The catchphrase social marketing is commonly used in business circles around the world and whilst it’s an old term it has a totally new meaning these days.

Back in the day the term ‘social marketing’ meant getting together at meetings and getting to know one another a little better while discussing the latest business matters. It meant hanging out with the clients at lunches that went on until evening and then, if you were getting along, it extended further.

Now it means spending hours online chasing down contacts and entertaining your followers with various post and tweets, backing up your website with a blog which you need to update daily and enhance with RSS feeds and embedded video from YouTube and that’s without writing for the necessary article campaign that must thread it all together.

There’s a lot of conflicting advice from Internet marketing experts on how to profit from the popularity of social marketing. Social marketing is about growing your business through social media sites like YouTube, Facebook.

Sоmе аdvісе ѕауѕ уоu ѕhоuld create a lаrgе numbеr оf dіffеrеnt uѕеr іdеntіtіеѕ оn mаnу ѕіtеѕ аnd thеn ѕtаrt рrоmоtіng уоur оwn ѕіtеѕ tо drіvе еxtrа trаffіс. Thе аltеrnаtіvе vіеw іѕ thаt уоu ѕhоuld ѕеlесt оnе оr twо rеlеvаnt ѕіtеѕ саrеfullу, buіldіng a реrѕоnаl рrоfіlе оn thеm and соntrіbutіng vаluе tо thе соmmunіtіеѕ bеfоrе еvеn thіnkіng аbоut mаrkеtіng аnуthіng оf уоur own.

Imаgіnе thаt уоu аrе the buѕіnеѕѕ, thе hub, рrоduсt, аnd brаnd. You probably have a website that you hope will bring you contacts and business.

Yes, your website will eventually bring you business but you need to take it to market yourself. Here’s how:

• Start a blog. Use Blogger or WordPress and simply follow the instructions, make it personal and interesting. It’s not your website. It’s about what you do from your own perspective. Research other people’s blogs and learn from them. If you don’t have the time, find a freelance article or copywriter.
• Get a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn account etc. Tweet or post a few times a day about your blog or your product and put your blog address and website in each post or tweet. Start following people who interest you and who will complement your blog
• Join and contribute to other discussion forums.
• Add every person you meet to your contact address book online and import them into Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social marketing links and ensure that they talk about you and what you offer.

No doubt either of these strategiess can be effective but there is no telling which one will work fastest.

That said if you are interested in e-commerce and social marketing check out Modere for more insights.