Social networks are the second biggest source of internet traffic after search engines. Social networks are the new web 2.0 platforms which people use to share information with others in their circle. Social graph of internet users is now as crucial as their login password as it connects every user with others on the internet along with his/her likes, dislikes, share of information etc. Almost every user in America has a social profile and one out of every three user on internet has a social profile. This tremendous popularity of social platforms makes them the most ideal place for brands and businesses to showcase their products.

Social media marketing is the term used to describe the advertisement model that is followed on social networks like Facebook, twitter, Myspace etc. The reason which makes social media marketing so popular is that when a user shares any information on their social circle then everyone else in that circle trusts the information. People prefer trusting what their friends and relatives share rather than trusting a brand or product. This makes social media very interesting and challenging as well.

Companies focus on building a social media marketing model that can attract the users and encourage them to share it on their social network so that it flows from one user to another. A successful campaign can generate huge response from users helping the company to better analyse the public interests. Social media marketing not only helps a company to wide user base, it also helps in creating brand awareness among people. Hugely popular social networks like Twitter, Facebook, myspace makes them the first choice of advertisers to promote their products online. The wide reach of social network and its inexpensive business model makes it the top priority for companies to promote their products on social platforms.

Companies work closely with the social platforms to understand the demographic and geographical popularity of any specific item so that they can build targeted marketing strategy. Social media marketing provide companies a direct access to the people and help them promote their brands. Facebook ‘like’ button, Twitter ‘RT’ option, ‘Digg this’ are some of the most popular ways by means of which people share information on social platforms. Companies target these primary tools to check the popularity and reach of their product or brand. The data collected from such social tools helps the companies in targeting a specific audience and location so that they can optimize their productivity. Advertisers also use some common software tools like social media monitoring, tagging, automation, analytics and reporting etc which provides them an in-depth understanding of user preferences.

Though Social media marketing is still in its early stages of development but the huge popularity and wide access of social mediums has made advertisers to take it as a serious advertising methodology.

UK Social Media & SEO Blog : The Webpresence Social Media & SEO Blog provides tips, tricks and advice for generating leads and sales online.