Key To Success

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The way advertising is affected by the economy is actually quite obvious. We find that people are more reluctant to part with their cash and this leads us to change the ways in which we advertise. The real difference resides in the meanings inspired by our campaigns. Car advertisements through the early 2000`s were all about a wealthy escapist lifestyle; glamorous cars driven through stunning landscapes, taking on narrow turns like magic.

As the public`s consciousness has drifted towards money-saving, advertising has changed. The size of the text on car advert billboards which offers `finance options` is more prominent than ever and the messages the adverts project seem to say `be comfortable` now, instead of `be fabulous`. Money-saving websites are more popular, discounts and special offers more appealing and `cheap` is no longer a dirty word.

Why Social Media Campaigns work

Social Media Campaigns are great during a recession because they create lasting bonds with your consumers. They offer tools to create a real relationship. Social media sites allow users to communicate openly; to laugh, cry, play and bond. People will use Social Media sites when times are hard as an alternative to more expensive `bricks and mortar` forms of socialising.

Furthermore, they`ll offer you feedback on products, including endorsements and useful criticisms without even being asked. Consumers feel in a trusted environment on these sites. They feel that they can explore and share. Simply provide them with something worth sharing and you have a viral campaign, alternatively provide them with feedback and fun (such as competitions, gifts or even just acknowledgement) and you have a working Social Media Campaign.

How to plan a Social Media Campaign

Social Media Campaigns might look simple, easy and intuitive but they`re not. Here is our quick guide to planning a Successful Social Media Campaign:

1. Determine which social networks/media sites are best for you. You will submit to the different sites in staggered stages so that consumers and Google can see your `empire` grow.

2. For example you might, start with Digg and StumbleUpon. Add your content and create your pages, both sites are good for generating traffic and often show posts on the first page of Google for your search terms within 3 days of being posted.

3. A week later submit your business to 2 more media sites, in this example we`ll choose Reddit and Deli.icio.us. You`ll get a second wave of traffic from Google. Don`t forget to mention the other `places` you can be found so far.

4. For week 3 submit to the rest of the websites on your list, varying your content a little. You will then have links to your main site from many sources and you might find consumers also linking to you. You`ll lead search engines to think that there is a viral aspect to the campaign judging by how it `spreads`.

A key tip

As with any form of online marketing, a social media campaign needs to be value-driven. One of the strongest ways in which you can demonstrate value and use it to drive traffic is to solve a problem. Look for forums and blog postings asking questions in your sector. You will find that many of them are poorly answered - lots of “me too” and “lol :-)” responses but no real answers. Many of them may be “how do you…”, “I need a list of . . “, “which is the best . . .” Most people rarely look very hard. Do your research - get the books out if necessary - and create a decent and comprehensive answer on your site. Then add postings on the relevant social networks together with the blogs and forums on which you originally discovered the questions. You`ll soon find that people will `back` and link to your answer and the engines will index accordingly. If this all sounds terribly intimidating, there are specialist SMO (Social Media Optimisation) firms who can manage some — or all — of this for you.

As long as you do some research, put some effort into creating valuable material and plan ahead sufficiently, Social Media Campaigns can provide you with highly Successful Affiliate Marketing results