SEO is the new Black: Part 3 - Social Media

Other than search engines, social media sites are the 2nd most popular source of information. People will trust each other comments over your marketing slick. There a multitude of sites that will allow you to share your world with the public, but be aware, this arena is a two way street. Search engines love social media sites purely because they're constantly updated through these feedback mechanisms. Here's the run down:

1. If you have videos (no not your boring marketing tape) upload them to Youtube and watch the masses tear it up.
2. Got tons of photos from your last company party? Or organize your product images or portfolio by posting them to Flckr (Yahoo!) or Picasa (Google), or Natuba.com, and feed them back as links to your website.
   
3. Want to instantly broadcast your event? Try Qik (video phone required) or UStream
4. If you've got a event or seminar open to the public, let people join in at Meetup.com (Yahoo!)
5. A FaceBook company page lets people become fans of your company and stay up-to-date with your company's news and announcements.
6. A Twitter account can be used to have people follow your announcements and keep up with your blog. Set up an RSS feed to Twitter using Twitterfeed.com
7. MySpace pages are great ways for musicians to upload sample tracks, sell their music via digital download and start a fan base.
8. Participate in forums and contribute to knowledge bases like Wikipedia, Yahoo! Answers, or Google Base. If you're a noteworthy company, check to see if you already have a Wikipedia page. Sign your posts with a link back to your company.

The beauty of all things Web 2.0 is feedback from your audience and it keeps you and your marketing department honest by exposing yourself to people who haven't drank the Kool-Aid. Fortunately, many of these services also allow you to moderate comments. All in all, it helps to get out there and contribute to the collective knowledge base that is the internet - whether you're looking to sell something, inform, or just trying to get noticed, try these techniques, and be patient.