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Social media, blogging and article marketing offer effective ways to generate interest establish a presence for your brand and your company and create a powerful inbound marketing funnel.  As with all forms of Internet marketing, online tracking and analytics help make this type of outreach accountable.  They keep you on track, letting you know if you’re utilizing the most effective approach.  Moreso than with other types of marketing, the key to success here is relevancy.  In this case you are truly shooting for quality, not quantity.

Relevancy comes down to creating and posting effective content that your readers and customer base are interested in.  Content is king when it comes to the net.  You can’t overestimate it.  Once that most important element is in place, there are various ways to package and deliver your content.  The more organic avenues include blogging, article marketing and social networks.  The more commercial-oriented avenues include Adwords, pay for clicks, placing ads on social media sites email marketing, etc.

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, the jury is still out on the success of ads on social media sites.  There are certain risks by association that advertisers are not comfortable with.  An ad on Facebook or Twitter could be placed next to some very controversial post or image.  It is a risk the advertiser takes.  The sites themselves are developing new revenue models that are not ad-oriented.  Some offer games on their platforms, others sell customized digital items to their members, and others such as LinkedIn offer premium services for a monthly fee.  Twitter will be charging for different analytical tools.   One thing that’s clear is that the revenue model for social media sites is not yet clear at all.

But, social media sites offer outreach to a huge number of visitors, followers, friends, and potential customers.  Utilizing them is a major component of any organic inbound marketing campaign.  The organic approach is less expensive and generally offers more authenticity and relevancy, but it does take time and a well-thought-out game plan.  You need to know your target market and where they look for the type of information you’re offering.  If your approach is a combination of article marketing, social media and blogging, you need to develop a consistent, cohesive message and offer relevant content, but you also have to build relationships.

Once you have content based social media and blogging approach in place, now is the time to separate yourself from your competitors.  Add traditional public relations to the mix. Use press coverage to give you and your company the reach, validation and credibility that only media can offer you.  Turbo charge your inbound online campaign with a strong media relations campaign and watch your company grow.