Social Media Optimization

Wikipedia.org describes social media optimization as follows:

Social media optimization is a set of methods for generating publicity through social media, online communities and community websites. Methods of social media optimization include adding RSS feeds, social news buttons, blogging, and incorporating third-party community functionalities like images and videos. Social media optimization is related to search engine marketing, but differs in several ways, primarily the focus on driving traffic from sources other than search engines, though improved search ranking is also a benefit of successful social media optimization.

Social media optimization is in many ways connected as a technique to viral marketing where word of mouth is created not through friends or family but through the use of networking in social bookmarking, video and photo sharing websites. In a similar way the engagement with blogs achieves the same by sharing content through the use of RSS in the blogosphere and special blog search engines.

Social Media optimization is considered an integral part of an online reputation management (ORM) or Search Engine Reputation Management (SERM) strategy for organizations or individuals who care about their online presence.

Possible Objectives for using Social Media

1. Awareness
2. Generate feedback/comments
3. Visibility
4. Deliver a message
5. Forge a relationship with stakeholders
6. Communicate with stakeholders
7. Track visit
8. Market / Launch a product
9. Build a community

Heavily indexed by the major search engines, creating and managing Social Media accounts (including “bookmarking” sites) can drive important traffic back to your site. It is also an important component in Backlink Optimization. There are literally thousands of social media sites to choose from.

Examples of Social Bookmarking Sites are:

• Technorati
• del.icio.us
• digg
• Reddit

Examples of Video, Photo, and Music Sharing sites are:

• YouTube
• Flickr
• Last-fm

Examples of Content Sharing Sites are:

• Wikipedia
• Scribd
• Twitter
• Squidoo

Examples of blogging sites are:

• Movabletype.org
• Blogger
• Wordpress

It's important to note that, statistically, "social networkers" earn 20% more than non-social networkers and spend 25% more online compared to 17% for non-social networkers.

Why is social media optimization so important? One reason is that content found on these social media sites are heavily indexed in the major search engines so, it helps increase your ratings in the search engines. Additionally, it provides vitally important and high ranking "backlinks" to your website thereby improving your website's Google Page Rank.

Cluster Web Design offers 3 main social media packages as follows:

	The creation of accounts at twenty (20) social media sites most relevant to your industry PLUS twelve (12) bookmarking sites with monthly updates made to these accounts	$1,309.99
	The creation of accounts at four (4) social media sites most relevant to your industry PLUS six (6) bookmarking sites with monthly updates made to these accounts	$659.99
	The creation of accounts at two (2) social media sites most relevant to your industry PLUS three (3) bookmarking sites with monthly updates made to these accounts	$329.99

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