Social Media Networking as a Marketing Tool 5 Effective Ways

In recent years, the marketing world has been transformed dramatically. Traditionally reserved to magazine and television ads, the marketing toolkit has exploded to previously unimaginable means like search engines, blogs, and social networks. Social networking, specifically, has become one of the most popular and cost-effective ways to advertise online. Today, there are literally hundreds of social networking web sites out there, and advertising your business on them can be mind-boggling. Below are the five tips for for an effective social marketing campaign.

1. Establish Connections. Connect with the people interested in the type of product or service you offer. These connections will both enable you to communicate your message to your potential clients, as well as allow them to provide feedback, which will help mold your business to fit your target audiences.

2. Maintain Communication. Once you have established connections with your customer, it is important to keep the channels of communication open. Your customer preferences may change over time, and keeping in touch with your customer on social networking sites will help you stay abreast of those changes.

3. Be Honest. Transparency is the key to a successful social networking campaign. Being honest will help you better understand and meet the needs of your customer base. A good example of this is your ad presentation. Instead of posting content such as "The best product on the market", ask your customers for feedback and reward them for giving it by offering discounts or free merchandise.

4. Build Strong Relationships. Building an active social network takes time, and you must be prepared for setbacks. No matter how hard you try, sooner or later you will encounter negative feedback. Learn not to react spontaneously and deal with each situation separately. Address customer complaints as best as you can and encourage further feedback (both positive and negative), ratings, and reviews.

5. Stay Active. Once you have built these relationships, do not lose them. Communicating with each and every client may seem impractical, but it is easier than you think. Social networking sites have made it their business to create tools that let you to communicate with large audiences. Monitor your feedback and keep up the communication channels you have worked so hard to create. Doing so will help you further improve your social networking effectiveness.

The growing popularity of social networking sites for marketing purposes speaks for itself. MySpace revenue from its advertising service has grown from $525 million in 2007 to $810 million in 2008. Other sites such as Facebook, Bebo, and Twitter are expected to grow at a tremendous pace as well. Advertising on social network sites can be very effective but requires careful planning, knowing your customer base, being honest in your approach, building relationship with your audience, and keeping the social connections active.