around to answer questions and address concerns or complaints aired on social media. Run a Facebook contest or ask a question or ask for x amount of likes and you’ll give away a coupon code. Do something to get your community sharing. Marketing on the web is no longer a one way conversation.
Step 4. Monitor. I’ve already written about how to monitor mentions on the web and keep tabs on things without spending time constantly searching. Let Google do the work for you and all you have to do is read it once a day or every other day so you know what’s going on pertaining to your chosen keywords or what’s being said about you. There are a bunch of other sites that will help you build and monitor your brand and protect your image – use them.
