Relatively new on the scene, Social media has quickly turned into a force too powerful to ignore. With one in ten internet visits ending up at a social network, brands have turned to Facebook, Twitter and innumerable other social networks to open up a constant dialogue with their customers about their brand. This powerful mode of communication can build customer loyalty, build your brands image, improve customer communication, and provide a platform that can quickly take all of your marketing viral.

The key to a successful social media campaign is to have a plan. Know who your audience is, and make it as simple as possible for them to communicate with you. Sounds simple? Not as easy as you might think. With so many social media networks available, it is important to target the correct network, and utilize each network correctly to maximize engagement with your audience.

Measuring the success of social media marketing is not as cut and dry as a typical direct marketing campaign. Engagement, clicks, follows, and ultimately increased web traffic and conversion are the best measures tools in which to measure how successful a social media campaign is.