Would you use a product or service if someone you respected recommended it? In most business cases, personal recommendation is the source of a long-lasting relationship with the customer.

This is why social media marketing has taken the business world by storm in recent years.  It aims to open a dialogue with the customer rather than simply talking at them, which is the traditional marketing tactic.

Social media has many avenues from operating blogs, using Twitter (text-based posts of up to 148 characters), to hosting a page on one of the social media sites, Facebook or MySpace, for example.

Businesses that aim to be savvy social networkers should bear in mind social media consultant, Laurel Papworth’s five maxims for a successful social media marketing campaign.

1. Listen to what the social community is saying and doing.
2. Create some depth of content so that when people are looking, for example at your Twitter profile, they can see a connection to your blog, LinkedIn or Facebook page. You must exist elsewhere and have a voice/personality.
3. Discuss what they’re discussing. Give some help, be useful and answer questions.
4. Respectfully promote your business through competitions and activities, but don’t jump in cold. First make sure you have built the relationship by being open and helpful.
5. Measure, measure, measure. The number of followers of your Twitter account is important but you must also think of whom you’re reaching.

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