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A new report from TechCrunch shows that Facebook drives 44 percent of social sharing on the web. What can internet marketers learn from this?
In the past, online marketers simply had to execute a solid SEO strategy or hire an agency to do the work for them. Today, it's not so simple, and this data proves it. Social media has made it incredibly easy for users to share content (video, links and photos) with their friends and colleagues online. As a marketer, your business needs to have a presence in social media, no matter how niche your target audience may be.
Many people wondered what Google was thinking when they launched their own social media platform, Buzz, last week. Google is working hard to stay ahead of the social media traffic curve. If Buzz can be successful, it gives Google a chance to compete with Facebook and Twitter in the social traffic space. If you're an inbound marketer, this is a clear sign that waiting around is not an option anymore, your business needs to have a presence in social media.
In order to balance the traffic your site receives from Search Engines, Blogs and Social Media, marketers need to think more like publishers. Here is a four-step action plan to help you get started:
1. Protect your Brand - Even if you don't plan on leveraging social media in your marketing efforts for six months, now is the time to reserve your brand name on the major social networks. Take control of your brand name before someone else claims it.
2. Content Strategy - Do you have one? The fundamental key to a successful inbound marketing strategy is to produce compelling content on your own site first. Social media only works if you have something interesting to say. Become a thought leader in your industry, or teach your audience something new. This is the type of content that attracts visitors, builds inbound links and promotes the sharing of content online.
3. Use Your Street Team - Your current audience members are your best advocates. Allow them to easily share your content with their personal networks on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Make sure your blog posts can be shared via Twitter & Facebook. A few simple links and your content will begin spreading faster than you could ever email it. Interesting content is being shared every minute of the day, now is the time to join in.
4. Get Analytical - Don't be afraid to test, track and learn from your early forays into blogging or social media. Make sure you have marketing analytics in place before you begin. This will make it easier to determine who is sharing your content online, and what the outcome of that social interaction is on your business. You should also track the specific sources of your traffic. Which social media site works best for your particular audience or vertical? This data allows you to make informed decisions at a later time. Inbound marketing is constantly evolving - without data to back up your decisions, your not giving yourself a fair chance to be successful.
This article is written by Shaun Pinney, a member of our consultant team at HubSpot. Check out Shaun's Bio.
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