Social Media landscape is where marketing professionals would like to jump into, but have to essentially contemplate whether it’s a blog, or social network site or any other media or video site that the company needs to embark. Also they would not like be left alone from the social media bandwagon, as they can see their competitive peers engaged. But the inherent irony associated with it is :

1. Technology changes which need to be kept a abreast every time.
2. Viral Marketing failure vis-à-vis the success stories.
3. New Social Media sites being launched everyday and to determine the best or hot site.
4. Most importantly the metrics issues.

If these are the deterrents to your deciding, then the factors that need to be kept in check or under consideration would arise from drawing a simple synergy by assessing your buyers, your target market and the competition faced.

Firstly, you could begin with conducting a survey of your clients and gain insight to their engagement with social media the level of participation. Where is it that they would go on web to know and learn about new services and products, or what are their most frequented blogs, online associations etc. Based on which you could determine the sites which have an appeal to your clients, the frequency of conversation and the quality of posts which helps determine relevancy with relation to your business. Also it would get you first hand info about the set of clients who might be strong influencer’s or maybe just trend followers.

Secondly its imperative to know what is the competition upto. Here start off with knowing competitor activities with context to their web presence, their services or products on relevant sites. Are they on the social media vehicles like blogs, forums, networking sites and have they connected with the clients initiating them to comment. More importantly are they syndicating content to destination sites.

Once you have the information on the factors enumerated above you would have just the right market tactics to get your company strategically positioned on the social media landscape and with less likely hood of being drawn into the latest frenzy.

It is a time to adopt the following interactive channels, social media channels & Rich media channels:

Interactive Channels:
1. Mobile WAP sites
2. Mobile Text Messages
3. Branded Micro-sites
4. Contextual Targeting
5. Behavioural Targeting

Social Media Channels:
1. User generated content
2. Blogs
3. Social Networks
4. RSS feed

Rich Media Channels:
1. Ads with online video
2. Advergames
3. Video created by marketing
4. Podcasts
5. Virtual Worlds
6. In-game ads/ product placement

What promotional mix would be apt for your related services or products is a question to be pondered, nevertheless it would not be a fruitless venture to delve into and seek the answers for self. Though at this point there would be apprehensiveness to be venturing into the terrain, wherein there is essentially a void in terms of having some concrete proof in the form of case studies to avoid the ramifications which would arise in the due course due to adoption of any of the aforementioned channels.

The essential fact is customers are moving quickly and adopting the emerging channels. Blog readership is at 29% and is growing strong, podcasts usage has reached 10% in 2006, which is up from 1% in 2005. Consumers are a step ahead with creating profiles in virtual world like Second Life as well. Mobile penetration is at it high.

So the question is where to get started from when it comes to interactive media?

Well to start off, adoption of behavioral and contextual targeting would improve the responses, at lower costs. Then, get into the RSS, Blogs & Social Networks, as these channels show rapid consumer acceptance and awareness. It is pertinent to have an evaluation of these channels on case to case basis, thus enabling you to determine your next move or determine the next channel based on understanding of your audience. Also, it would be imperative to stay abreast of the latest developments given the rapidly changing nature of the emerging interactive channels. Lastly the metrics, consistent monitoring is the way to be determining the effects of emerging interactive media.

* Source – Forrester

Unlike traditional media, most of the social media is aimed at interaction between people to share their views or comments using technology, a two-way communication process and is user driven. Result, SMO becoming a pertinent to the SEO process encompassing the On-Page optimization and the Off-Page optimization exercise. On-Page optimization would include adding links to the book-marking sites and the Off-Page optimization would get article submissions into blogs, forums or niche communities (quality content is must).

It also involves the utilization of the social networking sites as a communication medium, which is an ideal way to initiate a social relation with audience or community of relevance. Communication in social networking platforms being two-way enabled process, acts as an excellent PR feedback tool for corporate, thus enhancing the social media relations (SMR) & the word of mouth (WMO) publicity. A ideal way of propagating Viral Marketing or initiating Viral Seeding.

Initially there was ambiguity over the tangible or measurable returns with SMO activity. But now, with burgeoning activities in and around SMO and with constant modifications in this sphere it is possible to have the numbers in place. Again just as in SEO, SMO is result oriented but its just a matter of hanging on there with patience and wait for it to work for you.

SMO definitely has gained a place of importance in Search Engine Marketing. Also, to an extent that it would be perhaps difficult to say whether it is a Marketing or Public Relation Tool. Well, with multi-purpose utility I would say is SMO is just like having an all-rounder in cricket.