Facebook and Twitter, the two current kings of social media, offer marketers a number of opportunities but also many false hopes. As an example, Facebook garners about 200 million unique visitors per month, about half of whom use the site every day. However, the largest segment of that user community – 18-24 year-olds – is one of the most adept demographics at avoiding clicking or even looking at display ads. So regardless of how targeted Facebook ads can be, they’re generally not being viewed. Twitter, on the other hand, has a strong 18-34 and even 35-49 user base, but doesn’t really have a display ad model. (In fact, they currently don’t have any revenue generation model, yet.)

So, what options are available for marketers? Although the click-through rate is low, display ads are still a viable option on Facebook (but use the pay-per-cick model, not the impressions model). However, the real value of these two venues is in attracting followers/fans. Give people a reason to want to come to your Facebook page or to follow your Twitter brand, and you will over time build a base of either potential customers or strong idea influencers/disseminators.

Therefore, the first question marketers need to ask themselves is whether or not they have a brand, a product, and/or an idea/opinion that others would find worthy of following. Obviously, this is an area where a good marketing communications agency’s value can really shine. It’s not always obvious to the social media novice what positioning or strategy might be appealing enough to garner a following.

The next crucial area is the development of the strategy and tactics to initially get, maintain, and continually increase the follower/fan base (but more importantly, a qualified, targeted base). Social media is one of the fast growing, but also fasted evolving areas of the internet. Therefore, strategies and tactics that worked yesterday won’t necessarily work tomorrow. So it’s important to regularly be part of the online communities to see what’s happening. However, basic principles of social media, such as offering honest, interesting content while soliciting and engaging in respectful conversations, will always apply. Whatever process is used, though, this is again an area where a creative and dynamic marketing agency can truly provide value to its customers.

Next, the truly successful social media marketers understand what to do with their followers/fans. These people, in essence should become not just your best prospects, but your extended sales force, your Q&A department, your viral marketers, your customer service department, and your R&D group (idea generation), among others – but most importantly, your partners. Again, a full-service marketing communications agency should help its clients develop and execute an ongoing strategy to accomplish this.

Domus, a full service marketing communications agency has been in business for over thirteen years. In that time, using its unique business model, it has been adept and nimbly changing and adapting to marketing and social trends, while maintaining its core roots in classic marketing principles. Domus has a dynamic and growing internet marketing division, of which social media marketing is a strong focus. For more information, please visit our web site.