Social media seems to be all the buzz these days.  You’ve undoubtedly heard about it, but if you haven’t implemented it in your marketing strategy, there’s no better time than the present to start.  This article will give you an overview of what social media is and how to get on the road to targeting customers and prospects based on specific interests shared on social media. 

Social media is a relatively new, but important part of an integrated marketing and communications plan.  In the past, traditional integrated marketing consisted of a mix of advertising, public relations, direct marketing, promotions, and sales efforts.  With the emergence social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and many others, companies now are now adding this relatively inexpensive platform to their existing marketing plan.  Using one or more of these sites, you can create content that gets attention, generates online dialog, and encourage readers to share it with their own social networks, creating brand awareness and reaching new prospects.

To effectively integrate social media with your current marketing plan, recognize that these new platforms are meant to complement your initiatives, not replace them.  By integrating social media into your current mix, you can:

• Broadcast announcements, updates, and news (what a great additional PR resource!)
• Conduct promotions
• Advertise
• Receive direct response to customer complaints
• Give visitors a behind the scenes look at your company

So, are you ready to give social media a try?  Before you start, choose which platform is best suited to help you achieve your goals.   For example, you might use Facebook and Twitter to post company updates or promotions.  YouTube can give visitors a behind the scenes look at your company, and LinkedIn can give an overview of your company to the business networking community.

Because social media is a relatively new, but rapidly emerging medium, it may make sense to establish an organic presence first.  Typically, an official presence is better than none, even if you haven’t defined a specific strategy.  As you learn the in’s and out’s, what works for your business and what doesn’t, you can begin to develop a more focused strategy and begin to integrate it into your overall marketing strategy.

So get out there, explore what options work best for your market and business, and soon you’ll be on your way to taking advantage of the opportunities this new and exciting marketing tool offers.