What is Social Media Optimization (SMO)? Definition, Meaning and Concept
Social media optimization (SMO) is a set of strategies whose objective is to improve and increase visibility on social media through the distribution of content on them.
Social media are the platforms that allow users to share and generate content, such as social networks, web, blogs, forums, communities, among others.
History of Social Media Optimization
The term SMO (Social Media Optimization) was first used and described by Rohit Bhargava in 2006. At that time he defined the 5 rules of social media optimization.
Four years later, it published the 5 new rules of the SMO, and currently there are 16 rules that have been contributed by four other experts.
The 16 Rules of Social Media Optimization
This is an introduction to each of them.
- Create content that is shared: Before, the objective was to create good content to gain links. Today this goes further, marking with a like, for example, is one of the objectives. That is why you have to create content with one goal in mind: that it be shared.
- Ease of sharing: Web tools must be used so that the user can share each content easily and quickly with a single click.
- Reward loyalty and commitment: Now the comments generated in the articles prevail, as well as having a loyal audience that shares them.
- Help content travel: Proactively share content. You have to have a presence on YouTube, Flickr, etc., publishing content and making it easy to adapt it to other spaces.
- Promote the use of(hybrids): This means promoting content so that it can be freely used by other users, so that they can create new content. This implies allowing RSS or content inclusion systems in other environments.
- Participate: Everything is included in a social and conversational environment. You have to participate in it by responding to comments, participating in other blogs, etc.
- Useful source for users: Even if this does not involve getting sales directly, adding value is essential.
- Knowing the audience: A need common to all disciplines of digital marketing.
- Reward the most useful users: It is necessary to detect who has the most influence, who shares our content the most, etc…
- Create content: You have to create your own content and detect which one works best.
- Be authentic: To differentiate yourself, you have to bring a new color to this environment that gives value to the brand so that it positions itself in its market.
- Be humble: Even if you succeed quickly, you have to remember the beginnings and continue contributing to others.
- Try new things: Keep the proposal fresh because the Internet evolves very fast. You have to be open to trying new tools and content.
- Develop an SMO strategy: You have to plan the steps that are going to be executed.
- Choose your tactics appropriately: You have to choose the actions that add the most value.
- Make the SMO part of the best practices process: The SMO must be incorporated into the teams to learn and improve.
