The buzz surrounding Social Media Marketing would seem to suggest that it is the ideal way for any individual or business to increase their online presence.

Now, Social Media Marketing (SMM) firms are springing up like mushrooms and devotedly spreading the message of the importance of social media like Facebook and Twitter.

But is this form of marketing worth the hype? One thing is for certain; social media has now indeed become a favourite choice of platform for marketing a plethora of products and services.

But to succeed in the highly competitive SMM arena, one has to go far beyond the so-called tried and tested methods of “community engagement” to turn the marketing campaign into a success. This is where the golden rules of marketing come into play.

The unbreakable rules of social media marketing

So what are the fundamental rules that can lead to a successful SMM campaign? These are not overly complicated or time-consuming methods, but simple ways that are often ignored by marketers.

Rule 1: Content is king

Yes! Marketing on social media is unlikely to succeed by posting fluff content with little or no value. To gain attention from the audience, your content needs to be unique and through provoking.

The ideal way to engage the audience while building your brand reputation is by posting quality content on a regular basis, which is not just a collection of information from other websites.

Try to match your content to your product and your market, as this will have the most chance of being well received by your audience as well as generating revenue.

An example, this post on The Canvas Factory blog, about photographic techniques. Great match to the product and the audience, no doubt it performed well.

Rule 2: Listen more

Far too many social media marketers are involved in making posts on such a frequent basis that they forget listening to the feedback of their audience. Y

our marketing campaign will fall flat on its face if it does not aim to build a rapport with the public and fails to deliver what they want. It’s very easy to buy likes on Facebook but getting people to participate on posts or conversations is an entirely different ballpark.

Rule 3: Be genuine

You’re probably saying to yourself “what’s up with all these clichés?” but this rule is as important as any other. You would want your marketing campaign to be community driven and genuine in its approach.

What does this mean? It means you’ll have to interact with the audience as a human and not a corporate gizmo. If you truly want organic likes and followers, your marketing strategy better involve prompt replies and round-the-clock help.

A great example of failing to be genuine can be found in the ‘Fresh in Our Memories’ promotion from Woolworths on Anzac day. Huge backlash, huge miss.

Rule 4: Expand your reach

Don’t just put your all your money on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube because there are dozens of other social networking sites that you can leverage.

To make the most out of your Social Media Marketing, utilize different platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, Tumble, and others. You may be shocked when you find out how much all these lesser known social networking sites can contribute to the growth of your online presence.  You can increase your following on some social channels if you buy cheap instagram followers.

Rule 5: Give it time

If Rome wasn’t built in a day, you shouldn’t expect your brand to be known throughout the world at the same time. No, you’re not building a city but what you’re doing is going take time and effort.

An effective SMM strategy always focuses on attaining long-term results and seeks to establish a reputation by consistent service. If you can prove that your business is trustworthy, followers will automatically increase.

Final words

If you follow the five unbreakable as mentioned above with a passion and have the presence of mind to adapt to changing scenarios, it shouldn’t take you long to establish your business as a reputed online identity.