Social Media Marketing; is a set of online marketing techniques that leverage social media. In the context of Internet marketing, Social Media refers to a collective group of web properties whose content is primarily published by users, not direct employees of the property. It’s about brands having conversations on the web.

So, if social media marketing is about “brand building” is it really effective for say…a local lawn care business or a Dentist office? The answer whether Social Media Marketing is a viable internet marketing method for local business owners lies in their “UEBM” (Unique Eccentric Business Model).

Do you sell a product or service that has a national customer base or are your products and services sold locally? The answer to those questions are the determining factor of your Unique Business Model.

And…going back to the local business model, the question arises — “should a local business use Twitter” for example in their online marketing mix?

It begs the question, “do you have a product or service which has mass appeal and are you attempting to sell it nationally or worldwide”??

If not, then I can assure you that “Twittering” as a marketing method for your local business just might be a waste of time (assuming you are NOT doing the most effective foundation building methods available such as SEO and PPC to name a few).

There are many productive internet marketing methods a local business can use to gain customers, leads, and more business — however joining the Social Media Marketing craze with no real understanding of how it can and should impact your business is an example of the reverse 80/20 rule.

For most local businesses, an improperly implemented Social Media Marketing campaign can be the 80% of marketing efforts that gives you the 20% side of results. That’s what I call a low return on investment, especially if there are other, more effective methods you are not implementing.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve realized in my own business that focusing on the 20% most effective efforts gives me 80% of the most profitable results. Knowing that Social Media Marketing is outside of the 20% most effective internet marketing methods for most local business owners is a great step toward getting your online marketing plan to take shape and avoid wasted efforts.

Where should most local business owners begin with their internet marketing plans?

#1 is a mix of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Pay Per Click advertising (PPC) – which helps develop your UEBM (Unique Eccentric Business Model) and “Keyword DNA” on the internet which is literally the foundation for all of the secondary internet marketing methods such as getting on board with the Social Media Marketing craze.

# 2 is link building, which is where Social Media Marketing can be implemented properly. And, the reason a local business should hire an internet marketing specialist is because most of the social media properties (i.e. Facebook, MySpace, etc.) don’t actually allow the proper linking methods to be effective in your link building efforts. Inbound links to your website are the virtual key to the online safe if developed and continued properly over time, but you have to begin with the end in mind to be effective knowing which properties are useful and which ones are a waste of your time.

If you’re a local business owner who’s ready to get your internet marketing machine ready for action (certainly before your competition does) then Web Market Authority can help you develop your “Online Unique Eccentric Business Model” and begin weaving your “Keyword DNA” throughout the web and your online target market. Our SEO Services are a great place to start building your internet marketing foundation today.

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Note; my reference to “Kool-Aid” is not a reference to the brand represented by Kraft Foods Company but rather the slang term as defined at Wikipedia.