Social networking is a very powerful form of advertising today. In fact, if done correctly, a social media marketing campaign can be a very powerful, effective, and inexpensive way to promote your new product, initiative, or charity. The applications for social networking is really endless.

I just saw this video about using social networking for businesses. It explains to business owners, professionals, and bloggers to get get their message out through a social media – networking strategy focusing on leveraging LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, You Tube, Flickr, and Business Blogs. There is a lot of useful information. Well worth the 5 minutes.

Social Networking Strategy For Businesses

While this is not a formal part of The Story of Social Media Marketing series I am going to be starting here in the very near future, I thought I would expand a little bit on the concept and give you a little teaser.

This entire concept came to me as I sat and watched one kid captivate many on a bus ride with a story he was telling. It gathered momentum until the entire back half of the bus was quiet and listening to what happened next.

I stated in the notice of this new series that social media marketing should be like that; a story.

Since the other day, I’ve been thinking about his non-stop and thought I would put down a six quick thoughts about how to build a story for your social media marketing plan. Again, these are just quick thoughts. Some things that I wrote down during the night. This list is not intended to be comprehensive in any way.

How To Build Story For Social Media Marketing

1. Have something to say. You would never start a story without having anything to say. You have something in mind, a happening, an event, a problem, a solution, a question; anything. As long as you start a conversation or add to one, you are beginning to build a story.

2. Have a platform to say it. When you tell a story you want it to be heard, but you also want to be seen. In the online world that means two things right now. Twitter and a blog. Your blog should be the main hub of activity while Twitter allows you to speak freely. Use them to build your own story.

3. Be a little different. It gets very bland and boring when you say the same thing as everyone else. ReTweeting on Twitter is a big thing – and you should want your stuff ReTweeted – but, make sure you also add your own voice and say something a little different from the norm.

4. Add some excitement! This is mostly for those into affiliate marketing, network marketing, and some other business where you promote another person’s product or service. Start working on something that is yours! Add a little spice to the Internet and begin promoting it with a lot of flair, fireworks, and hoopla. This might sound like hype, but you are really injecting some life into the Internet.

5. Keep the momentum going. A good story keeps people interested because the storyline continues to deliver. Once you get your social media campaign off the ground – be it through Twitter, blogging, Facebook, LinkedIn, or some other platform – then keep the momentum going. you build your brand through a series of plots, hooks, characters, and overlapping storylines.

6. Continue introducing new characters. Stories always have characters. Interesting characters that you continue to build your story upon. The characters in your story are the ones that you connect with in your social media marketing efforts. They are our friends, followers, and fans. These characters are the people you interact with while you are going through your own story. Your story then begins to overlap with their story.

Building A Story For Your Social Media Marketing

There are countless stories in circulation right now online through all the various social networking websites. Sadly a lot of these stories are going unheard because they are not being told correctly. Coming in the next few weeks is going to be something that will help you tell your story, build your brand, and see a successful return from your social networking.

I can’t wait and am very excited for what is going to happen! Do you have a story to tell right now? Drop an email to tim AT guaranteed-ads DOT com and let me know. I’ll start highlighting these stories on this site.

Have you ever thought about the power of a story?

I was sitting around listening to some kids talking yesterday and one was telling a story about his recent camping trip with his parents to a few other kids. As I listened it hit me that social media marketing is a story dressed up as marketing.

In fact, as the kid was telling his story it was becoming more and more animated, while more of the other children on the bus began to quiet down so they could listen to him. The more I watched, and listened, the more parallels I saw into social media marketing.

The Story of Social Media Marketing

Stories have an appeal that, when used correctly, can hold the attention of the masses for a long period of time. You have probably heard of Stephanie Meyers, J.K. Rowling, and Dan Brown. Even if you have never read any of their books, you would have heard of these names. They are masterful storytellers. When people read these novels they are transported to another place and time. And they can’t wait to tell others what they read.

That should be social media marketing.

Social marketing and social networking should be done in terms of a story. A story where there is a plot, cast of characters, problems, solutions, action, and even drama. A social media marketing campaign should be two things. First, social networking and marketing should be very natural in the flow of how you present yourself of your brand. Second, it should evolve and continually tell a story.

One of the best examples of this right now is a guy named Chris Brogan. Everything he does is a story. He continually evolves into something different that brings you along. You want to talk about it, and you can not wait until the next chapter.

The Story of Social Media Marketing

Over the next coming weeks I am going to be putting together a series of posts, audios, and even videos (yes, for the first time ever!) about this concept of telling a story in your social media marketing and networking. Everything from blogging, Twitter, Facebook, and any other social websites, or practices, will be covered.

I’d like to take you along with me. Actually, I’d even like you to contribute some. Do you have a story about your social networking and marketing? If so, I’d love to hear it! Fire off an email to tim AT guaranteed-ads DOT com with your story, your ups and downs, your triumphs and failures.

You’ll be hearing a lot more about this coming up soon, but in the meantime subscribe to the RSS feed so you don’t miss any of the announcements.

Other Posts Dealing With The Story of Social Media Marketing

As things get closer to the launching of Story I will be writing some posts that deal with this topic. You can check them out here as they are listed.

How To Build A Story For Social Media Marketing

Story of Social Media Marketing: Are You Captivating?

Before there was MySpace or Facebook there was social media. It wasn’t exactly called social media, but the concept was there.

Blogging.

Blogging can be called social media, or social networking, because it enables the owner of the blog to do a few things. Connect with readers in a more personal way, socialize through blog networks, and even meet other bloggers at blogging type events. Blogging was social media before social media became cool.

Blogging as Social Media Networking

Social media networking is usually connected with websites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or MySpace. Websites, like blogs, are not usually counted among the social aspect. However, as I just said there are some social networking aspects to blogs.

Community. I feel the biggest idea, or principle, that has come out of all the new social media marketing stuff is the idea that community is powerful. When you can align yourself with a wide circle of “friends”, and engage in meaningful, and beneficial, conversations with them you are building a community. This community helps you in several ways.

Marketing your products and services through word of mouth by your blogs readers.

Link back to your website, blog, or landing pages from your communities blogs.

Free traffic by leaving comments on blogs you frequent.

Added income by selling your services and products from other bloggers recommendations.

Priceless exposure of your brand.

Friendships that transcend distance.

Mutual Help. It’s amazing the people you can come into contact with through websites like Facebook or Twitter. I’ve met literally hundreds of people who do the type of things that I need help with. When I have a question, need work done, or have a client who needs help… I know who to go to.

Blogging does the same thing. Through comments left on your blog you can begin visiting other websites and, as an added benefit, begin building your online rolodex of other service providers. Through comments left on my blogs I have also met up with people who I can recommend or use myself for other projects. Likewise, once a relationship is started and you are connecting, they will also come to you when they need something or need a product to recommend.

People Contact. One of the things about online marketing is that it can become a very solitary, lonely existence. You get up in the morning (or afternoon depending on what time you got to bed the night before) and sit at the computer for a day of keeping up with newsworthy items to blog about. The comments that are left, and the interaction that develops from it, creates a way for human (kind of) contact. While it may be through email, IM, or Skype at first, it can turn into great relationships with meetups at events and other gatherings.

Wide Variety For Stimulation. Blogs bring stimulation of the mind. And the immense variety of blogs contributes a great deal to that stimulation. My Google Reader is full of blogs that cover everything from sports, news, homeschooling, movies, bodybuilding, blogging, and social media. There are currently over 800 RSS feeds that I keep track of and I am adding new ones all the time. I don’t necessarily read each entry ( I hit the “Mark All As Read” button a lot), but I do try to spend time through the day skimming headlines. This helps kick the brain cells in gear and helps me with topics and newsworthy items.

Social Media With Blogging

The two go hand in hand.

Social media needs a central hub. A base of operations so to speak. A place where everything comes together for an ends to the time spent with social networking. A blog, or blogs, is the perfect place.

Perfect place for people to know who the heck you are. Your About Me page is a great place where people who want to know more about you can do so with a little more information than a little blurb in a bio or profile.

Use that page as the basis for entry into your social media activities.

Perfect place to establish reputation. When people “friend” or “follow” you they will want to know more about what you do, or what you can do. Where can they find that out? Your blog.

What will usually happen is that the new friend will read through your posts, get to know who you are, and feel comfortable with you and your networking.

Perfect place for listing all your social networks. You can pretty much list a lot of your social networks in several places. Sites like FriendFeed, SocialMedian, and SecondBrain allow you to do that. But, a blog allows you to be able to put all your social networking activity in once place where people can see every place they can connect with you without having to search several different sites.

How does your blog fit into your social media activities?

What do you think? How does your blog fit into your social media activities? How do you use the two in your marketing efforts? Leave a comment below and lets get the conversation started.