Leveraging Social Media for SEO – What NOT To Do!
Just the thought of “leveraging” social media for any purpose other than connecting with others may make some people see red. While social media is undoubtedly a powerful marketing tool, marketers must tread carefully when using it, as promotion is not what many founders of these sites had in mind, nor what most of their users value.
You’ve probably read similar lists of tips for the appropriate use of social media previously, but a brief refresher never hurts. Before undertaking any social media for any marketing purpose (search engine marketing or otherwise), please:
- “Lurk” in the community first — poke around, see what other people are posting, read the guidelines, and generally learn the culture as well as what’s acceptable and what’s not.
- Submit valuable, quality content. This will be the most successful in terms of attracting “buzz” and links, so it’s worth spending some time on this.
- Don’t blatangly market or sell — instead, use the social media platform to establish yourself or your company as an expert in your field, a trusted resource.
- Become a part of the community — give, don’t just take.
Yes, all this takes time, but in order to reap the benefits fully, and avoid making an embarrassing and potentially costly misstep…it’s worth it to invest the time and do it right.
