SMO and why you should use it

I doubt any of you have heard about SMO (a.k.a. "social media optimization") but in our day and age of social media SMO is very important concept.

According to a spjnetwork.org blog, SMO is using "social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to promote content on websites, blogs or across other social media."

SMO's ancestor is SEO, "search engine optimization". Instead of promoting whole ideas SEO uses words to promote material via search engines.

SEO is the old way but now we have SMO and it's looking like that's the way to go.

SMO uses the idea that ideas are more important than just single words. People with the same interests will spread those ideas to people they know.

You've probably never heard of him before but Rohit Bhargava is an important man.

Why you may ask? Well, Bhargava coined the term SMO and came up with a five point guide to increasing one's "virtual visibility" better known as your "brand".

However, his five point guide has been added to and is now an eleven point guide to branding yourself.

1. Link - Add links to everything you can when you blog.

2. Tag and bookmark - We all have the option here on blogger and on other sites like YouTube to add tags. Do it. Tagging makes you more visible in search engines, which points people in your direction and therefore increases your brand.

3. Make your content portable - This sounds a little confusing but simply having video, audio and PDF files that people can use will in the end bring more readers back to you.

4. Encourage mashups- A mashup often combines video, audio and mapping elements from various places to create something new.

5. Become a user resource- Post interesting information that people will want to read. Do this and you can make part-time viewers into full-time viewers.

6. Reward users - Give credit to those who deserve it. This not only builds their credibility but also builds yours as well.

7. Participate - Get involved in online conversations and forums.

8. Target your audience - Find your niche and stick to it.

9. Be original - Don't say what everyone one else is saying. Make it your own, use something new.

10. Be honest - This is simple enough, be truthful, honest, trustworthy, however you want to put it.

11. Be thinking in the SMO mindset 24/7 - Everything you've just read should be on your mind all the time. Use it to plan and organize.

We've been learning about branding ourselves a lot lately and I feel this is just more advice to help everyone out. Now get out there and make a name for yourself.