So here we are in 2010.

You have now entered the social media marketing zone.

It doesn’t seem like much now, but if you watched any of the Twilight Zone 2-day marathon the other weekend, you might realize that by this point we should have robot grandmothers, flying cars, and have no use for gold by 2061. I mean, thinking like that makes 2010 a little anti-climactic.

2010 is still kinda crazy. I think that every time I sit down to do my job.

I work in social media marketing. Which means that all those 140-character nuggets of not-so-divine wisdom on Twitter, and the Facebook format changes that people bitch about and then get used to a week later… that stuff actually matter to me. In fact, I take it pretty seriously.

The corporate world is taking social media marketing pretty seriously too. If you haven’t noticed, social media has become enough of an issue in today’s business world that 1. it is usually spelled with capital letters (ex: “Social Media”); 2. there are a ton of middle aged businessmen out there claiming to be “gurus” of Social Media; and 3. it has become absolutely essential in a lot of cases to hire people to take care of the Social Media Marketing needs of companies and clients. And to think, social media marketing is something none of us had heard of just a few years ago. It’s all a little Twilight Zone, if you ask me.

Somewhere down the line businesses realized how much time we all waste on Facebook and Twitter, and how much we all actually listen to each other, and decided to tap into that. With such an accessible avenue for anyone to say whatever-the-hell they want about a company or brand, those companies and brands have to be pretty cognizant of what-the-hell those people are saying. Power has been given back to the people.

So let’s be sure to use it. There is such a large potential audience to be reached so easily that it’s crazy not to do it. Last night Jerome Spencer, one of AltDaily’s dearest, said: “Isn’t it crazy? If you don’t like something, you write about it and they change it.” Words to live by.

So if the world is really supposed to end by 2012 (which by the way, it’s not – ask any Mayan), say what you gotta say today. Use Social Media and all its glory to its full potential. If you’re not sure how to do that yet, stay tuned – we’ll help you out.

5 Steps to Getting Started With Social Media Marketing in 2010:

Do it not like this. (Photo: jcwinnie.biz)

1. Show, Don’t Tell

When using social media marketing to promote your business or brand, it can be really easy just to throw out overly self-promotional statements via Twitter, Facebook, etc. It’s really easy, but also really counterproductive. Remember that social media is informal — it’s like communicating in person, and you’re not going to throw your business in people‘s faces in person (unless you’re a very zealous car salesman, or just annoying in general). If tweet after tweet only promotes, and doesn’t engage, people will simply just stop listening.

Instead, show us how awesome you are, figuratively and literally. Of course having confidence while remaining humble helps, but with all the technology available, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be showing physical evidence of your business’ success. Post pictures, videos, or podcasts whenever you have a reason to brag instead of simply bragging.

2. Be Likeable

A lot of people say the most important part of using Social Media is to be transparent. I disagree. Be likeable. I mean I know “they” (i.e. the “gurus” out there who love social media for social media’s sake) want you to be clear about your intentions and not be fake, but really, Ellen DeGeneres has 4,067,421 followers on Twitter because she’s just so damn likeable. Be fun, be witty, and don’t be afraid to be daring. I’m not saying you should try and please everyone or try not to be offensive. Just please try not to be boring, because… let’s be honest… nobody likes boring.

Ellen is a good social media marketing role model. (Photo: Alan Light)

3. Be Aggressive

Another popular piece of advice in the social media marketing world is that the most important part of social media is to “listen.” Not true. If you’re a small business, let’s be real, no one is talking about you online. It’s likely that no one will talk about you online unless you foster that conversation. Don’t be afraid to @reply or retweet anyone talking about a product, business, or brand similar to yours. Put yourself out there and make some contacts. Ask questions.

Whole Foods Market does this really well on Twitter. They take the time to correspond with people all across the country on simple things, like whether or not soy milk will be an okay substitute in a vegan recipe. For such a large company, they make their network feel small enough to be intimate. That’s impressive.

4. Be Generous

I said be likeable – well what do people like better than free stuff? Reward followers, fans, and/or customers for checking up on you online with coupons or chances to win free stuff. If you can’t really afford free merch at least provide something funny or maybe some helpful, relevant info. Make sure that for all the promoting you do, you have something to give back.

5. Be Yourself

There is no formula for social media marketing success. Sure, there are good strategies, but there’s no one-size-fits-all campaign. If you have a small local business, chances are you’re going to have personal relationships with some of your customers on and offline. Acting like some of the very successful national chains won’t help. Be aware of who you’re trying to reach, and how you want to be seen in their eyes: be yourself.

Now if you’ll excuse me, my robot grandma just made me a tuna fish sandwich.