SMO (Social Media Optimization)

SMO is an abbreviation for social media optimization, which means internal optimization of a website, online store, portal. What does it include? This is work with content, interface and usability, design changes. For what? The main thing is to establish the relationship of the resource with social networks "at a distance", that is, without being included in the network itself. The second is to increase the socialization of the site and make it user-friendly.

SMO marketing means activities aimed at attracting targeted traffic, usually from social networks. This is done through tools such as unique content, interface adjustment for social networks.

For example, using widgets on a website, you can set the display of group members in social networks, place buttons for quick transition. By placing the “like in VK” comments widget under a blog article, you can increase user engagement. People like to communicate online and when they see similar functionality on the site, in 90% of cases they will leave a comment.

Social media optimization has become one of the techniques for website promotion based on social marketing. American specialists Philip Kotler and Gerald Zaltman initially used it as a tool for building the image of a service, product, brand among social network users. Having received the result, marketers combined the principles of SEO SMO to promote sites.

What does an SMO specialist do?

The duties of an employee include attracting traffic from social networks, keeping visitors on the site with the help of relevant, relevant, interesting content. Accordingly, the specialist solves the following tasks:

1. He writes interesting material himself or finds authors, places it on the networks. The content format can be very different: text, post, video, podcasts (audio), images. All “white” ways are used to stand out from competitors and make a service, product, brand recognizable.
2. Works together with marketers, designers on the usability of the resource from the standpoint of social promotion. For example, he thinks over ways of comfortable interaction of site visitors with social networks - share buttons, comment fields, and so on.
3. Analyzes metrics for attracting traffic from social networks and user involvement in the project. Thinks over a loyalty program for active participants: incentives, bonuses, special offers.

Companies, brands, online stores, services, agencies resort to the services of specialists - small and large businesses that need promotion in social networks.

A professional in SMO must have a number of skills: know the features of working with publics, groups, channels; be able to find or create interesting material; be savvy in advertising and marketing; have the ability to communicate effectively.

What is the difference between SEO, SMM and SMO

The fundamental difference between SEO and SMO is that the first tool works to attract target audience from Yandex and Google search results, and the second one from social networks. There are different approaches to optimizing the resource: there for PS robots, and here it is adjustment for people.

SMM (Social Media Marketing) advertises a website, product or service in social networks in various ways: targeting, public placement, native, viral advertising. SMO (Social Media Optimization) does not focus on all this - its task is to optimize the site to attract more users from social networks. All. Direct or disguised advertising is not included in the functions of this tool.

Benefits of SMO

1. It is immediately clear what request the user comes from the social network. For example, in SEO , traffic is attracted through search engines and it is not always clear what information the visitor comes for. SMO has more options to specify what you want to convey to the audience.
2. Using the "share", "leave a comment" options, visitors can post links to content in their groups, accounts - this increases engagement and attracts more loyal users. Like a viral promotion, but without any advertising in social networks.
3. Coming to the site, users are sure that they will find the necessary information. Work on the SMO model is just focused on creating useful content, so users are more willing to get involved in the project. This increases the position of the site in the search results. Traffic from SEO in most cases needs to be “warmed up”, since a person may not find the necessary information upon request, quickly close the page. Accordingly, failures reduce the position of the site in the PS.
4. Video content promotion is best done with SMO tools – engaged participants will spread the word faster through social media than through other channels.

The main disadvantage of socialization in Runet is the lack of specialists. This type of marketing requires good skills from different areas, involves large amounts of work. Promotion costs more.

How to perform SMO?

Marketers working with social networks recommend the following options for socializing a site:

• Use a variety of content. This is one of the principles of SMO - the material should be different: video, audio, text, images, interactive elements, and so on.
• Make content "tasty" and competently. Typography, readability principles, convenience, minimalism in design - all this increases the comfort of reading, which means it increases the involvement of visitors.
• SMO promotion is also optimization of the website interface. Place “share” blocks, social media buttons in prominent places on the page, link articles to each other.
• Add a form lead so that the visitor can quickly subscribe to your mailing list. Make them original and noticeable.
• Place a "leave a comment" field under each article, moderate, reduce spam manually or with plugins. Answer questions from visitors, that is, act as if you are communicating with friends or colleagues on social networks.
• Delete or archive irrelevant information, pages of little use.

Mistakes in promotion

There are a number of standard mistakes that are made when optimizing a site:

1. The topic of the community in social networks does not coincide with the direction of the business, the content on the site.
2. The same type or poorly designed content.
3. Intrusive PR, a lot of advertising.
4. Uninteresting articles with complex terminology.
5. Wrong time for publications.
6. Ignoring visitor questions.
7. Poor interaction with subscribers.
8. There are no socialization widgets on the site - buttons, group members, commenting forms.
9. Wrong choice of CA.

Summary

We found out that SMO promotion is attracting, retaining and establishing links between social network participants and a commercial site. Effective promotion, as always, is a combination of methods. Therefore, use social marketing tools, SEO and advertising together.