It has become a buzzword, an idea that seems to have taken over the internet world. But what exactly is social media marketing? And how can you use it to your advantage?

First of all, you need to understand what social media marketing is. It is simply using social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and others to promote your business. You can also use these sites to market your products or services, to create awareness about your company or brand, and even to gather feedback from customers.

Social media marketing can be used to improve your company's reputation, increase your brand recognition, and drive traffic to your website. If done right, you will be able to reach out to your target audience, build relationships with them, and eventually convert those people into potential clients or customers.

There are different ways to go about this process. For one thing, you can use the same strategies that you would use for any other form of marketing - like article marketing, press releases, email marketing, and so on. However, social media marketing is more interactive, more personal, and much more cost-effective. So if you want to make sure that your efforts are well spent, you should try to integrate it into your overall marketing plan.

Here are some tips to help you get started with social media marketing:

* Create a profile on one of the popular social media sites. This will allow you to connect with other users who share the same interests as yours. It will also give you a chance to interact with them, answer their questions, and show them that you care about what they have to say.

* Make sure that you use keywords that are relevant to your business. For example, if you sell digital cameras, you may want to use terms like "digital camera reviews", "digital camera buying guide", "best digital cameras", and so on.

* Post articles on your blog or website. The more informative and useful your articles are, the more likely it is that people will read them and click through to your website.

* Write and publish press releases. These are basically news items that you can write about your company or brand. They can be published in newspapers, magazines, or online publications.

* Use video marketing. Videos are becoming more and more popular on social media sites. You can use them to introduce yourself, talk about your products or services, and explain how they can benefit your target audience.

* Use social media to advertise. You can post pictures, videos, and articles on your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages. You can also send tweets, participate in forums, and use other tools to attract attention.

* Use social bookmarking sites. These include StumbleUpon, Digg, Reddit, and many others. They allow you to submit your links to other users, and they can then vote on your page. The more votes you get, the higher your page rank will be.