Social media marketing is a type of internet marketing that involves the promotion of a product or a company through social networking sites. The term was first used in the early 2000s. Social media marketing has become one of the most effective tools in promoting a product, a service or a company.

The effectiveness of social media marketing can be attributed to the fact that most people today spend a lot of time online. These people are not only looking for information but they also want to know how other people feel about certain products or services. They are also likely to be influenced by their friends and peers. In other words, the more popular a product is, the better its chances of being promoted.

There are different types of social media marketing. Some of them include paid advertising such as pay per click (PPC), search engine optimization (SEO) and banner ads. Others include email marketing, blogging, social bookmarking, video marketing, forum posting and viral marketing. Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages.

One of the most popular social media marketing platforms is Facebook. This social networking site has over 750 million active users. It is also the most visited website on the internet. It has an average of 1 billion page views every month.

If you want to start your own business, you should consider using social media marketing. You will need to create accounts on several social media sites like Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Google+.

You should also join forums where people discuss various products and services. You can post comments and questions about your business. Make sure you have a good profile picture and write interesting posts. Your posts will then be displayed on the top of your followers' feeds.

You can also create a blog. This is a good place to promote your business. However, it is important to keep your blog updated regularly. This will help increase traffic to your website.

It is also important to participate in discussions in social media sites. You can ask questions and answer those of your followers. This will help build trust and credibility among your customers.