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Creating a "buzz" around products, services, businesses or events is a requirement from all clients. There is no social media marketing wand that someone will wave and target audience will automatically start coming to your site. And what works for one brand may not work for another.
The process of creating buzz doesn't start from creating a Blog or creating a video, it's a social media strategy that encompasses social media and word-of-mouth marketing. We have compiled a list of social media tools that companies use to build their social media marketing mixes.
1. Blogs
Blogs have become a great tool for social media marketing. That is first because, if optimised correctly, it can be used to drive traffic to a website. A good blog will help in creating internal links, fresh content, active community or non-search engine traffic.
Examples of popular blogs where you can create your account are: Wordpress, Blog.com, Bloggers.com, Typepad etc.
2. Microblogging
Just as blogs, microbloggs offer huge opportunities for business promotion. That is both through content consistency and good optimisation. Few of the most used are: Posterous or Twitter.
3. Online video & Photo sharing
The importance of online videos has rapidly increased during the last years. Popular video sharing websites are: YouTube and Vimeo. Platforms that allow photo sharing are: Flickr, Memeo, and Photobucket.
4. Presentation sharing
Another great way to put your brand's name in the spotlight is by offering presentations on topics of interest for your audience on presentations sharing websites. They are increasingly gaining in popularity nowadays. Some of them are: SlideShare, MyPlick, Scribd, AuthorSTREAM, or Myplick.
5. Polls and Voting
Surveys are an an effective model because they can be used for research, and education as well as engaging with interested consumers and opinion leaders.
6. Bookmarking
Includes social bookmarks on educational articles and case studies to allow redistribution. Examples of popular social bookmarking websites: Twitter, Delicious, Digg, Mixx, , Reddit, Slashdot, StumbleUpon and Buzz.
7. Discussion boards and forums
Online forums are a great way to market your products/ services and interact with other professionals or your audience. Engaging your audience in your niche forum can bring high value to your site and brand too.
8. Content aggregation
Content aggregation offers you the chance to bring all news and feeds around your online communities accounts in one place. Some say this is the future of social media. Emerging content aggregation websites: Bloglines, FriendFeed, Lifestream.fm, Lijit.
9. Ratings and reviews
The best way to find out where your website stands or how your brand is perceived by others is through ratings and reviews. See Yelp, Getsatisfaction.
10. Publish information articles
It is important to publish your articles on publishing sites like Ezinearticles, eHow, Google Docs, IdeaMarketers and submit your press release on important specialised sites like i-Newswire, PR.com, PressReleasePoint, PRLog.org.
CONFUSED?
Social Media Marketing is new, and therefore not as streamlined as other well established marketing channels. There are lots of networks to choose from, creating presence on all the channels is very time consuming. Companies are struggling to understand what social media marketing mix they should use to make their brand successful in the online world.
We suggest it is important to identify which channels are suitable for your business depending on your target audience. Businesses must plan a step by step online marketing strategy and brainstorm ideas with their online marketing agency that will work for their products/service.
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