Social Media Marketing Watch

I wanted to let my readers know that I’d now be managing another website SocialMediaSutra.com and probably let someone else manage and run this website.I’m so much excited to start on a new website!

This website will still run and you can read posts however my attention would now be on the new website. I will post here when the new website will be live for you to see.

Thanks so much for the support so far and how to get even better support on the new platform!

How many of you marketing executives or managers out there have been stuggling to put in place a plan to launch a social media marketing campaign for your firm?I bet many!

You may have created a list of activities such as launching your own forums or Wiki, if your business permits, participating in events or meet ups, start microblogging, distributing contents/eBook(s) on content sharing sites, planning podcasting or webinar(s) about product or event launch, creating viral videos and distributing on video sharing sites etc, but the million dollar question still remains is how to get started or which activity should be done first or in combination of other activities.

Since lots of information is available out there, there is bound to be information overload; there are many people who know what social media marketing can do yet they do not know how to benefit from it. Let’s start with few steps at a time to get a head up.

Start with creating profile on top social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, ibebo etc and keep active initially until you see your fans or member stats increasing. Invite as many people you know to your profile and continue growing your network.

If your business is such that it can have a community built around it, plan to have a dedicated forum on where you can create your own dedicated social networking site such as Ning.

Next is creating accounts on micro-blogging platforms such as Twitter, Plurk, Pownce etc and toy with the idea of creating as many followers in your niche area as possible. On Twitter search for members in your area using tweet search or use the service of Grader.com to search for members on Twitters. I personally liked Grader search.

Start with creating really good content on interesting topic that you think will add value when read and ability for people to to promote it. You can submit to websites such as Digg, Reddit, De.licio.us etc where people can vote your articles up the ladder and resulting traffic to your website.

Create a podcast about your products or services and popularize it. This way more people know about your product(s) and service(s). Again the podcast doesn’t have to be a million dollar budgeted program; simply a informative content will do.

Another creative way of getting your website among the social traffic will be creating a creative video and publish on video sharing portals such as  YouTube and on 50 or so more such video sharing websites for creating a viral video marketing campaign.

List of activities for your social media marketing campaign can be long;however these could serve as starting point.

The other day I was reading an interesting post and it triggerd an instant thought process where in I wondered that with the proliferation of so many micro-blogging platforms (Twitter, Plurk, Friendfeed etc) would people eventually be driven away from actual blogging or macro-blogging as I prefer to call for perfect contrast to micro-blogging.

It all started initially with Macro-blogging as it instantly picked up craze amongst experts and amateurs bloggers’ alike until during the journey microblogging platforms came up. Micro-blogging meant a nice platform specially for people who couldn’t keep up their blogging alive and their enthusiasm gave away (pun intended) soon after launching the blog. Expert bloggers’ took micro-blogging as another way to communicate their thoguths and knowledge to a closed bergeoning population.

Anyways, the crux of the matter is these are two platforms with overlapping populations; one may be a member on both however more active on one then the other. It becomes difficult to become active on both of them – unless you have nothing to go but sit at home and burn your ass – for each demands time and efforts to make it grow and work for you.

So, the question is which one you prefer and are addicted to?

What I see is, if you have your own blog and are active, people at large specially those who search and come to your blog are benefited from your content; however with micro-blogging your content, even if they are indexed, is confined to that particular platform or if you share among various other similar platforms.You can see the indexed link of a reply to one of my Twitter posts.

With micro-blogging what you write is short and forgotten quickly as you keep adding new snippets burring deep older posts.  Your reputations is connected to outside world and you are more followed or have followers when you are well known in the blogsphere.

People can refer to your blog posts in their own contents but there is no way to refer your twitter/plurk posts. So, sharing your micro-blogging posts become difficult..

Let me know what you have to say about your addiction for either blogging platform….

This post is direct result of my previous one where in I have explained various types of search result links (SRLs) Google provide within its search result pages.

While elaborating Google map links within SERPs, I accidentally stumbled upon an cool idea that can surely be another revenue platform for Google -Google map inAds: displaying Google Ads or other advertising right inside Google map.

One will now see paid ads from merchants in the Google map in and arou d the location of the websites being shown in the search results, advertising merchants’ services such as car rent, pick-up/delivery services, hotels, restaurants- in case you visit the business and want to have a meeting place near-by the office etc

This is how it will work. You search for say “web development companies” and found a Map link to one of the site’s business address. You visit the website and find it interesting; you then look for the direction in the map link. Around the location balloon, you will see various other balloons signifying additional business listings from merchants advertising their services such as Car rent- in case you want to hire a car to reach the service provider’s office, restaurtans to book a table for few members or hotel links where in you can book your stay online after confirming your visit to your vendor’s office.

There are whole lots of businesses that can be matched to show-up on the map. May be a souvenir or corporate gift shop to bring back some gifts or buy gifts to present your clients respectively; a massage parlor to relax you after a hard days work .  HowZZZZZZZAAAAAAAAAAAAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The other day I had an enquiry from a SaaS service provider regarding search engine promption of their product(s) and assuming they required Search engine optimization (SEO), as in majority of the cases it becomes clear later on after discussion with them, I sent them a details proposal.

Reading my proposal the company was interested and asked me to meet their Head of Marketing. I got excited and immediately hopped in my car to meet the marketing person. I on my way honned my SEO/SEM skills and reached well before time as a courtsey to show how professional I was. I had read somewhere first impression is the last impression.

When few minutes into the meeting, I realised they were NOT interested in SEO, rather were looking for an individual or an agency to create and maintain a community around their SaaS product(s) to not only generate business but also create a buzz around their services. Surprised, as I was, I immediately took control of the situation and asked for few days to return with a comprehensive internet marketing proposal taking into accounts SEM/SEO and social media marketing..

I’m surpirsed as well as happy to see that their is a visible shift from just getting top rankings in search engines for their business to wanting to build a community around their business/product(s) which is more effective way to sustain and generate business…

I still clearly remember the wordings of the gentelman I met saying, “SEO is no rocket science…”

Loking at the trend, time is not far, might have already arrived, when search engine positioning would be a small part of the overall online marketing strategies..

I will keep you posted on how things turn out after I meet them for the second time with my proposal…keep a close watch and subscribe to my RSS to know the outcome….

It brings great pleasure in annoucing that SMMW will be soon launched officially. Aimed at “must-visit” social platform where you get the latest happenings on social media marketing industry that you can actually put into use for your benefit.

The journey was not easy as putting thoughts once after the domain was registered took us some time and them putting thoughts into actual action took further time. Finally gathering courage and determination to have this new platform launched, coaxed my friend programmers and designers to put together a decent online presence.

Starting out initially with a free theme, we will soon have our own new design for the website.  until then we hope to continue with the theme.