Social Media Marketing - How to Effectively Promote Your Company Through Social Media

Social media marketing (SMM) is the collective use of various social media sites and platforms to advertise a service or product. Unlike traditional marketing methods which focus on marketing to a specific "niche" of customers, social media marketing targets mass audiences by targeting a more general audience. While the terms' digital marketing and e-marketing are often synonymous with academic debate, social media marketing has become increasingly popular for researchers and practitioners alike because it is becoming an increasingly viable method of reaching mass audiences. For example, studies have shown that the number of searches for certain services such as dating sites, social network and email services are growing at a rapid rate, despite increased television viewing and overall media coverage. This indicates that SMM is not solely a public relations tool for businesses; it can also be used to effectively increase brand recognition among customers.

One of the main issues when creating a social media marketing strategy is the branding of the business. Many companies have brands in place that were formed based on their product or service offerings, but companies with little branding have a much harder time establishing brand loyalty. When creating a strategy, it is important for the business owner to choose a "theme" for the business as well as a specific target audience. By closely associating these two elements, a marketer is able to develop a more effective social media strategy which is more likely to result in increases in business as well as customer satisfaction.

Another element to developing a successful SMM strategy is identifying and understanding an audience. It is important to identify potential target audiences through various means such as demographic studies, consumer behaviors and research. Once this information is gathered, a marketer can begin to create a plan of action and develop a specific strategy to reach each audience. It is also important to take into consideration whether the intended audience is a younger audience an older audience or a diverse audience, as different types of media will require varying approaches. As with any type of marketing, it is critical to remain consistent with the tone and message if the intended audience will be easily identified and engaged.