Social media marketing is an unfortunate term. Not because it fails to describe the ultimate aim of a social media networking campaign, but because it describes it all too well. Introducing the term ‘marketing’ into anything these days will trigger the average person’s cynicism filters. Social media marketing, however, shouldn’t always be about the cynical manipulation of the unsuspecting public.

SMM should never be solely about manipulation. Any campaign based on that idea will surely fail. This is because of the nature of social media networks. In general, those who participate in social media are highly aware of the methods of manipulation traditionally employed by marketers. What’s more, they are not shy about expressing their absolute dislike of anyone trying to market that way.

When you are planning a social media marketing campaign, here are the top five things to keep in mind:

1. Be as open about your motives as you can be. Surprisingly enough, a campaign that openly acknowledges that its aim is to get the user to buy a product is more likely to succeed than a campaign that tries to hide its motives. Social media users are aware of their worth in the marketplace, and denying that you are after their dollar only insults them. This doesn’t mean that your campaign should be all about your driving motives. Outright advertising is boring and will not get you the attention you need.

2. Let yourself be human. Humans are attracted to human things. Having an austere image is one of the things a lot of companies struggle with when it comes to social media. A method that really works is acknowledging this image and subtly undermining it. If this means making fun of your company’s image, so be it. A less successful approach is to completely ignore your company’s reputation and try to build from scratch. You might get away with this, but a little self-deprecation can go a long way with internet users.

3. Know thyself. Know your detractors, and know your supporters. Have answers to both sides. Hopefully, your social media marketing campaign will prompt immediate reactions. It’s also important not to expect to change opinions. If you are too desperate to gain approval from your detractors, you may end up putting off some internet users. You are also unlikely to win over your detractors.

4. Don’t forget your site’s SEO when you format. Your SMM campaign should draw traffic to your site by itself, but the purpose of SMM should also be to support your search engine optimisation. Talk to us at SEO Consult about working social media into your search engine optimisation strategy.

5. Participate in the networks. This is actually a very elementary part of social media participation, but it bears repeating. Just because you’ve launched a self-contained campaign doesn’t mean you don’t have to build a network. It is important to begin your participation in social media before you launch your SMM campaign. It’s also important to participate during it, and after. This participation can’t just be about your campaign, either. Participate openly with others on your social media networks, and they will return the favour.

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