The 12 Rules of SMO...Part Two

In part two of, the 12 Rules of SMO, we continue our look at some of the key factors that you should consider when approaching an SMO campaign. Part one focussed on planning your strategy and ensuring your content is clear and offers value to visitors. These last six festive offerings will hopefully also add some value to your SMO campaign.

On the seventh rule of SMO, my online campaign manager said to me...social media is more than just Facebook and Twitter. Granted, these are the two buzz sites of the moment and they are likely to be a staple of most SMO campaigns but there are other sites to consider that offer value. It is worth incorporating these social sites like Digg, Flickr and StumbleUpon, largely because they specialise in other areas – Digg being a news site and Flickr predominantly photos site. Signing up to niche forums specialising in your field is also very useful for broadening your market.

On the eighth rule of SMO, my online campaign manager said to me...vary your content. We touched on this in the fifth rule of SMO but felt that it merited a section of its own, mainly because it is massively important. Because of Google’s universal search, the need to supplement your written content with videos and images has grown rapidly. Users want to see a variety of mediums to answer their search queries and having such varied content base will generate more visits to your site. This also reinforces the need to use other social media sites so that you can direct visitors to pages and content of interest.

On the ninth rule of SMO, my online campaign manager said to me...maintain continuity across your social media profiles. It is all very well and good building profiles across numerous social media sites but visitors will see through your brand and image if you are trying to be something you are not. For that reason, keep continuity strong across your profiles, promote the same messages and keep things like tone and content similar.

On the tenth rule of SMO, my online campaign manager said to me...advertise your social profiles. Setting aside some of your budget for social media advertising can reap dividends. You have already invested a lot of time and effort into planning and executing your online appearance and profiles and, because you have already identified a target market, you can specialise ads for them. With links to your social profiles there is the chance you will be able to appeal to these ready-made markets for your products or services.

On the eleventh rule of SMO, my online campaign manager said to me...don’t neglect your main site. You could be forgiven for getting wrapped up in the buzz you’re creating from your social media profiles but what isn’t forgivable is neglecting your site in favour of these social networks. Your website is your main selling tool and it is just as important to keep this up-to-date with blogs and forums so that you invite links and visitors. After all, most of the work you do on social media sites is to draw traffic to your main site.

On the twelfth rule of SMO, my online campaign manager said to me...talk to your customers. I know it might seem like we’re hammering home this point but this is essentially what it’s all about. These social media platforms are not just about talking at your followers or fans but more about interacting with them. Start conversations, ask for their feedback and ask them questions. The answers you get from these interactions can shape future promotions or help you identify a niche area of interest. People have long said it’s good to talk and SMO is perfect for that!

So there we have it, some of our thoughts on the best ways to enjoy a successful SMO campaign. Perhaps we have missed something off – why not comment?

To speak with a home james campaign manager to understand how we could help implement an effective social marketing strategy for your company, please get in touch with us.