As you already know, social media is an extended conversation with your community or market. Every type of Web 2.0 platform gives you a way to participate in an ongoing conversation. One of the best social media marketing tips I can give you is to get into blogging.
A blog is a way for you to not only participate in a conversation but to initiate one and become a thought leader - or guru, if you will. When you have a blog you are in charge of the content. In a blog post you can write as much as you want and there are no space limitations the way there are if you write for a magazine or a website run by someone else. Readers can leave comments, if you choose. But a blog can be a one-person show if you want and you can keep the comments turned off all the time. Even if you do this you are still part of a conversation because other websites will link to you and comment about your posts on their own blog. People will also bookmark your posts on Stumbleupon and other sites and leave comments there as well. So there is no such thing as blogging in a vacuum. This is a good thing because if you are business owner you certainly don't want to blog in a vacuum.
A blog is another way to develop your persona and build a relationship with your audience, especially if you vary your content and let your personal side show from time to time. It can be difficult to provide a variety of content and most blogger find that after the honeymoon period ends, it's hard to work to post new material on a consistent basis. Depending on your situation, you might want to outsource the task from time to time or invite other bloggers to post guest blog posts.
The best blogging platform if you are using your own web host is Wordpress. It is user friendly and is a one-click install at many web hosts. If you don't have hosting and want to test the waters with a free blog and if you want to make money from the blog with ads or affiliate links, then Blogger is the best platform. Blogger does not have restrictions about ads or links. Also, Google owns Blogger so you don't have to worry about Google slaps. As long as Google owns Blogger, Blogger posts will rank well in the search engines, especially if you use targeted keywords.
Every blog has a blog roll in the sidebar. You use this space to link to your favorite blogs. In return, other blogs will link to you, too, if you build
relationships with them. When you have a blog you should also take time to read other blogs in your community or market and leave comments and send e-mails. Not only does this spread goodwill but your reputation as a thought leader will increase too, along with your profits.
Whether you're interested in blogging just for fun or for business, you should take the plunge now if you haven't already. You'll quickly see how fun having your own little space on the internet can be.
R. Scott Hall runs http://www.marketersexpress.com where you can explore what Web 2.0 and social media optimization can do for your business.
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