The main goal of any online marketer is to drive more traffic to their site. The best way to do that is to optimize a website (including the process of link building) for target keywords, hence why SEO will most likely feature, as a constituent, in any suggested online marketing strategy.

Online social networks present an efficient platform for organizations to use in the spread of their marketing message. In addition, it is also a great tool for driving high visitor numbers and thousands of page views to a website.

The success of social networks marks a dynamic shift in how people are using the Internet. We’ve evolved from just searching for information to creating and participating in social spaces with other individuals through the Internet. This model is based upon the hive mentality where people identify themselves as part of a group with similar likes and interests that draw them together. This is easy to do online because the traditional communication barriers of physical locations no longer exist.

Social networks allow viral marketing and word-of-mouth marketing much easier than before. The best use out of social networks is not to make money ‘directly’ off them, but to harness their marketing potential and to use them to promote an organization – essentially it is preliminary engagement. Without question Social Networking is becoming one of the most prolific methods for organizations to talk to its customers and members.