What is 'Social Media Optimization (SMO)'
Social media optimization (SMO) is the use of social media networks to manage and grow an organization’s message and online presence. As a digital strategy, social media optimization can be used to increase awareness of new products and services, connect with customers, and ameliorate potential damaging news.
The Internet allows content to be sent out nearly instantaneously. This has given rise to marketing efforts that have relied on developing content that Internet users may pass along to friends and family. This type of social media marketing, called viral marketing, operates under the assumption that the company will achieve a broader reach by getting others to pass content along rather than relying solely on users finding the content on their own.
SMO in Practice
Messages in social media optimization can be tailored to specific groups of individuals, allowing social media managers to provide different offerings based on demographic and geographic profiles. For example, a soft drink maker may post a message about how cold a beverage is to Internet users in hot climates, while at the same time telling users in cold climates that drinking the beverage will remind them of summer.