1. Social media strategy<br />Introduction Social media is a remarkable marketing channel now days and it’s getting even bigger. If companies are going to success in their businesses, they have to keep updated. Using social media as a marketing channel is one prerequisite to nascent business activity. Via social media, information pervades exponentially, and company can touch maximum amount of customers with not using a lot of funds in marketing. To achieve same results by using other marketing channels, will get much more expensive. Succession in social media is not just creating an account and status updating. Social media is a real marketing channel, and succession requires a real marketing strategy.<br />To start withIn a beginning you have to know how people outside the company see your brand. Sometimes it is difficult to see all the grievances from inside the company. Getting outside often opens your eyes to new possibilities. Before marketing, you have to know what customers need and what they want to know. And when you know that, you are ready to set up collaborative tools. Make sure you offer tools for your customers to share with you about your products, for example blogs, forums and online surveys.<br />Social media is alive 24/7, so you cannot get too passive. Good marketing in social media is to discuss with customers, solve problems and collect ideas to improve your products. If conversation is too passive, customers gets frustrated and your company’s image will suffer.<br />To continue withChannels like YouTube and Twitter are very popular and they have hundreds of millions of users. Post your last TV –campaigns to YouTube, or create a new campaign and post it. Many customers may google your company’s name, and if they recognize a video about your company, they will likely watch it. Twitter is a great channel to inform your upcoming events and newness. Facebook is a “feeding” channel. Updating Facebook is important, even if you don’t have anything special to say. You still have to remember that enough is enough. Nothing is more irritating than excessive status updating. You have to find the golden mean. <br />Social media can be also used in product testing. Creating restricted communities who will be able to test the product is very useful. Testing products by customers helps company to develop products. Active customers like to discuss and compare products. Share and present your products to bloggers in order to engage a viral wave. You can also blog by yourself. Engage the conversation on your blog and over the chat rooms, and post on the other blogs. Use as much channels as you can. When you share, be honest and don’t mislead customers. <br />BehavioursEmbrace transparency and don’t paste comments with fake names. Company always receives critical comments. Do not delete them. Just be honest and respond to them. Good customership needs trust from both, customer and company. Build trust and show your customers that you are really listening. <br />ToolsUse multiple tools and spread your presence. By using only one media you cannot see the effects of marketing in social media. The combination of different tools is the idea that will make you success. <br />At the beginning you see only the small changes, but be patient, the effect will be there. The strategy is powerful when customers see your engagement. One page on Facebook probably doesn’t make miracles, but combination of multiple tools might. <br />282194012700000<br />Different MediasFacebook: Create own page for your brand and feed customers<br />MySpace: Create own page for your brand and tell about it<br />LinkedIn: Create a group about company employees<br />Twitter: Create an account and share useful information and links<br />YouTube: Post videos<br />Blogs: Blog on your corporate blog, share with other bloggers<br />The most important is to follow conversations about your brand and company. Participate to conversation by replying and commenting. Respond quickly for stronger effect. Follow this strategy and see how your company takes several steps forward. <br />ReferencesDouglas Idugboe. 30.5.2011. How to develop social media strategy that works<br />http://smedio.com/2011/05/30/how-to-develop-a-social-media-marketing-strategy-that-works/<br />Lee Odden. Social media marketing – Strategy to commerce.<br />http://www.toprankblog.com/2011/01/social-media-marketing-strategy-commerce/<br />Nick Shin. 7 Steps for successful social media strategy.<br />http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/7-steps-for-a-successful-social-media-strategy/<br />