Using social media to help you market online
Social media
The relatively new area of social media where Twitter, Facebook and blog postings currently rule, is becoming an important aspect of marketing online.
At a basic level, social media has excellent research utility because the postings are windows into how consumers think.
You can find out what is being said on various platforms about your products, your competitors’ products, your target markets and your customers.
Types of social media and their main function
| Types of social media |
Main function and purpose |
| Blogs |
Informal communication style on a customised topic. Usually the blog owner writes a short piece on a particular subject and readers of the piece respond with comments, suggestions and questions. www.ideasculture.com/ is an example of an Australian business blog. |
| Micro blogs |
These differ from a traditional blog in that the content is typically much smaller, in both actual size and aggregate file size. A micro-blog entry could consist of a short sentence fragment, an image or embedded video. Twitter is an example of a micro-blog. This popular micro-blog is limited to 140 character updates (tweets). |
| Social Networks |
The popularity of social media platforms differs from country to country. For example, Orkut is very popular in India and Brazil.
Here are some of the better known social networks:
Facebook – The most popular and personal social networking platform.
YouTube – Allows users to post and share videos.
MySpace – Strong music sharing component but lacks detailed information to allow users to personally connect with each other.
LinkedIn – Business-oriented social networking site. Mainly used for professional networking. |
| Social Bookmarks |
Allow users to share, organise, search, and manage bookmarks of web resources. Digg.com and Delicious.com are examples. |
Internet Forum/
Message Boards |
An Internet Forum or Message Board is an online discussion site where users can interact online in the form of posted messages.
These differ from chat rooms as a posted message may need to be approved by a moderator before it becomes visible.
A single conversation is called a 'thread'. Usually you do not have to log in to read existing messages. |
| Podcasts |
Provide easily downloadable audio of speeches, talks and music. |
| Video sharing sites |
Allows a user to freely share video content. Youtube is an example of a video sharing site. |
| Photo sharing sites |
Allow a user to share photos. Flikr is an example of a photo sharing site. |
| Wiki |
Is a website that allows the easy creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser. |
Some of the best known social media
Facebook
Accessible by the general public, Facebook pages are searchable within search engines such as Google and can be seen by anyone even if they are not registered or logged into Facebook.Pages allow for applications and the opportunity to supply more in-depth information. Pages are intended for organisations, departments, and businesses to connect with users.
Twitter
Twitter is a micro-blogging service that allows users to post short messages that show up in the Twitter feeds of the people who choose to follow your account. Twitter allows only 140 characters per post, called a ‘tweet’, and spaces are counted as a character, so you need to choose your words carefully. Visit http://business.twitter.com/. This is an excellent resource to help you get the most out of Twitter.
LinkedIn Group
LinkedIn Groups is an effective tool to join existing networks or develop your own online communities of interest. Functionality within LinkedIn Groups allows Group members and Group owners to share information and communicate with group members in different ways. Groups in LinkedIn are either open or private. To join either you must have a LinkedIn profile. To join a private LinkedIn Group you will need to make a request to join the Group and the Group manager will provide you access (or not). Open Groups can be joined immediately.
The role of ‘influencers’ in social media
‘Influencers’ who regularly post content and comments play an important part in today’s social media. Active contributors, these are the people who influence a particular issue, audience, industry, or market.
‘Influencers’ can be journalists who have large audiences on-line and off-line, or subject matter experts who are often passionate and well-informed and re-post information across different social media platforms.
Noting who these 'influencers' are and developing relationships with them can provide benefits to Australian businesses.
Listening and monitoring tools for social media
Here are some free listening and monitoring tools that may help you social media efforts.
