SEO refers to Search Engine Optimization. It revolves around the different digital marketing strategies used to improve a piece of online content prominence and exposure on the internet. SMO stands for Social Media Optimization. It relates to all strategies used to achieve a better image and standing using social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Online marketing is all about making sure people are finding your products and interacting with your brand before that of your competitor’s. It’s basically about connecting with your customers. Today, social media has become one of the most powerful online marketing platforms.

Roughly 70% of the United States population has some form of Social Media presence. This right off the bat speaks volumes about the potential of these platforms for marketing.

By their very nature, Social Media platforms are the ideal ecosystem to nurture all those valuable elements every business should be trying to boost. Of course, we´re talking about brand awareness, projection, positive client interaction, and reputation management.

What is SMO?

SMO means shaping out, and honing around, those precepts and core objectives. Offering several great usages for social media platforms as a form of marketing which can bring a lot of value to any digital marketing campaign.

Some popular tasks often used in SMO are

Social Media Platform Assessment

In general, any of the major social media platforms out there are bound to bring something to the table. However, as far as marketing advantages go, not all platforms are created equal.

Different social media ecosystems might resonate with different types of content better. Doing a thorough assessment of their strengths, weaknesses, and how those particularities might relate to the kind of industry you are in or the type of content you want to promote, can make or break your SMO strategy.

Social Media Content Management & Production

At the end of the day, social media platforms are content distribution networks. Each one has a different flavor, follows different customs, and sticks to different trends.

Having a dedicated person (or staff team, depending on the magnitude of your SMO plan) is essential. You need people who is intimately aware of your campaign’s goals. However, they also need to have a deep understanding on how the chosen social media platform (or platforms) work. This will allow them to produce quality, relevant, and engaging content that will resonate with the audiences it is intended for.

Metrics analysis & Implementation

One of the huge advantages of using these platforms as marketing tools, is the sheer number of metrics and data you can make use of.

Some platforms (like Facebook) excel at this better than others. Fortunately, all of them have some form of metrics, trends, and user models that help you keep an ear on the ground. This way, you can recognize patterns. They can be used to further refine and improve your strategies and make them more effective.

Interconnectivity and cross-pollination

So, what is SEO bringing to the table for SMO?

SMO should not occur in a vacuum. Instead, creating positive feedback loops between your social media marketing efforts and your other digital marketing (SEO and SEM) helps potentiate the whole scheme by feeding on one another.

The ultimate goal of SMO setups is to keep people going from different instances of your content to the others. People who find you on Facebook are directed to your online store. People who see one of your PPC ads on Google might end up following you on twitter. All of this exponentially powers up your brand recognition and client engagement.