| Why should I care about Social Media
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| | Using unsavory SMO techniques is the Web
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| Optimization?
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| | 2.0 equivalent to spam. Unfortunately,
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| You should care about Social Media
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| | we're all far too familiar with spam.
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| Optimization (SMO), because you care
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| | Unsolicited bulk messaging and link heavy
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| about your company's image. There's an
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| | advertisements instead of useful comments
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| old saying that goes something like, "A
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| | are two of the more prevalent methods of
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| happy customer will tell one other person
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| | Social Media spamming. However, Social
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| about his good experience. A disgruntled
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| | Media spamming is even more atrocious
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| customer will tell ten people about his
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| | than email spam, because the offending
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| bad experience." Good or bad, that's
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| | text is visible to everyone on the site.
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| powerful marketing. Social Media
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| | It doesn't hide in your inbox, so it can
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| Optimization gives you the power to take
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| | really dilute the appeal of the site.
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| an active role in managing your brand by
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| | Your kindergarten teacher was on the
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| interacting with your current and
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| | right track. If you don't have something
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| potential clients by discussing your
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| | relevant to say, don't say anything at
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| products, their comments and concerns and
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| | all.
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| continually promoting your brand.
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| | Is SMO right for my firm?
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| Social Media Optimization Defined
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| | There are many different types of Social
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| In its most basic form, Social media
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| | Media sites currently available. To put
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| optimization ( is any method used to
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| | it in perspective, think about all the
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| raise your website's online visibility
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| | different interests you have in life.
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| through meaningful communication. SMO
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| | Now, consider the possibility that
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| opens a dialogue between you and your
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| | there's at least one Social Media site
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| clients, using the power of popular
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| | for each of your interests. Of course,
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| opinion to fuel your marketing campaign.
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| | you're not the only person on the
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| The open format strengthens your search
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| | Internet, so it's a safe bet there are
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| engine optimization efforts by fostering
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| | literally millions of sites dedicated to
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| a mutual connection with your clients
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| | countless interests around the world.
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| through the myriad of online communities,
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| | Believe it or not, there's a group out
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| also called social media sites. Current
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| | there looking for your company, product
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| examples of SMO include:
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| | or service. You just have to make it
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| Â- Creating profiles in social media
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| | available. Therefore, understanding how
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| communities such as MySpace, Facebook,
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| | to submit to and maintain your content on
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| and VIRB.
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| | each community is absolutely crucial when
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| Â- Participating in and/or creating
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| | developing a successful SMO strategy.
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| blogs.
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| | A few examples of the different Social
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| Â- Disseminating your blogs or articles
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| | Media genres include:
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| using RSS feeds.
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| | Â- News - These sites allow users to
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| Â- Creating and sharing content through
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| | submit news articles. Once an article is
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| community based sites like Flickr,
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| | published, users can submit their
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| YouTube, and more.
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| | comments and vote to promote the story
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| Not to incorporate unnecessary buzz
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| | and/or author.
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| words, but SMO is a very Web 2.0 approach
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| | Examples include: Digg, Propeller,
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| to Search Engine Optimization. Of course,
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| | Newsvine
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| Web 2.0 merely refers to the perceived
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| | Â- Media - These sites allow users to
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| second generation of Web-based
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| | upload and share a variety of different
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| communities and hosted services - the
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| | media files. The overwhelming majority of
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| social-networking sites, wikis and
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| | these sites are dedicated mainly to photo
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| folksonomies, which facilitate
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| | and video files.
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| collaboration and sharing between users.
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| | Examples include: YouTube, Flickr
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| SMO allows you to become an active member
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| | Â- Wiki - These sites allow users to add
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| of your online community, quite an
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| | and edit informational articles as
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| important aspect of marketing your brand.
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| | determined by the individual users.
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| Through participation, you establish
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| | Examples include: Wikipedia, WikiHow,
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| yourself or your company as an industry
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| | Million Dollar Wiki
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| leader and increase your online
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| | Â- Networking - These sites allow users
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| visibility.
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| | to create profiles and network with
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| As you can imagine, Social Media
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| | others according to similar traits,
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| Optimization is most effective when the
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| | tastes, and interests.
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| viral nature of the technique and its
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| | Examples include: MySpace, Facebook, Virb
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| communities are utilized in a positive
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| | Â- Bookmarking - These sites allow users
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| manner. Creating legitimate content,
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| | to compile public bookmark collections of
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| building relationships and instilling
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| | sites they find interesting, informative,
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| trust in your community is the very
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| | or helpful. The more a site is
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| backbone of SMO. You may initiate the
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| | bookmarked, the hgher the ranking.
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| process, but effective SMO will take on a
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| | Examples include: Stumble Upon,
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| life all its own. A true forum is bred
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| | Technorat, Del.icio.us
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| through the act of continual
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| | When executed properly, Social Media
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| communication between your company and
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| | Optimization can be quite a beneficial
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| your online audience.
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| | marketing tool. However, SMO may simply
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| Of course, not everyone plays by the
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| | not be the right fit for your
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| rules. In every aspect of life, you will
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| | organization. Some questions you might
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| find those who would cheat the system to
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| | like to consider before launching your
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| receive short term gains. Like most
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| | SMO campaign are:
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| schemes, the underbelly of SMO may seem
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| | Â- Most SMO sites share very specific
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| attractive to anyone looking for a quick
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| | information. Would your products benefit
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| fix, but don't make that mistake. Just as
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| | from this type of content specific
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| it's true with SEO, erroneous SMO will
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| | market?
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| backfire. Using questionable techniques
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| | Â- The audience for most Social Media
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| will very likely yield the exact opposite
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| | sites is more of a young, tech savvy
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| results you were hoping to see.
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| | group. Would your company, product or
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| SMO Etiquette
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| | service appeal to their fickle nature?
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| Legitimate SMO techniques are centered on
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| | Â- Does your web site contain a blog, or
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| sharing information and exposing your
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| | similar media outlet, you can regularly
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| community to your interests. As such, you
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| | update with relevant content?
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| want to focus on promoting proper SMO
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| | Â- Given the fact that community based
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| etiquette. The MySpace super friend, the
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| | sites focus on individual profiles and
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| guy or gal who adds anyone and everyone,
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| | commentary, are you comfortable with
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| would be a good example of improper
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| | developing unique profiles across
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| Social Media Optimization. The whole
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| | multiple sites?
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| concept behind Social Media is to create
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| | In summary
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| a community with similar interests for
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| | Social Media Optimization has become a
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| meaningful discussion and let the power
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| | successful marketing tool for one simple
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| of popular opinion increase your online
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| | reason. It works. The gap between old
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| visibility. Of course, you may belong to
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| | media and new has gotten smaller and
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| several different communities and you may
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| | smaller with the majority of the
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| even have some of the same friends in
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| | prominent television and print media
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| those different communities. That's
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| | outlets finally embracing the Internet by
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| perfectly fine. The idea is to remain
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| | launching sites of their own. The
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| active in your communities by adding
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| | different Social Media sites, like
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| friends and contributing relevant
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| | MySpace and Facebook, have exploded with
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| content. Adding friends in bulk, for no
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| | profiles for everything from 8th graders
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| reason, is no way to optimize.
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| | discussing their favorite bands to full
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| Communal sites like MySpace and Facebook,
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| | scale ad campaigns for Blockbuster
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| or even YouTube and Flickr to some
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| | movies.
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| extent, are indeed popularity contests.
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| | If done correctly, SMO can expose your
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| However, simply trying to catalog massive
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| | brand to markets you never thought
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| amounts of unrelated, uninterested
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| | possible. Whether it's used alone to
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| "friends" is totally counterproductive.
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| | drive a campaign or in conjunction with
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| Let the high school kids worry about
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| | your current interactive marketing
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| who's got the most friends. For the
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| | strategy, Social Media Optimization
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| purpose of SMO, you should concern
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| | offers you a significant advantage.
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| yourself with quality, not quantity.
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