April 9th, 2010 by Nick

It is hard to make a case for either social media optimization or search engine optimization being simple activities. If they were straightforward things firms would do them internally, industry conferences would be poorly attended and individuals would not scan the net for lists of tips. Furthermore, if they were simple activities they would swiftly become broken down into routines which could easily be performed by computers or poorly paid drudges.

The evidence suggests that social media optimization, then, is not easy. There are several reasons which explain, at least in part, why this is the case. Firstly, there is the range of social media that have emerged on the scene, all with their own formats and etiquettes. Secondly, there is the high degree of subtlety demanded when engaging in social media marketing. Thirdly, there is the need for different approaches with regard to diverse goods and services. Fourthly, there is the confusing plethora of SMO advice strewn over the net.

The first point is amply illustrated by the changes in market share of the social media and by the swift emergence of new competitors on the scene. Even relative experts have sometimes been surprised when actual campaigns have had mixed results. Lessons may have been learnt, but some of the initial SMO ventures illustrated the complexity of marketing to people who were not prepared to be marketed too.

Several types of advertising are much more subtle than people can assume. However, due to the fact that users of Twitter, for example, are often seeking interesting things to look at or read, instead of to purchase, using these means of communication to market certain goods or services can be inherently problematic. Social media marketing has to be carried out with care if it is ultimately to obtain the desired effect.

Some types of goods and services are easier to work with than others. For example, SEO firms may do better on Twitter than skip hire firms. A SEO firm could post a SEO tip every working day which could link to an appropriate blog. The blog could be situated on its site and its quality may increase the take up of its SEO services. If it wanted to make further progress it could also tweet to attract attention to its industry news pages. This kind of approach is most fruitful where a firm has high quality content to offer consumers. For instance, an online philosophical magazine could extend its audience by similar means.

There are numerous articles on SMO which can be accessed over the net. SMO gurus have their blogs and offer a multitude of tips. If some of these appear a little contradictory, crosschecking sources and logical thinking may help to sort out any discrepancies. As the net is a haven for free speech, unfortunately some of the SMO advice may not be particularly relevant or efficacious. Trawling through it, it may be difficult for inexperienced individuals to distinguish between the tips of gold and lead. To sum up, there is nothing really simple about SMO.

Link to us

If you want to link to this blog, copy and paste the following HTML code to your website.