this distinction go straight to their ego. Just remember, someone one else was on top yester-
day and will be tomorrow, so treat the people around you as you would like to be treated
when you’re not the talking head of the moment.
Don’t be afraid to try new things, stay fresh: One of the greatest benefits of social media
is the ability to use your creativity to do something different. And in social-media optimiza-
tion, creativity is often rewarded with better traffic and higher interest.
Develop a social-media optimization strategy:As in SEO, you don’t want to be wan-
dering in circles as you’re trying to optimize your social-media presence. Develop a strat-
egy that keeps you on track and helps you target the social networks that are most closely
related to your topic.
Choose your social-media optimization tactics wisely:As great a marketing tool as
social media can be, it can also be the most detrimental practice you institute. If you use
the wrong tactics in a social-media forum, you can expect to find your efforts worthless.
You can also expect that it will be very hard to rebuild the trust that you destroy.
Make social media optimization part of your processes and best practices:Social-
media networks require constant participation. And as with SEO, that means ongoing
efforts — daily. Integrate your social-media optimization strategies into your daily SEO
workflow.Bhargava and the other social-media experts who put this list together are people in the front line
of SEO and SMO (social-media optimization) every day. These guidelines will help you begin your
optimization process. And if you follow them, you’ll be well on your way to gaining all the value
available from social networks and social media.But there are also other guidelines that might be helpful as you try to follow the guidelines just listed.
Some are technical in nature, and others are simply a matter of etiquette: Spend some time listening to your audience before you join the conversation. This time
allows you to gain an understanding of the language, the tone, and the expectations of
conversations.
As you begin to participate in social networks, monitor what effect your participation is
having. Watch closely at how you’re received, and track your site metrics at the same time.
Sudden jumps or dips in your metrics can point to participation that works, or doesn’t.
Use what you learn to craft your social-media optimization strategy. You have to have one.
Use the information that you gather as you’re watching and listening on a social network
to ensure that your strategy is targeted properly.
Deliver content that will add to the conversation. If it doesn’t add anything, the other par-
ticipants will roast you faster than you can burn a marshmallow at a bonfire.
Use RSS feeds to enable your content. RSS feeds will instantly update anyone who is watch-
ing your content and that’s good for you. It means that your links will spread faster than
anything else you could have done to share them.254
Part III Optimizing Search Strategies
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