Top Social Media Marketing leaders and influencers have layed out a 4 step plan, giving you the latest tips & tricks for your business' social media marketing strategy. In today's congested Internet environment, a business can’t survive without addressing the critical issues of online visibility and consumer interaction. No longer can an online marketing strategy be taken seriously without a solid social media presence. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Social Media Advertising are quickly evolving into one integrated tactic.

Red Frog is an online marketing firm who specializes in SEO and social media marketing services. Here, you will find answers to key questions about social media networking and an effective social media marketing plan. Lee Odden of toprankblog.com maintains that the answers lie in a better understanding of "searcher behaviors and how expectations have changed as part of the search and social networking experience."

When you consider the "shocking" amount of content being pumped out (27,000,000 pieces/day) to the ever increasing Internet world, getting found online can be a daunting task. In his Content Shock article, Mark Schaefer theorized that the web marketing world is at a point where "exponentially increasing volumes of content have surpassed our limited human capacity to consume it."

So how does a needle get found in the world wide web haystack? Set yourself apart from the crowd by following these four steps to a Social Media Marketing Strategy For Success.

#1 Identify Social Media Goals & Objectives

The SMART approach is a fantastic strategy for fundamental goal setting. This approach is laid out by making sure your goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-accountable. Without goals, a business has no compass by which to gauge its success and no way of determining the return on investment (ROI).

Set goals that go beyond "feel-good" metrics such as "likes" or "retweets." Instead, focus on superior metrics like website traffic referred and leads generated. Any organization should incorporate the strategy of retaining customers and increasing brand awareness while reducing marketing costs.

Keep it simple at first. Having an overabundance of goals may distract, which increases the risk of achieving none! Instead, choose two principal goals and two secondary goals on which to focus. With a few clear objectives, one is more able to react promptly to social media campaigns that are not meeting expectations.

#2 Focus On The Right Social Networks For Your Business

Red Frog has learned that just because a particular social network boasts of billions of users, it doesn’t necessarily mean it's the best platform for the objectives of our clients. We suggest, as an alternative to being "everything to everybody," focussing instead on social platforms that attract your target audience.

Know that each network has both strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, every social media marketer should deliberately choose the right social networks for the company. Thus avoiding the inevitable waste of time caused by being in the wrong place and marketing to the wrong buyer.

Here are some of the most widely used social networks, and resources to give you a leg up when marketing from them.

Social Media Marketing Tips

Facebook: Obviously, Facebook is a social marketing mogul that has tremendous reach to virtually all demographics. There are some correct ways to use facebook, some mythical ways to avoid, and some sophisticated ad marketing strategies that can cause you business to soar, after some required learning and testing.

Twitter: This social network is most unique, in that it has a language and style different from all other social platforms. On the other hand, Twitter has more automated 3rd party tools and analytics than other social networks as well. Twitter marketing secrets can become less mysterious with #Hashtag research tools, real-time alerts when keywords are mentioned, knowing the best times to tweet, and utilizing Twitters' advanced search capabilities.

LinkedIn: Unlike Facebook or Twitter, LinkedIn is primarily a business to business (B2B) "professional" social network. LinkedIn is all about career development, professional networking, and industry discussions. Within this community of professionals, your LinkedIn marketing efforts can significantly enhance the growth of your business. Building a solid LinkedIn profile is of utmost importance, and from there you can market your small business and establish your brand presence.

Google+: Google Plus is a free profile given to everyone who creates a Google (Gmail) account. With exceptional SEO value, the Google+ Business Page is virtually required by Google for a company to establish a significant web presence and a map location. As with LinkedIn, the optimization of the Google+ profile is paramount. Also, marketing to the Google Plus Community has dual benefits. 1) Posts can be found in search, 2) Posts bolster your brand's SEO.

Pinterest: Formatted as a digital bulletin board, Pinterest is a social network that has the potential to generate an abundant following as well as a substantial direct income. Once you understand how to build a Pinterest board and how to optimize your pins and boards, the use of Pinterest's tools will get you on your way to improving your brands' visibility and engagement.

Instagram: Since Facebook’s purchase of the image and video rich network, Instagram's growth has soared to over 300 million users, 30 billion shared photos, and an average of 70 million photos posted every day! However, there are "must do's" in this environment. Namely, always include relevant #Hashtags, use caption's to your advantage and interact with other users’ content.

See How to Create a Content Plan and Strategy Next..