What Is SMO?

SMO is an abbreviation of social media optimization, meaning internal optimization of a website, online store, portal. What does it include? This is working with content, interface and usability, changing the design. For what? The main thing is to establish the relationship of the resource with social networks “on the remote”, that is, without being included in the network itself. The second is to increase the socialization of the site and make it user-friendly.

SMO marketing implies activities aimed at attracting targeted traffic, usually from social networks. This is done through such tools as unique content, adjusting the interface to social networks.

For example, using widgets on the site, you can set the display of group members in social networks, place buttons for quick navigation. By putting the comments widget “as in VK” under the blog article, you can increase user engagement. People like to communicate online and, having seen similar functionality on the site, in 90% of cases they will leave a comment.

Social media optimization has become one of the techniques of website promotion based on social marketing. American specialists Philip Kotler and Gerald Saltman used it at first as a tool for building the image of a service, product, brand among users of social networks. Having received the result, marketers combined the principles of SEO SMO for website promotion.

What does an SMO specialist do?

The duties of the employee include attracting traffic from social networks. Keeping visitors on the site with the help of relevant, relevant, interesting content. Accordingly, the specialist solves the following tasks:

1. He writes interesting material himself or finds authors, places it in networks. The content format can be very different: text, post, video, podcasts (audio), images. All the “white” ways to stand out among competitors and make a service, product, brand recognizable used.
2. Works together with marketers, designers on the usability of the resource from the standpoint of social promotion. For example, he thinks over ways of comfortable interaction of site visitors with social networks. “Share” buttons, comment fields, and so on.
3. Analyzes metrics for attracting traffic from social networks and user involvement in the project. Thinks through a loyalty program for active participants: incentives, bonuses, special offers.

Companies, brands, online stores, services, agencies resort to the services of specialists – small and large businesses that need promotion in social networks.

A professional in SMO should have a number of skills: know the specifics of working with public sites, groups, channels; be able to find or create interesting material; be savvy in advertising and marketing; have the ability to communicate effectively.

What is the difference between SEO, SMM and SMO

The fundamental difference between SEO and SMO – that the first tool works to attract customers from the search results of Yandex and Google, and the second – from social networks. There are different approaches to optimizing the resource. There is a PS for robots, and here it is adjusted to people.

SMM (Social Media Marketing) advertises a website, product or service in social networks in various ways. Targeting, placement in public, native, viral advertising. SMO (Social Media Optimization) does not focus on all this. Its task is to optimize the site to attract more users from social networks. Everything. Direct or disguised advertising is not included in the functions of this tool.

Advantages of SMO

It is immediately clear what request the user comes from the social network for. For example, in SEO, traffic – attracted through search engines and it is not always clear what information the visitor comes for. In SMO, there are more options to specify what you want to convey to the audience.

1. Using the “share” and “leave a comment” options, visitors can post links to content in their groups and accounts. This increases engagement and attracts more loyal users. A kind of viral promotion, but without any advertising in social networks.
2. When users come to the site, they are sure that they will find the necessary information. Working on the SMO model just focused on creating useful content. So users are more willing to get involved in the project. This increases the site’s position in the search results. 
3. Traffic from SEO in most cases should be “heated up”. Since a person may not find the necessary information on request, quickly close the page. Accordingly, refusals reduce the site’s position in the PS.
4. The promotion of video content – best done with SMO tools. The involved participants will spread information through social networks faster than using other channels.

The main disadvantage of socialization in Runet is the lack of specialists. This type of marketing requires good skills from different fields, involves large amounts of work. Promotion is more expensive.

Resume

We found out that SMO promotion is the attraction, retention and establishment of connections between social network participants and a commercial site. Effective promotion, as always, is a set of methods. Therefore, use the tools of social marketing, SEO and advertising together.