Be a User Resource – Add value to users, including outbound links to areas that could help them with their goals and purposes. Deployed corrected, even if you link to competitors you stand to gain as the communities first source of information finding. How will this help SMO? Folks will link to your social site and tag is as helpful or the ‘ultimate’ guide in that space. As this adds up, it will become more and more relevant in search engine results.
Reward Helpful and Valuable Users – Often helpful or popular users will influence your social site, devise ways to elevate them buy promoting their works on the homepage, or develop a rating system. Sometimes a quick email or note in private telling them you appreciate them can go a long way. Only do it if you are sincere. Perhaps this is not truly SMO, but it will help to keep the most valuable members of a community closer to your site.
Participate – Joining the conversation because Social Media is a two way street. By conversing with the community you are creating awareness and prolonging your buzz. You are keeping it going and this often results in a snowball effect. Participating helps your message spread further and faster.
Target Your Audience – If you don’t even know your target audience you are in trouble. There is always going to be a certain audience you can appeal to and others that you can’t. So know your appeal and who it is appealing to.
Create Content – There are certain kinds of content that just naturally spread socially. It does not matter what industry you are in and what boring products you sell, there is always some kind of content that can be created that will work. Whether it is creating widgets, making people laugh or writing a whitepaper, it can be done. Know what type of content can work for you and create it.
Try New Things – Social Media is changing and morphing by the minute, keep up on new tools, products and challenges in your social sphere.