What's changing in social media marketing. And what isn't.

Roughly 6 months ago, Twitter announced its Promoted Tweets feature. At the time, I asked why you should you care about Twitter’s Promoted Tweets, noting:

“I’m amazed that no one is talking about October 23rd, 2000…

[W]hat does any of this have to do with October 23rd, 2000? That’s the day Google – which, to that time, had built up tremendous traffic and few revenues – launched its AdWords platform, permitting businesses for the first time to advertise within its once pristine search results.

While no one, not even me, will guarantee Twitter can repeat that success, the company has demonstrated its value as a service to its users. Just like Google did. They’ve grown huge by offering consumers a great way to connect with information they care about. Just like Google did. As long as Twitter can keep the attention of its users, I suspect they’re sitting on a compelling advertising platform for your business, too. Just like Google did.”

Today, Twitter started putting Promoted Tweets in front of consumers using the HootSuite Twitter client and the company plans to roll it out to other clients in time. Now maybe these changes cause you to worry. Is it possible to keep up? Or is it possible that the changes in social media marketing aren’t that big a deal?

Both Facebook and Twitter have proven successful as a marketing channel for many businesses. But that’s been true for several years now. This is just Twitter’s latest step to improve their relevance as a marketing channel. I’m not suggesting this makes Twitter or Promoted Tweets a mature channel, one you should favor above all else.. But your marketing strategy needs to account for social as a channel.

Additionally, given the rise of mobile phones as a means to access the web, and that mobile users already use social more than email, any mobile strategy that doesn’t include social isn’t much of a strategy. Admittedly, as Mike Moran pointed out the other day, not all mobile traffic is, in fact, mobile. But the social bit is actually social.

So, what if you don’t know how to use social to market your company? Here are three great – and surprisingly resilient – places to start:

• Our regular link digest last week rounded up a number of tips on putting social to work for your business. The interview I linked to with Twitter founder Biz Stone is particularly useful.
• Mashable today offered a great piece about how to gain influence on Twitter.
• Finally, another past post took a look at how smart companies are using Twitter. While it’s from a couple of years ago, most of the tips still fit very well into a social media marketing strategy.

Social, for better or worse, is here to stay. And, yes, it’s likely to continue changing. But, if you get the basics covered and learn how to put it to work for yourself, your business should be here to stay for a while, too.

What’s working for you in your social media marketing? I’d love to hear about it. Tell me in the comments below.

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