Whether you’re a social media newbie or a semi-pro, there is a niche and opportunity for every brand on the plethora of social networking sites that are dominating the public’s attention. From ‘must-be on’s’, such as Facebook and Twitter, to the latest and greatest social shopping sites, this month’s Top Ten Tips will make sure you can blaze a productive trail in the online social sphere.

1. Set Your Goals: Setting goals ahead of time for each of the social sites you choose in is an absolute must. If you’re new on a site, focus on acquisition and filling the channel with the appropriate community. Once you’ve achieved your pre-set target, concentrate on improving engagement, awareness and advocacy.

2. There’s No Such Thing As Downtime: You have to keep your community engaged, not just reach out when you’re looking to promote something. Consumers are easily distracted. So to keep mindshare, a brand needs to act like its own biggest fan, with a clear voice and consistent interaction.

3. Be On The Ball: A recent survey showed 25% of people expect a response after Tweeting to a company – but only 9% are getting one. That means a lot of disappointed potential customers. Make sure you’re not missing out on opportunities by responding to tweets quickly. By not responding, you’re not just missing an opportunity, but setting yourself up for negative publicity.

4. Keep It Real: Yes, you’re using differing sites to promote your product, but the sites and your fans/followers aren’t there just to shop. They’re called ‘social’ sites for a reason. Be social, be entertaining, be informative and most of all, be real. Consumers respond most to brands that post lively and authentic messaging. Quite often those messages have nothing to do with their products.

5. Balance It Out: Flooding your Pinterest Board, Google Plus Presence, Facebook Wall or Twitter Feed with content for the sake of it only serves to dilute whatever message you’re attempting to put across. However, agonizing over every post or an approval process removes the sense of spontaneity, which is incredibly important in such a lightning-fast medium. Post regularly but don’t over post and mix it up. From informative tidbits, to insider company ‘gossip’ (and by that we mean gossip you want the public to know about!). From new lines, promotions and competitions to articles about how to care for pearl jewelry, make sure it’s a grab bag that’ll keep your followers hooked and coming back for more.

6. Email Marketing and Social Media: Like bread & butter, when used together they can transform a so-so campaign to a super-charged campaign. Include social icons in all email outreachs. Have an email opt-in form on your Facebook and web pages. Promote email sign-up via your social networks. Have a ‘retweet’ button in every email.

7. It Takes A Village To Raise A Social Media Success: Most companies charge one person with taking on their social media offensive, but no general can succeed without a battalion to carry out his plan of action. Make sure several team players are trained and up to date on what’s happening. If the general is sick or on vacation then the battle can’t come to a standstill. It’s an ongoing charge with no respite.

8. Make It A Multi-Channel Marketing Play: Just because social media is the zeitgeist today, this doesn’t mean you should eschew traditional media. It’s not a replacement for your traditional marketing methods, rather a complementary channel.

9. Courting Your Customers: Encourage customers to contact, review or engage with you through your social media openings. Keep in mind that this means not one outside posting should be ignored. After all, interaction requires a dialog. Even if there’s a problem, if other consumers see you responded and rectified the situation, it gives them a greater degree of faith in the service you offer and shows that you’re responsive, engaged and provide total customer care long after the final sale.

10. And the last words of wisdom: Have fun. It’s called ‘social’ for a reason. If you’re enjoying your social media engagements, so will your followers.

Plumb Club Members With Social Media Sites: (Click below to go to that members page with links to their social sites)
A. Jaffe, Benchmark Wedding Rings, Bulova Corp,Citizen Watch, Fantasy Diamond, Frederick Goldman, Honora, Imperial Pearl, Mastoloni, Ostbye, Pranda Group, Seiko Corp., Stuller, Suberi Bros, Swarovski, Tara and Sons.