Every now and then a news article appears, shows its ugly little face, and attempts to portray social websites as an evil, unsafe thing for children. My response? Boo! You suck!

Now that Social Media is the life of the party, everyone is flocking to social channels like white on rice. Friendships are born and maintained online, marketers are doing the digital dance, and retailers are dropping cheesy in-store displays and conventional marketing efforts in favor of brand-exposure-inducing group sales.

When it comes to Social Media Marketing (SMM) and squeezing the most out of marketing efforts, you absolutely can’t forget Search Engine Optimization (SEO). It’s imperative for Social Media Marketing companies/consultants throughout the world to gain a basic understanding of SEO best practices and integrate such into social campaigns. A social marketing campaign with no SEO is like a bike with no wheels, a website with no hosting, or an amazing meal with no fork/chopsticks.

As many of you already know, I’m a firm believer in the notion that content is king, but there’s one factor that can bring even the best article to its knees: timing.

Two questions I am consistently asked by potential clients, prior to diving into projects, include what our social marketing packages entail and what the cost is. We’re asked these on a regular basis and I feel horrible [initially] providing the disappointing news.