Social media marketing is basically the use of various social media sites and platforms to advertise a product or a service. These media sites include Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, etc., and many more. Though the traditional terms such as digital advertising and e-marketing are still heavily dominant in academic circles, social media marketing has become more prominent for researchers and practitioners alike. This type of marketing can be used to target specific communities, demographics, genders, age groups, geographic locations, industries, etc. A very effective way to use social media marketing techniques is to reach out to the target audience through these media sites. This way you can directly engage your target audience and build up a loyal customer base.
If you are marketing an edu site, blog, or other type of website, then you will be able to find ways of engaging your audience that will directly connect with them. Engaging your audience is not only about letting people know about your website and what it has to offer; but you also have to make them feel good about being a part of your audience. By simply providing educational or interesting information to your audience, you can get them interacting with you and want to know more. It is all about getting the “hook” and making them want to come back to your site. This is one of the key components in social media marketing.
Another advantage that small businesses and Brand owners find with the various social networking sites is that they can build their brand using the site. Brand owners can use Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to create buzz about their brand, and this buzz becomes a viral word-of-mouth campaign. Brand owners also find that social media marketing allows them to connect with their target audience and directly sell their products and services to this audience