Digital Marketing In 2013: Social Media

By Jamie Paton

By now social media should be an integral part of your digital marketing strategy. After all, it doesn’t pay to be a wallflower. Just within the last year we witnessed the rise of Pinterest, the explosion of Instagram, and of course the increased integration of Google+ into everyday Google use.

And 2013 looks to be just as busy. Within the last two months, MySpace was relaunched after a makeover from Justin Timberlake, Facebook announced its new Graph Search, and Vine is already making a splash on the social scene.

Social Media Strategies For 2013

However, even with the emergence of new social media sites and apps, Darrah Raneri, our resident Social Media Specialist, recommends keeping an eye on Facebook. It’s easy to get excited about something new, but let’s not forget that Facebook still reigns supreme.

Wanting to know exactly why I shouldn’t take a ‘set it and forget it’ approach, I had a quick chat with Darrah about effective Facebook strategies for 2013. According to my socially-savvy colleague, these are the two biggest reasons why you should be paying attention to Facebook this year.

1. The new Graph Search. Will it stay a small-scale, efficient social-search tool for Facebook or will it morph into something bigger? Graph Search is still in beta testing right now, but it’s being touted as a ‘new and improved’ social search. Unlike Facebook’s existing search tool, Graph Search will take into account your connections, interests, location, and more to provide you with relevant and personalized results. To learn more about its capabilities and what it means for businesses, I recommend reading Darrah’s blog about Graph Search.

2. Facebook Advertising. Businesses are not reaching the broad audience they once were, thanks to a change in Facebook’s EdgeRank algorithm. With this alteration, Facebook advertising is an even more essential tool for businesses looking to actively engage with their audience. Facebook offers two advertising options: Ads and Sponsored Stories. Another way to get the most out of your Facebook Reach is to mix in text-only posts.

Of course, the best way to manage your business’s social media accounts, on any platform or website, is to take care of the basics before implementing advanced strategies. The basics include completing all relevant profile/account information, uploading a profile picture, sharing interesting and engaging content, and connecting with others (individuals, non-competing local businesses, other relevant groups or associations, and related companies).

One last piece of advice – sometimes you have to make the first move. Don’t be afraid to ask people to Like you on Facebook, Follow you on Twitter, or Connect with you on Google+.

With that said, please Like my blog post.

PCG Digital Marketing

PCG Digital Marketing is an award winning digital agency headquartered in Eatontown, NJ. We help our clients get found online through innovative search, social and online advertising campaigns. For more information, visit our company page.

     

Tags: social media, social media for business, social media in 2013