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While far from the first, MySpace was certainly one of the biggest names to revolutionize social media and change the way marketers thought about how to use this new tool. With so many platforms to choose from today and almost continual literature being produced around the idea of social media results for companies, it's impossible to ignore the power this platform has.

One recent study found 88% of companies now use social media to market their brand. Despite that high number, though, many companies will go as far as admitting they don't know how to measure social media performance and results. Some simply spray those posts against their accounts and hope something sticks.

Social media, though, isn’t a “set it and forget it” technique. Instead, it's an entirely new way to look at marketing, and you have to be ready for a long term commitment.

Why Commitment?

Wondering how the word commitment factors in? Many people start a business Twitter account, post for a month, don't see their follower numbers increasing, then walk away. If you're prepping for a marathon, though, you wouldn't simply train for a month and expect all of the results to come to you, would you?

Marathons typically take new runners three to eight months to train for, and commitment is a must. You don't run 26.2 miles on day one of your training. Instead, you work your way up, day after day, week after week, month after month, until you're ready for the big event. Similarly, to get social media results, it takes commitment. You need to slowly ramp up to meet your overall potential. How can you make a commitment that will stick? These steps can help.

1. Choose the Right Presence

Remember, unlike a marathon, social media marketing has no end. As a result, you need to choose the channels that really work for your brand. Instagram, for example, is very image oriented. If that doesn't fit your brand, you shouldn't be there just because other people are. Select your networks carefully before you make the commitment. This helps ensure you focus your efforts where you'll see social media performance results.

2. Be Social

Social media doesn't just mean you post a brief commercial for your new product line, then walk away anymore than training means buying a new pair of shoes and then never hitting the treadmill. It means engaging in a conversation. Responding to comments. Choosing posts that will be interesting to followers. If you're just a walking, talking commercial, you're not going to attract or keep followers.

3. Create a Schedule

In a marathon, you have to create a steady pace. The same is true to get results for social media marketing. You need to have a scheduled flow of content so people will tune in. If you produce too many posts, people will quickly grow sick of your content. If you don't produce enough content, they won't remember you when you do post. Keep an eye on social media performance metrics including post likes and shares to decide if you're posting enough and whether you're posting the right material.

4. Do Something Different

The best marathoners have something in common - they do something outside of the box. You can deploy the same strategy in the world of social media marketing. Maybe it's a quirky tone. Maybe it's a service through social media that no one else is offering. Be you, but do it through social media so they know your brand truly is unique.

Ready to begin the process? Let us help you make it happen, so you can get social media results that add to your bottom line.