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2013 turned out to be a big year for social media (SM) events. From Twitter going public, to new social media networks popping up, such as Vine and Snapchat, to PR executive Justine Sacco being fired for a racist and inappropriate Tweet. While SM certainly had it ups and downs this year, one thing is for sure – companies must have a solid SM strategy in order to be successful.

SM news website, Top Ten Social Media, listed the best SM Marketing books of 2013, including “The Zen of Social Media Marketing” by Shama Kabani. The book provides a nice overview of the difference between traditional online marketing and SM marketing. Kabani describes online marketing as the art and science of leveraging the Internet to get your message across, so that you can move people to action. A successful online marketing plan should, attract, convert and transform. Social media marketing is the act of leveraging SM platforms (places where people connect and communicate) to promote a product or a service to increase sales.

The #1 reason people fail at SM marketing is due to the fact that they don’t have a solid foundation of understanding their brand or know what differentiates them from their competition. SM is the ultimate amplifier. If you have a good product or service, it be will be intensified until it is perceived as great.

SM marketing works best as a tool for attracting traffic and attention. It’s not optimal for converting strangers into clients. It’s better suited for converting strangers into consumers (i.e., people who subscribe to your blog or newsletter).

SM platforms are a great way to showcase past and present success stories as well. By allowing customers to speak for themselves via SM platforms, you can then leverage the social proof to attract more prospects and engage with them.

SM marketing is a good idea for the following reasons:

• SM sites are where the people are – they’re already there, so why not target them
• Trust in advertising continues to erode – people trust their friends more than an ad they may see on TV
• People are already talking about you – talking is inevitable and now you have a way to join the conversation

SM marketing principles:

• Respect people’s “virtual space” – don’t bombard users/followers
• Efforts to control and manipulate will backfire – i.e., don’t pretend to be a customer
• Don’t chase every new SM platform under the sun – not every vertical will be right for your company/brand
• Traffic is good, but should not be the only goal for SM marketing – you want to share, listen & cultivate relationships
• It’s a good best practice to use your real name – people want to connect with others like themselves
• You must be proactive – respond to comments, update with content regularly, etc.

SM marketing checklist:

• Be sure to have a good BOD – you must have a keen understanding of your Brand, Outcomes (results you get for your client) and Differentiators
• A website – your website must educate, market and sell
• Content – however you choose to do so (i.e. a blog or newsletter), you must update your site regularly with fresh content
• Capturing email addresses – you must have a way to collect email addresses, so that you can send subscribers/followers content

In the book, Kabani focuses on the three “major” SM platforms; Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Facebook (FB):

• Compared to other SM platforms, FB is more lenient and therefore allows you to be more engaging. FB is a good place to showcase your desire for a real relationship with users
• FB is a good place to gain consumers
• FB has a lot more freedom (video, pictures, lengthy statuses or stories), so have fun with it

Twitter:

• Twitter is where you should bring people back to your site
• Post links to interesting content on your site, such as blog posts, company news, etc.
• Encourage people to comment on your blog and share your content via Twitter

LinkedIn:

• Use LinkedIn Groups to connect with others who might be a good referral source or potential partner
• Get recommendations from contacts on LinkedIn
• Showcase your expertise as a company via LinkedIn

The Zen of Social Media Marketing provides a nice overview of the necessary groundwork that is needed to begin implementing a SM strategy. Do you think Kabani missed anything important? Let us know in the comment section below!

Post by Lindsay Hull
Zer0 to 5ive Sr. Strategist