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As my latest project continues to take shape, I have noticed that social media, as a product, is a tough one to sell.
Most businesses unwittingly trapped in the old school of marketing feel that a web site is a necessary evil, not something that could (and will) radically change their marketing strategy.
So while putting together the website, it became clear that in addition to mapping out the many advantages of teaming up with someone with my background, I also needed to bridge the gap between perceived advantages and real ones - hence this series of sub-pages I’m publishing here.
I have deliberately kept them simple - a way of taking the first step over what I have come to accept as a very long bridge.
Paid Vs. Organic Search
To many, Google and the many other search engines out there are a mystery. “Ranking high” or appearing on the first page is considered something you have to pay Google for.
Anyone who works in social media will tell you the same thing: you will never build a brand by paying for an advertisement on Google. That serves another purpose entirely. Brands are built on the actions they take and values they embrace, and that takes a lot of commitment.
Search engines in brief
Google and its many competitors aim to deliver results that are as close as possible to what the person searching actually wants and “ranks” the pages it displays in the search results based on relevance to the search. Consequently, the more “relevant” the page, the higher the ranking for that particular search.
Relevance isn’t just a marketing ploy – it means having a profound understanding of context, popularity, authority and reputation. It means playing a meaningful role to committed consumers who give their attention to your brand because of its relevance to them.
If your site provides regular, relevant, informative and above all authoritative content, then Google and the other search engines will “rank” your site accordingly and send you a lot more visitors over time.
Of course SEO (Search Engine Optimization) techniques like, keyword research, link building and seeding are still an important part of any online media strategy but relevance to your customers and their ever-changing needs is what’ll get you on the first page.
