Social Media – What it Really Means to ‘Like’ Someone

Consider the telephone: It broke new ground in communication – allowing people to communicate with one another instantaneously – a breakthrough! Fast-forward half a century and we have the television. Motion picture broadcast allowed an individual or a production company to communicate with many people, perhaps billions, worldwide. Now bring yourself to present day: online social media allows one to communicate with billions at the simple click of a mouse, return key, or screen.

The Internet has helped level the paying field in communication. Since its introduction the average Joe has been able to build a website and present it to the world for next-to-nothing. It is cheap and does not require a degree or any qualifications to get heard especially with the likes of blogs, photo-sharing sites such as Flickr and social media platforms like Facebook or MySpace –sites have helped bring together photos, videos, news articles, products, music and pretty much anything you could possible ask for – in some cases incorporating all of the above in one awesome whirlwind of instant information.

For searchers, users and our beloved browsers we are constantly entertained, enlightened and encouraged to click again... For businesses, this is a perfect storm and we’re in its eye.

Whether you are selling online through direct sales or distribution channels social media is a critical tool in engaging with the public and gaining trust. Companies are able to channel their advertising and promotions directly to suitable customers. Gauging the time and expenditure of social media strategy is tricky as there are so many different outlets, which are consistently updated. However some might be more appropriate then others.

Here are a list of the basic social media sites we have no excuse not to use, not just because they are for the most part, free, but because this is the future:

Social Networks – LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace are semi-open communities for connecting online. Social games and applications have given companies new outlets and allowed them reach millions. If a friend ‘Likes’ a business, brand or band, for instance – Facebook will tell you.

Microblogging – The most popular example being Twitter - Keep people regularly updated with new products and articles in 140 characters. Add links, photos, or information on any topical news – whether it’s related to the brand or what you’ve had for dinner, get some followers - You can even do this from your mobile.

Blogging –Start a blog, add to other peoples’... create a buzz. Even if others are blogging negatively – it is still publicity. Anybody can publish their opinion so there will always be the good and the bad and (hopefully) an official page will ensure you get your say. You can include bite size information on the latest products and services and it’s likely you’ll get more passing traffic then a website – even if you are using it to guide to your own site.

Media Sharing – “Fenton!”... “Charlie bit me...” and that photo of the cat with the orange peel on it’s head - The likes of Tumblr, Flickr and YouTube let you share anything with anyone. Grab attention with entertainment and originality - When a video with a baby laughing gets 100 million views you can only hope it goes viral.

Review and Opinion Sites – Progress, feedback and opinion – review and opinion sites are great for gauging how potential customers think, again, negative publicity can be positive. Sites such as TripAdvisor and Amazon have discussion forums where buyers discuss their latest experiences – most ecommerce sites have a place for the view of the customer, it means they are valued and are likely to return!

These are just a few examples of the many forms of social networking and how it can get your site noticed – it spans the Internet and has endless potential. With enough time, understanding and persistence you can hope achieve great things: I’ve compiled a short list of what to keep in mind when attempting to create an online ‘buzz’:

1. Determine brand personality                                                                             

2. Make it a two-way conversation - try to engage with audience specifically.                       

3. Visit people on their own soil                                  

4. be original – create unique content and                                                   

5. Keep in mind it’s not always a numbers game – there might be 10,000 linked to you but not have any trust or clue to how they got to your site or what the product or service even is.

There are a multitude of ways to go about social networking and the results are virtually impossible to prove... almost as difficult as it is to predict the future of online marketing itself. But you must keep one thing in mind throughout a campaign - It’s better to have 100 people who genuinely ‘like’ you, then 1000 people who met you once and can’t remember your name.

Word of mouth is the number one influence on the decision to buy a car... social media democratises providing word of mouth to a much broader audience”            Fritz Henderson, CEO General Motors

Joe Burford

SEO Consultant

SEO Clinic