This article was written by Chris Tompkins

I often notice individuals jumping headfirst into online marketing, whether it be social networks, blogs, micro-blogs (like Twitter) and other online channels. The main issue with this strategy is that many times their shared communications seem canned, the tone is a bit off, the message is not cohesive and the approach, at times, can be rather aggressive.

You know who they are.  When you encounter someone like this, you say things like: “Why are you just barging into my universe?” “Stop selling to me!” “Spammer!”

It isn’t just you. A lot of people feel the same way.  And, in the online world, they shout it so everyone can hear. Loudly.

First things first: the wonderful world of online marketing is different than the wonderful world of traditional marketing. Although they have many things in common (target markets, messages, distribute collateral, market research), the approach is vastly different.

The difference is that social networks and online communications are not just pushing the message through the channel.  Instead, they are about building relationships and having conversations. Read that sentence again. Relationships and conversations.

With that in mind, here are two steps you need to follow to stay in the game. If you have been entrenched in social media marketing for quite some time, then these tips will keep you fresh. Brand new and desperate to see what everyone is talking about? These two resolutions should help you enter the online marketplace with more ease.

Step 1:  Listen, Watch and Monitor the Activity Before Joining the Discussion

The mistake many of us make is that we don’t listen before we leap. Our gut instinct is to stick to the same communication style as our email blasts, corporate website or our “business speak.”

I’m not saying its a bad way to go, but if you are going to talk that way then you better make make sure everyone else is speaking your language.

Go to sites like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook and look around. Go into the groups section on LinkedIn and Facebook and use the search function to find groups relevant to your professional interests. Look at the discussion topics, how people are conversing in each topic, and check the level of activity. Anyone providing links to video or audio? Click, watch and listen.

Also, LinkedIn and Facebook have a main micro-blog wall (they call it “Status Updates”). See how people are interacting, watch how they speak.

Twitter is more tricky; my tip is to download TweetDeck. It is a third party platform that helps you listen in a fast and efficient way. You can search for people talking about relevant topics to your business, your company and even you! Before you send out your first “tweet”, check out TweetDeck and size up the playing field.

Step 2: Plan Before You Dive

If you are going to begin engaging with the global online audience, it’s important to get your act together first. Stop and think for a minute. Would you execute a branding or PR initiative without at least a plan outline?

Sit down and identify what you want to get out of this. This can be the hardest step. Without full knowledge about what you can expect, it is hard to identify what your goals should even be. My advice is to be realistic, honest and take into consideration what the medium is all about. If you are thinking about SEO, direct response advertising or pay-per-click Google ads, then you will think in terms of hits to your online point-of-sale. The social media market has elements of this, but the purpose is to position yourself as an expert, increase visibility to you and your brand, build relationships that will in turn build your business and more.

Think about your purpose, your field of expertise and what value you can offer to others. Once you pinpoint that, you can identify the sites you want to focus on, the methods you want to employ and targets you want to hit.

Wrap it up

I really can’t stress how important it is to take the time to check out the playing field before you jump in headfirst. I think the real point here is that you wouldn’t sink $100,000 in a direct marketing initiative without making sure of the integrity of the mailing list. You would never spend $15,000 a week on an English speaking call center who is calling a Spanish speaking market.

At the end of the day it is Marketing 101. Learn where your market is, what they are saying and then plan how you are going to join the conversation. Then start talking.

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Chris is the CEO of Go! Media International, LLC – an integrated marketing firm specializing in cutting edge social media strategy and online marketing campaigns. Chris is a fundamental supporter of education in the online marketing technology sector (for companies and individuals) and speaks at national and international conferences alike. If you’d like to find out more, visit his blog or follow him on Twitter.

*Photo by Watje11

The post was written by guest blogger Erin Blakemore

Is your overloaded inbox or your inability to stop playing Mafia Wars preventing you from taking advantage of social media tools that could change the way you do business?  If you answered yes, you’re in good company.  Social media overload is more common than you think…and social media scope creep can plague even the most organized user.  If you’re ready to stop the madness, here are ten ways to put social media in its place.

• Have A Plan:  If you can’t sum up why you’re using a particular tool or what you hope to get out of it, you shouldn’t use it at all.  Step back and make a plan or you plan to fail.
• Practice Laser Focus:  Target your message to your audience.  It’ll make it easier for you to create content and have a coherent conversation.
• The Timer is Your Friend:  If you’re like me and have a lengthy, insane to-do list, try timing your social media use.  Schedule a ten-minute check-in period a few times a day, then enforce the amount of time you spend surfing, responding, and procrastinating.
• Pare It Down:  Do you really need 6,000 accounts on 22 different social media services?  Probably not.  Do a quick cost-benefit analysis and focus on the tools that connect you to your target audience and constitute a great investment of your time.  Then let the others go.
• Consider Scheduling:  If you have announcements to make or want to point others to your content, scheduling tweets, blog posts, and Facebook status updates through a service like TweetDeck could work for you…as long as you don’t let your scheduled status get in the way of real conversation or lapse into spammer mode.
• Do It In Blocks:  Do you respond to every notification as it comes in and get distracted by friend requests and incoming messages?  Don’t be afraid to put some boundaries around your social media use by blocking out time for follower-building, conversation, and maintenance.
• Go Mobile:  There’s a common misconception that investing in a smartphone to manage your social media will just end your ability to interact with other humans while overtaxing your thumbs.  Not true:  used with restraint and focus, mobile technology can definitely maximize your social media time and allow you to maintain your social media life in tiny blips instead of long chunks of time.
• Go On a Fast:  If your social media use is truly cutting into your productivity, it might be time to go on a diet of sorts.  Try cutting out all use for a week, then assess what you missed and what you didn’t.  Use what you learn to dictate what you focus your energies on in the future.
• Separate Business and Pleasure:  An “inner sanctum” approach to one social medium (usually Facebook or a blog) can reduce stress and expectations.  If you find yourself spending too much time filtering, blocking, and separating business from pleasure, it might be time to divorce your social media functions into uni-taskers that each serve a discrete function.
• Get Help:  The lightning-fast world of social media means that you could have a full-blown community on your hands within days.  If you’re having trouble managing your social media presence, get help, either internally through an assistant who understands the tools and has your trust, or externally through a reputable consultant.  The right confidant will remind you that social media is about connection, not overextension, and help you get back on track.

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Erin Blakemore is co-founder and Executive Director of VOCO Creative, a straightforward, savvy, and sustainable social media, marketing, and brand strategy firm in Boulder, Colorado. When she’s not helping companies grow their brands, she’s biting her fingernails over the October release of The Heroine’s Bookshelf, her debut book from HarperCollins. Connect with Erin on Twitter at @vococreative or @heroinebook.

*Photo by biewoef