Social Marketing Campaigns Brings Community Back To Business

The fastest growing phenomena today, is the rate at which people are flocking to the Social Media Sites all over the internet. It is here, that in the midst of our fast paced and hectic lives, that people reach out to each other and form online communities, re-establishing the sense of community that has been long lost in these last decades. People are connecting once again and strong relationships are being formed.

Because of this social shift, Businesses are joining the ranks of these Media sites, in order to meet the people that congregate there.

The businesses that do well though, are those who hold to the old fashioned service (only because we see little of it) to the communities in which they do business. Just like how the Shop keepers at the old Corner Store would look after a neighborhood, and know all of the families and what was happening in their lives, so does the New Breed of business owner who manages Social Marketing Campaigns effectively.

Here the business owners concern themselves with caring about their Market group. They provide solutions to their Community Market place, always ready to find out their needs and interests and work out solutions. The business person sets about producing 'content' of value to their clients, based on the interests of their groups. They listen to their Market and have conversations with them, buiding relationships.

Yes, good Social Marketing Campaigns are all about Communities.

Social Marketing Campaigns, are marketing campaigns that involve the use of Social Media Sites. These range from Profile sites such as Facebook and Myspace, to Video sites, Blogs, and Microblogging sites. In fact, there are dozens of sites that people love to use. The distinguishing things about this Media, is that it encourages interaction from the readers. All good sites allow for comments and feedback from the members. Conversations can occur and relationships are formed. People are able to follow the lives of their friends on their Facebook and Microblogging sites such as Twitter. Twitter is a micro site, because updates are no longer than 140 characters. So they are concise and short.

How a business develops their campaign will depend on who they are targeting in the Market place. But, usually all will start with a Blog. This is where they will develop content that their target market is looking for information on. So a product orientated business will offer content on various ways to use their products which offer solutions to their readers.

Facebook is becoming popular with business at the moment too. Some companies are allowing time slots each week for their staff to engage in communities on Facebook, hooking up with friends and groups that are in their companies target market. Relationships are formed and when recommendations are made, their new friends are quite responsive.

One of the fastest growing Social sites is Twitter. You can search out interest groups to join with twitter's search facility. You can follow people you are interested in, and often they will follow you back. When you follow someone, you receive their updates on your Twitter home page where you can view all of the things that your friends have been doing. Converstations are struck, and you get to know people. It is easy to achieve thousands of people following your daily posts. It's all about Market reach.

If you start a Social Marketing Campaign and don't follow the social niceties, then you will lose your audience. The key to success is not to ‘sell’, but to connect.  It is not to advertise, but to inform your audience.

Blatant advertisers are rejected quickly. You can't just set up a site and only advertise your own agenda.  This will fail very fast.  You have to be social, like you would at a Party.  There you would engage in conversations, and get to know people.  You would listen to their views and offer your own.  This is how these sites function. Don't try and operate outside of the social ettiquette, it doesn't pay to. 

To be effective, you will need two things.

1. Great Content.
2. Building Relationships.

Your Content will revolve around the needs and interests of your group. This is where you need to be providing solutions to the questions and issues that effect them. This way, you establish yourself as a Leader and a Solutions provider. People tend to want to follow Leaders, and if you are leading people to the solutions that they are looking for, you will have an attentive audience. It's not that you cannot make recommendations, it's just how you go about doing it. If you have been seen as a giving and contributing member of a group, then often they will contact you directly anyway about your recommendations. You are seen as helpful, and a person who offers value.

The second part of the equation is building relationships. There are several things that you can include to develop these.

• Allow for comments on your content, and always answer any responses left by visitors. Don't be formal, be yourself.
• Provide a way for people to follow your content. RSS feeds are great for this.
• Provide something of value on your sites that people will leave their contact details for, such as a newsletter subscription, or a free offer.
• Follow up with visitors by sending great content to them via email at set intervals over time. They will get to know you quite quickly and will look forward to their next installment.
• Allow your contact information to be displayed, even if it is just an email address. If it suits your circumstances, leave your phone information as well.

Do these things, and you will be 'attracting' your market to you, 24/7 from all over the globe.

Creating a great campaign takes some knowledge. Chatting to people is the easy part. It's the research and some online techniques that you will need to learn in order to reach a large audience. Just being on sites will not guarantee results. There are some technical issues that need to be learned.

I know how hard it can be to stumble along trying to learn as you go. But if you would like to move up that learning curve heaps faster, I have some Free Video Tutorials that may well benefit you if you would like to receive them. The training is quite comprehensive and will take you from Novice to at least knowing how to develop your influence effectively, quite quickly.

I have included the first installment of the Day 1 training on Identifying your target market. It is only Part 1, but it will give you a sense of what kind of content you can expect.

This is a lovely way to do business. Making friends and offering things of value, is an amazing way to earn a living.