Modern businesses today require S.A.M. to be effective in the marketplace. SAM refers to Strategic planning, Authorship and Mechanics which form a 3-part process in optimizing online social networking and marketing activities. It is crucial to engage online social networking sites by businesses today to enjoy a larger scope of targeted audience to promote the company?s offerings of products and services.
New tools in town
Advanced technologies, today bring about new marketing tools that can be incorporated into online social networking activities via social media marketing to promote products and services effectively and efficiently. These marketing related tools are very effective in enhancing the company image and market presence quickly and efficiently without much risk or cost.
Consumers benefit much from this new marketing approach where there is a direct interaction with the company to secure the latest marketing promotions at lower prices for more savings. However, smart online marketing on social media sites can be further enhanced using SAM. This simple 3-part optimization process on social networks marketing offers better time management and greater effects that bring in the desired results.
Social media marketing can offer a host of benefits to the company engaging its strategies via exciting and new online marketing features that work. The 3 steps involved allow the online marketer to be in full control over the required communications with customers or potential leads that would grow the business over a shorter period of time. A larger ROI is expected when the company employs SAM effectively and efficiently.
Step 1 ? Strategic planning
The first step of SAM is strategic planning where an effective social media marketing campaign is required to be identified and well planned out before implementation to reap the benefits for any business. The marketing plan must encompass aspects of marketing, public relations and advertising that would be cost effective with desired results.
A good social media strategic marketing plan can encompass large portions of conventional marketing activities with modern tools and resources. It is possible to micro-manage every aspect of the marketing plan from development to deployment. Professional strategic planning of a cost effective social media marketing solution can be handled by expert consultants in the market who have the experience, skills and tools to shorten the process for the desired results.
Step 2 ? Authorship
Authorship is the next phase of the SAM process where credit is awarded to the company exercising the social media marketing plan. Consumers may want to choose an active participation in exciting and profitable online social networking activities if the authors are authentic and interesting. Although professional writers are easily available for hire in many industries for any company, many consumers prefer to interact personally with the business owner or management to relate to the business or personality.
A deeper relationship is fostered when there is a direct interaction between the parties instead of using professional writers which many celebrities engage for lack of time and skills. Ghostwriters may be professional writers with the best of writing skills and flair to pen the right words on social media postings, but authentic authorship draws more fans to a blog which many celebrities and business owners have discovered. Greater fan loyalty is generated with higher sales opportunities through authentic authorship.
Business owners or webmasters can blog or author unique and interesting articles that promote their products and services subtly with professionalism over time to draw more interest to the business website. Their market expertise in blog entries and forum participation can impress many web consumers to respond favorably towards the company site.
Step 3 – Mechanics
The third part of SAM is the mechanics of posting on social networks; this includes blog entries, articles, tweets and replies to the social media sites generated. Time may be required to execute this phase of SAM to ensure a constant update that would keep the fan list growing. A well mapped out mechanics blueprint or schedule helps the company to be more effective and fruitful in attaining its marketing objectives readily with more time on hand for other business goals and activities.
Implementation and Results
Once S.A.M. is put in place, the process can be rather smooth to watch the results come about in due time. The strategic planning phase may be time consuming for non-experienced executives in such exercises, but a proper workout would benefit the company at the end of the day when the right business requirements are clearly identified. The marketing strategy or plan must be well identified with details for a clear implementation upon approval. Re-evaluations of this marketing plan are required on a monthly basis to re-focus on business priorities and objectives for growth and expansion. Re-defining the strategic plan needs to happen as there would be profile changes, recruitment updates and promotions of products and services to be activated at different seasons.
With a clear marketing plan in place, it is important to have the right owners undertaking this plan from development to deployment; from implementation to results. There is no stopping once the plan is activated to reap the fruits of the labor in due time. The author of articles must generate interesting and relevant content of high quality to meet the high demands of modern consumers plying popular social media sites. Comments and feedback or queries may be posted with a prompt reply expected to resolve the issue.
Prompt responses help the author establish strong relations and good rapport with the market consumers who can be easily transformed into loyal fans and customers. These are great opportunities for the company to win the hearts of fans and readers who have wide networks of contacts that feed the potential leads listing of the company. The business benefits greatly with free advertising when fans and satisfied customers take it upon themselves to promote the company and its offerings.
The mechanics of the well designed social media marketing plan are necessary to ensure a constant posting of relevant and useful materials onto the networks that would be sought after by top search engines to draw in more web traffic.
