Is social media a marketing tool?

The views on how social media should be used are wide-ranging from 'it's a social network and people don't want to be sold at' to 'it's a great way to get your marketing message out to a huge audience'.  I think both are right!

Although some social media networks are more business-oriented, such as Linked In, nobody wants to be sold at; you don't, I don't, so why would anyone else?  However, marketing is not just sales, it encompasses education, knowledge sharing, information and opportunities.

The secret is to take the time to get to know the social media platforms you use and build your network on them up. Providing good quality information in a form that is appropriate to the platform is an excellent way to develop your reputation as an expert.  Facebook is fun, personal and light-hearted, whilst Linked In is more business focused, Pinterest is highly visual and Twitter is focused on the short, highly focused bite-sized comments.

Choose your social media platforms and get to know them and the people you connect with and you'll find that most people appreciate good quality information.

Having a social media strategy regarding what you post, where, when and how often is essential and, even if you are using it for marketing it's important to interact with people.  If they comment or connect with you, respond, don't just be a broadcast-only person.

Look at the comments on your Twitter feed, Facebook wall, Linked In status update feed etc.  Be generous in retweeting, recommending, liking and generally acknowledging  content you like or have something to say about. Get involved - it need not take hours, a few minutes a couple of times a day should be enough.

When you've developed your presence people won't mind if you occasionally post special offers, teasers (find out how to ... or did you know that ...) that link back to your website.

Make sure that your short posts connect with more in-depth information on your website or blog.  Capture interested people with an offer of a free report or tips sheet and your list will grow, giving you a database to whom you can send more marketing messages.

Social media is a marketing tool, if you use it intelligently as a funnel to bring the people who have an interest in your products and services to your website.