The good news? The Internet is flooded with social media marketing sites. The bad news? Not all of them are equally effective — unless, of course, you know how to leverage them.
Social media sites aren’t a one-size-fits-all proposition for marketers. If you manufacture kitty litter boxes, you probably won’t drum up much business by posting on a message forum for parents of newborn babies, no matter how compelling a thread titled “Litter Boxes vs Diapers” might be.
Even after you’ve identified the right site for your product or service, it’s still crucial to find ways to make the most of the social marketing platform you’re using.
Fortunately, the Internet is full of handy resources that can provide you with tips to enhance your strategies, whether you’re using Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, YouTube or a new kid on the social networking block.
Here are six of the best social marketing blogs on the web; ones that are chock-full of information that can help you sell your brand, whether you’re marketing yo-yos, face cream, steam cleaners or software programs:
Social Media Examiner
This user-friendly site offers valuable tips for leveraging your opportunities on Facebooks, Google+, Twitter et al. Whether you’re using Facebook for contests, Twitter for quickie ads, or message forums to provide links to sites, you’ll find ways to enhance your marketing strategies. Social Media Examiner offers everything from advice on how to deal with website emergencies (such as security issues) to how to set realistic goals for your marketing campaign.
Content Marketing Institute
Content Marketing Institute may sound like a facility for higher learning, but it’s actually an invaluable collection of white papers, how-to tutorials and blog posts on successfully marketing your content — with much of the information focusing on social media sites. In addition, Content Marketing Institute offers free webinars and a year-round roster of virtual events you can attend from the comfort of your home or office.
Who’s Blogging What
Who’s Blogging What collects the most informational, imaginative social marketing posts on the web, and makes them available in one convenient site. It’s a sort of one-stop-shop where you can find all the best strategic posts from thousands of sources — and, best of all, read them for free. As with Mashable, it’s a great resource for picking up ideas and strategies.
Social Media Today
Kind of a grassroots website for social media mavens, Social Media Today posts several contributor blogs each day, written by marketing experts and strategists from around the world. You’ll find a wealth of advice, opinions and tips, as well as valuable been-there-done-that stories so that you can learn from others’ experiences.
Marketing Pilgrim
Marketing Pilgrim features the latest news, rumors and trends in Internet and social marketing, with daily blog posts written by a team of marketing experts and analysts. In addition to breaking news stories and reviews of products and online services, you’ll also find tips, infographics and helpful insider information on all aspects of social marketing.
Mashable
Mashable is a valuable informational hub that shares what’s new and buzzing in social media sites. It’s vastly entertaining to read — think of it as a People Magazine for the social media marketing crowd — but even more importantly, it can help you come up with some creative marketing ideas.
While its primary focus is trending news stories (many of them social media related), Mashable also offers insight and breaking news on the latest trends, and is a great source for content and discussion ideas for your Facebook or Google+ page.
Whether you’re new to social marketing or an experienced pro, the ever-changing metrics of the Internet compel us to constantly reinvent our strategies. By using these resources, you’ll be able to not only stay on top of the latest trends, but also glean words of wisdom from others who, like the rest of us, are winging it through cyberspace.