As the recession plods on, weary marketers are casting their eyes on social media as an inexpensive “plug in” to their marketing plans.

Twitter is all the rage. Facebook is adding thousands of fans. LinkedIn and MySpace are like old friends. There are millions of subscribers in them thar servers and marketers are gonna be darn sure they get their share.

Hold on little doggie

It’s true. Social media can be a very effective component of your overall marketing mix. But it’s not a panacea. Think of your social media profiles as a sort of virtual satellite office.

Your “headquarters” is your web site. It’s where you want to drive traffic, show them your wares, make your offers, capture their attention, and add them to your community.

The personal profiles and groups you create on places like Facebook are a distribution channel for your content that propagates from your website and related items like your blogs.

Direct marketing begins with the identification and location of your target audience. You want to deliver your message wherever they hang out, play, live, and work. Many of them are now on social media sites. That’s the reason you want to be there – because they are.

Be a good host

Of course, once your “satellite office” is open, you’ll need to “hang out a sign” and tell people you’re there. Invite them over. Serve some drinks. That’s where the real hard work comes in.

Just like on-site SEO, it takes hours and hours of tedious and focused work to make your social media effort successful in the long term. And like in real life, you need to network your way in with the cool people (at least those that are perceived as cool by your targets). Be seen in other popular groups. Participate in discussions. Show your personality. And again, invite people over.

Now do that day after day. Week after week. Month after month.

Leverage your customers, your prospect email lists, and other communities you’re involved in. Invite them to your groups.

And always have something for group members to do. Play a game. Watch a video. Go to an event.

A good host always has a plate of cookies out on the table for guests.

Social media works. It may seem less expensive on the surface than other forms of marketing communications.

But it sure ain’t cheap.

Posted by: Steve Banis