For many businesses, social media has moved beyond mere buzz to become a key element of an integrated Internet marketing plan. Jim Nail, chief strategy and marketing officer at TNS Media Intelligence (tns-mi.com), says the time is now for all marketers to begin incorporating social media into their online marketing strategies. He offers these quick tips to help you tap into one of the hottest consumer marketing trends:

• Listen before you speak. The right way to engage with your audience through social media is to gather consumer insights first. Many marketers jump right into social media with mass-marketing approaches because it’s hard for them to give up control to consumers.
• Start with a good education. Educating senior managers on the value of social media is a critical first step. Some companies viewing social media as a revolutionary strategic communication opportunity are held back only by a lack of formal best practices.
• Assign a leader. To get the most out of marketing through social media, a company should have an expert on staff. But there is a lot of confusion over where that person should fit in the organization. At the very least, he or she should have access to executive leadership to share knowledge across the organization.

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