"Social Media Marketing - Listening"

Simply put, social media has become a game changer, but not for everyone. Social media, in my humble opinion, can be the biggest waste of your time, money, energy, and good will. That being said, a Social Media Strategy can be a game changer, and is already being used to effectively influence and grab market share with lightening viral speed.

Here are 3 things to consider when starting your Social Media Marketing Strategy:

1. “Listen, Listen, Listen”

If you are new to social Media, especially Twitter, you should be spending more time listening to the conversation than trying to just start your own, by yourself. You may not build influence and followers by just pushing your message out there. Remember, the people on Twitter who actually have any real influence don’t usually respond to just blanket type spam marketing Twitter account. Find the leaders in your industry and see what they are doing right or wrong.

2. “The more you Learn, the more you Earn”

They are so many social media resources available on the internet, including Facebook. Most of the information is free and the people giving it away are still winning at their business. This is because it is not the information that will help get you results –it is how you apply that information. Take some time each week to look at social media and start following people and brands that you think are adding value to the conversation.

3. “Spend your marketing budget wisely”

Advertising, social media marketing, sales, business systems, the whole nine yards, will mean nothing to you if you try to spend the least possible amount of time on making your business great. Many of the tools available are free; however, I am not suggesting that it makes any sense to spend a ton of money just because someone claims he or she is an expert and can help you to use social media to grow your business. All I would like to add is that Social Media or Social Media Marketing is a long term investment in your brand. Social Media itself just refers to sharing media like videos, images and on our favorite social networks. Social Media Marketing, on the other hand, refers to using Social Media to market and brand your business. This takes time and hard work by someone representing your brand, but the results can be huge.

Comments that add some value are welcome. Agree, disagree, ask questions. It is all open; that’s one of the cool things about Social Media, and my blog.

Want to talk Social Media and growing your brand?
Here I am: Social Media Sean