SMO, or Social media optimization, remains a hot topic on the World Wide Web. Hiring a company like Bay Area Online Marketing to assist with your SMO tasks will enable your business to capitalize on the benefits of SMO. This is accomplished by drawing attention to your website through the use of social networking and social media websites.

What benefits can you receive from using social media optimization?

• You can generate more followers by using the “friends” and “likes” features of social media. Using social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, you decide to “follow” people, “friend” them and “like” their content. The more of these you do, the more likely you will also receive them back in return.
• Rather than simply having a presence on each of the social networking sites, it is important to link your profiles from the platforms to one another. This has the potential of multiplying your followers and friends which will increase your potential reach.
• Frequent updates are crucial, so be prepared to commit yourself to making them. You may feel like the time you spend on social media platforms is time wasted, however the opposite can be true. It is also important to maintain separation between your personal and business profiles for social media.
• The most successful social media business pages are those that are uncluttered and clean. You may be tempted to try to recreate your business website for your social media platform, but it really is not necessary. Social media is about getting the information you want your followers to know to them quickly and succinctly.
• Ask your employees to take part in and share your company social media pages. This will benefit the company because more people are sharing. It can also help the employees feel more a part of the company. You may, however, want to review their posts to ensure they are professional and appropriate comments.
• Social media platforms are the perfect place to listen to what your audience has to say. It is not uncommon for people to voice their opinions – both good and bad – about products through Facebook, Twitter or other social media. Ask a trusted employee to look for comments and then address any they find about your company’s products or services. When you respond quickly, this lets customers know you take their concerns seriously and that you want to address those concerns.

What are some social media optimization activities to avoid?

• Do not mix your personal and professional lives in social media. You may want to share information about your business with friends, a great sale that is coming up or a community outreach, for instance. However, you do not want to share personal details on your business profile unless it directly relates to business. If your friends do have business relevant comments to make it would be appropriate to add them to your company profile, otherwise ask them to keep comments to your personal profile.
• Do not allow your business profile to be a catch-all for junk. Post only those things that will add value for current or potential customers. Upcoming sales or coupons are great to post. You would also want to add information about a new product or service or to let customers know your business hours are changing.
• Do not give in too easily. It may take a while to get familiar and comfortable with social media. Stick with it. It has the potential to benefit your business website because each social media link is given weight on search engine algorithms, which can improve your website search engine rankings. If you are not comfortable posting on social sites, ask a trusted employee to take on this task.
• Do not duplicate your business website. There may be some information that will be shared on both sites, but be careful. Share similar information in a new way so that it will look fresh to readers and be valuable to them.
• Do not disregard those who “friend” or “follow” you. If a customer posts a concern or post to a comment your company has made, make it a point to respond as quickly as possible. Your quick response and resolution to a problem says volumes about how much you value your customers.
• Do not make empty promises or tell lies to make your company look better. It is vital to build trust with customers. Be sure you post only the things that you know are truthful and should be shared.

Social networking has so much potential. There is no reason your company should not take advantage of it. Bay Area Online Marketing can help you do just that. Let us help you navigate these social media optimization dos and don’ts so your company will reap the benefits.