The definitions of words are important. The tell us the boundaries of our ideas and actions--where things start and end in the world.
Here's a definition I'd like to share with you for "social media optimization". (And if you find yourself yawning and going a bit mentally blank READ ON. That's what happens when you go past a word or symbol you don't fully understand.)
Definition: Social media optimization is the process of improving the volume and quality of conversations about your brand or website by distributing content to social networks. It's also about making it easy for people to share your content with others around the web, for example, helping your readers share your post with their Facebook network by simply clicking a link on your blog. -Typepad (the company that hosts my blog)
As you can see there are two things happening here: increasing conversations about your brand and making it easier for people to do the same by helping them spread your good word.
Of course, if you don't have much in the way of "good words" going out about your or your brand, it's going to be kind of hard for others to spread them in this Sharing Revolution we are experiencing right now. So first step is, jack yourself and your company brand into all the chatting that's going on out there. Start some conversations if there aren't enough of them happening already.
This might mean you have to take a step back and formulate a message that's worth talking about. And that's important too. It might take some huddling and whiteboarding and whatnot. Just because it's easy to spread ideas now doesn't mean you don't have to be deliberate about the ideas themselves.
If you are a dentist, maybe that message is the virtue of brushing or how much $ we can all save by flossing regularly. Or if you're a holistic dentist, it's about how you can help your entire body by taking care of your teeth.
From there you have a million possibilities for quality conversations that can be had about your message. If you take the time to start and/or have them, you may as well have them on the web where others can share them easily with others providing, of course, you've taken some simple steps to optimize your social media portfolio. Doing so generates a certain amount of good vibes for your brand and that increases the chances of obtaining more attention which is, of course, a prerequisite to revenue.
So there you have it, the definition for the day. Hope it's helpful!
