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In the last few years, brands have quickly gone from seeing social media as frivolous to including social media as a necessary part of any marketing and communications plan. Facebook, Twitter and other social networks hold great promise to quickly and widely spread the word for promotions, contests and sweepstakes. But while there is great promise, when it comes to promotions, many have struggled with how to go about it.
Here are 7 simple steps to launching a successful social media promotion:
1. Build a community first. Too often, companies think that if they create an exciting contest or sweepstakes, it'll "go viral" and bring them lots of Facebook fans or Twitter followers. That may happen, but you're much more likely to succeed with your social media promotion if you already have an established Facebook or Twitter and blog community.
2. Define your goalcarefully. Are you looking for increased targeted likes Website traffic? Leads? Buzz? Sales? Your goal will inform what kind of promotion...