Networking: The Social Media Spider-Web

Social media marketing expands far beyond target based advertisements. Of course, the goal of any social media campaign is to market your product or service to a certain demographic, increase sales and not become a nuisance to the general public. But before you can actively and effectively begin to market your company to the consumer, you need to build a network, a proverbial web, to attract and catch your next paying customer.

Imagine your company’s social media campaign as a spider. You start from Point A, which is your present social media sites: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, your blog, etc., and begin to spread outwards to Point B. Creating this first connection takes time and effort, but will soon pay off. Networking is crucial in not only the increased following of your social network, but also the expansion of your brand’s name throughout the web. The more sites people see either linking to or from your social networks, the more credible you become.

Now this image may give you the heebie-jeebies because most of us hate spiders, but think of the spider webs you have seen. The largest of them amaze you. You stare in awe at this almost masterpiece of interconnecting points. The largest I’ve ever witnessed must have been 4 feet wide and maybe 5 feet tall. When I see other spider webs half the size, it just doesn’t give off the same vibe and awe.

So how do you build such a massive network? It’s isn’t easy. Forming relationships is a tedious process. Whether it is getting another company or site to link to your blog or mention you on their Facebook, they need to see that value in it. Once company XYZ mentions you, or even better, embeds a link to your site, their network will begin funneling to your sites. So from your first network connection, you have the ability to branch out and make a few more relationships.

Once you have made a connection, or a relationship with someone else’s network, it is time to move onto another area to spread your web. You have 2 options here – form a relationship within XYZ’s network, or take a different approach and branch out from your own personal networks.

Don’t be scared to market with your competitors. I wouldn’t say focus primarily on marketing to those companies, but they can offer you some valuable information, as well as networking opportunities. Being that your competitor is in the same industry as you and aiming to attract the same consumer, it is beneficial to see what they are doing or even what they are not doing. This could give you an edge when it comes to marketing your business and increasing sales. Also networking with companies and organizations that compliment your business will help your company to grow, and offer a referral type of relationship.

Once you have built and formed several relationships within your company’s network, it becomes easier and easier to form relationships outside of your network. Businesses are attracted to larger networks, as they are looking to grow as well.

We here at Progress Media Concepts understand the importance of creating a strong and well-strung web of connections. To find out more about how Progressive Media Concepts can help your social web