Social media marketing is a process of creating relationships and is a compelling strategy that gets you links, attention, and traffic. Once you’ve determined your goals and targeted audience, how you execute your strategy makes the difference between social media success or social media flop.

Whether you are new to social online marketing or a pro, there are five simple fundamental elements of social online marketing to remember.

Listen
With the overwhelming chatter of the internet, it’s easy to get distracted but a good social media profile requests and listens to feedback. Listening to your targeted audience yields more meaningful connections in the end. Watch the chats from your ideal audience and observe what people want. Search for your subject area to see what others are saying and, above all, provide content that responds to what your targeted audience is requesting.

It’s About Community
Social Online sites are about communities. Communities thrive when they have people contributing. Contributions can be entertaining, informative, or prescriptive. Provide topics that will best serve your community and targeted audience. Strike up a conversation with the community users to network and discover common interests. While you’re networking, remember reciprocity. Take the initiative to do someone else in your network a favor but ask nothing in return. If you used someone’s services in your community, write a recommendation for their social online site. It’s a great way to nurture that relationship further.

Pay Attention to your Social Media Brand
As content is created, it is spread on these sites generating your brand’s visibility. Make sure your brand is up to par. Positively influence the way your brand is perceived by providing high-content information on your social media sites. For small business owners, make sure your picture is of you, not your logo. As the saying goes, people do business with people they know, like, and trust. Make it easy for people to contact you by including your contact information on your sites.

Systematize It
Like all other marketing, you create relationships and trust through consistent and timely information. Improve your productivity on these sites by systematizing it. Social online systems, like Social Oomph, can help you program future messaging on your sites so you stay visible. Systematize your schedule with specific times to visit these social online sites to engage in live conversations and further develop that relationship.

Keep Growing It
As people sign up for your Ezine or other stay-in-touch mediums, invite them to your other social online sites. Maximize your traffic by offering an opt-in to your Ezine on your social media pages, too. Keep your list growing through dynamic content that provides value to your readers. If you do, they will come back for more and spread the word about your information-rich topics.

With a well-defined, targeted social media marketing and execution strategy as well as additional business offerings, you will end up with new ideal clients, increased traffic, and a broader network helping you grow your business.

Author's Bio: 

Lisa Mininni is best-selling author of Me, Myself, and Why? The Secrets to Navigating Change and President of Excellerate Associates, home of the Entrepreneurial Edge System(TM). Lisa is a sought-after business coach particularly because of her unique systems approach to building a sustainable business. For free tips and techniques to growing your business, visit http://www.freebusinessplanformat.com