Thinking about launching a social media campaign for your business?

Prepared with the assistance of Humber PR grad student Heather Smith…

As the ever changing landscape of public relations continues to evolve, social media has become a central focus. From blogs to Twitter to Facebook, social media is being used like never before.

For businesses looking to capitalize on this fast-growing trend, there are several ways to go about it. Before the networking begins though, you must first consider the following.

• What is the goal of your social media campaign?
• What do you want to accomplish?
• Who is your target audience?
• Which social media networks are you going to use? Facebook? Twitter? MySpace?
• All of the above?

Once you have decided which social media networking sites you are going to use, you can get down to business. Outlined below are three of the most popular social networking tools used today. All three can aid in brand recognition and online social media marketing.

Twitter

A free social networking service, users post ‘tweets’ of 140 characters or less for other Tweeters to see. Businesses using Twitter can use the site to post ‘tweets’ about their company, topics relating to their company’s services, events, etc. Twitter can be used to publicize your company’s website or blog, and allows for optimal business marketing. Users can engage in conversations with other Tweeters, thus allowing for effective word of mouth marketing. Another benefit of Twitter, as with most social media services nowadays, is that posts are made seamlessly from wireless mobile devices. Users can post a comment from their BlackBerry, and instantly it appears on their Twitter page.

HOW TO: All new Twitter users must create an account. Following registration, one must begin to grow their contact list by following other users, and encouraging them to follow you. The more followers one has, the more opportunities exist for conversation and networking. Twitter offers several applications that can be used to better organize your contact list, for instance, Tweet Deck allows you to categorize incoming posts by topic.

Facebook

Another free social networking service, Facebook offers many more features than does Twitter. It is the ideal way for a company to build a fan following with features like fan pages and groups. Businesses can target users by demographic, age, interests, gender, etc. Fan pages and groups allow users to post pictures, videos, hold discussions and post information related to their company. Companies can create events and invite users to attend. They can create ads to market their company. The opportunities for SEO and brand recognition are endless.

HOW TO: First time Facebook users must create an account profile. This includes contact information, interests, etc. From there, users will start to build their contact list by adding friends to their list. Now, users can take advantage of the many features offered by Facebook. Create a fan page for your company, or a group pertaining to a topic of interest. Create events to launch or publicize a product. The more friends you have on your list, the more people there are to network with. Videos, photos and discussions go a long way in engaging current and prospective customers.

Blogs

The blogosphere is a never ending world of online commentary. Individuals can develop blogs, but so can companies. Blogs are a great way to post information relevant to the company’s products or services. You can post links to blogs on Facebook, Twitter and company websites. Blogs attract readers that can then contribute to the conversation, therefore building the company’s online reputation.

HOW TO: There are a variety of ways to start a blog. One must first contact a web host that will allow the blog to be accessible to the World Wide Web. Programs like WordPress are used to design and develop the blog. Graphics can be added and posts created. Depending on the purpose of the blog, web designers can tailor blogs based on the company’s business goals.

While there are tens of social networking sites that can be used in social media campaigns, the above are just three places to start. With millions of users, Twitter, Facebook and blogs can serve to increase brand recognition, improve sales, and encourage new customers.

Tags: Blogs, Facebook, social media, Twitter