The big buzzword for companies that conduct business online, or rely on an online presence to drive business, is “organic search optimization,” more commonly referred to as SEO. There are hundreds of internet marketers, advertisers, and companies out there that are happy to help you develop an SEO campaign and grow your online presence through content, links, onsite optimization, social media, and more. Did you know that advertising through social media is one part of organic search optimization that you can take the reins in?
Engaging in social media can help drive organic search optimization in a very big way. Consider that more than three-quarters of the 100 largest companies in the world have a Twitter account for their businesses, and about 60% of marketers in the U.S. use inbound marketing. Here are some tips to help you better incorporate social media into your techniques and strategies so that you can drive traffic, and increase SEO.
- Keep it fresh.
- Interact.
- Generate leads.
When using social media for businesses you have to walk the fine line between promotion, and spamming. About 52% of users on Facebook have unfollowed companies because their pages became repetitive, or boring, according to SMI. Next to getting complaints and tirades on your page, losing followers is one of the worst things that can happen on social media. Make sure to take a few posts off of promotion, and change up your content to keep followers engaged. Maybe take a poll, share a picture, or an interesting news article very now and then.
All of social media is a two-way street, but many business social media sites end up looking like one big advertisement for the company. If a follower asks a question, or leaves a comment, interact with them! Even if it is just to say thanks. Social media is about connection, not advertising, and your followers will start to see the difference if you treat it like your own personal soap box.
The State of Inbound marketing found that in 2012, the closing rate for social media marketing was 100% higher in comparison to outbound marketing. Treat social media like a casual business forum, and you can expect to find success. Consistent bloggers, and companies that use social media to their advantage generate more leads and revenue than companies that abstain.
There were about 400 million users on Google in 2012, and it is only safe to say that the number has continued to grow. Tapping into that market means meeting the user where they “live” and interact on the internet, and that means social media. Look towards other social media for companies where there are a lot of followers and activity to get an idea of how it is done. Remember to keep the content fresh, interact with your followers, but also treat the social media as a business venture to get the most out of this strategy.
