The term “Social Media” has entered that rare stratosphere of fame and recognition normally reserved for rock stars and Presidents. Now, rock stars and Presidents bow to the power of social media.

But what does “social media marketing” truly mean, and how can we use it’s dominance on the world scene to grow our businesses?

Real social media marketing takes dedication

If you’re new to social media marketing you might believe that a few blog posts, daily, random status updates, and a healthy number of “followers” and “likes” are going to magically grow your business.

The truth is: this stuff takes real planning and dedication.

Serious online marketers know that in order to harness the power of social media you need to incorporate a deliberate mixture of:

• Listening to your audience
• Sharing your relevant message
• Enabling others to share your relevant message

And what do you share, and hope that others will? Content.

There is no such thing as effective social media marketing without content.

Your social media strategy originates from your solid content marketing strategy. Great content gets people to share, and that sharing widens your audience to a whole new world of potential fans, friends, and customers.

Whether you’re a large business or a lone entrepreneur, social media marketing can be the most inexpensive and powerful marketing tool in your arsenal to build the trust and authority that — in the best case — helps exponentially grow your business.