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One of the most interesting social media 2011 predictions I read recently states that social media will lose its new discovery seat and will become a marketing fact for any business. In other words, the issue is no longer whether to incorporate social media in your overall marketing and/or branding strategy; it's how you can do it optimally and intelligently. After careful consideration of the latest social media trends, we realized that the secret to social branding success in 2011 lies in 3 keywords:

"Listen", "Partner" and "Innovate"

Leverage social media to listen to your customers and prospects on a deeper level and get a crystal clear sense of what they are hungry for. Then, address your brand as the answer to their prayers. It boggles my mind how many businesses are still using social media exclusively for broadcasting purposes! How about effective listening for a change?
Treat your customers as you would treat your partners and in essence, your customers are your partners to success. If you offer them what they are looking for, both of you will be happy at the end of the day. To ensure you give them exactly what they need, actively engage them in the product creation process and let them know you did. Take advantage of great sites such as Twitter and LinkedIn to spark new products ideas and conduct all kinds of polls and surveys. And hey, make it fun!
Innovate! The rules of the marketing game have changed forever and if you are not going to adapt and learn the ropes, others will! The more innovative you get with your branding tactics, the better results you will achieve.
For example, since all seasoned social marketers seem to agree that Facebook will stay the social media king of 2011, I would say that creating a killer Facebook page for your business should be out of the question! And by killer, I mean a page that encourages fans to spread the word about your brand by leveraging Facebook's endless viral marketing tools. A good Facebook page should also act as a storefront and customer support desk.

If unsure how to do it right, check the pages of some big players for a healthy dose of inspiration. However, don't take the easy route of copycatting others! Brand authenticity is essential to your social branding success. The bottom line is that investing time and money in revamping your Facebook page as well as your overall social presence is a wise move to make this year. In fact, it's a no brainer!

Out of the endless small business rewards of social media, savvy "SMMers" agree that branding is the greatest business reward of effective social presence. Make 2011 the year to learn how to listen, partner and innovate if you are serious about taking your corporate branding to the next level. Wishing you a happy, thriving and prosperous year.

Aaron Eden, founder and the brains behind Garious http://www.ppmpromos.com/ has spent over 15 years in the quest for the holy grail of business innovation. His passion for discovery has brought him on the path of entrepreneurship, constantly learning by founding over ten small businesses in the information technology, real estate, online continuing education, family entertainment, and business consulting industries. "Social Media is my Mantra and I love to keep everything... drop-dead simple!"