“Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn – I got this.”

Who’s really got it out there?

The guy who tweets a 100 times a day? What about the gal who posts all of her deals and specials across her social networks (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn)? Don’t the businesses who use Digg, Free Press Release sites, and Google Alerts have this thing down pat?

Business owners who have already set up accounts with these and other essential social media networks have accepted an essential marketing reality: social networking is here to stay.

So who cares about strategy?
Anyone with a pulse and a product, service, or passion to sell should care. Having these accounts can actually harm a business if:

The content goes stale – they are set up but no one uses or maintains them.
Posts aren’t relevant – links don’t lead to clicks so no one finds your main site.
People feel bombarded by your content.
You don’t know what you are talking about (i.e haven’t established yourself as a competent expert in your field).
Abuse the purpose of these sites by using them incorrectly.

A social media marketing strategist ensures that businesses large and small avoid these and other mistakes. Don’t worry if you have already made them. Rookies and experts alike make them all the time when trying to use these tools, especially in the beginning.

Don’t give up because of a bad start!

You are an expert in ‘your passion,’ a strategist is an expert in social media.

You bring skill and value to the services you offer. So does a social networking media strategist. A properly trained strategist brings tried and true methods to your project that help you define goals, target communities, and generate warm leads that not only make your business more profitable, but more fun too.

Can you keep up with the ever-evolving world of social media marketing (in addition to keeping current in your own field)?

A strategist keeps up with the latest trends, information, pitfalls, and ideas so you don’t have to.

For example, Do you have time to research “HOW TO: Use Annotations to Promote Your Brand on YouTube? Psst – a social media marketing strategist does. http://mashable.com/2010/07/27/how-to-youtube-annotations/

How about understanding the differences (advantages and disadvantages) between Hootsuite or Tweetdeck? A social media marketing strategist could rattle these off with little effort.

A strategist cares about your results and knows how to track them.
A good strategist is invested in your success and will envelop valuable tools into your plan that will help you know the answer to an essential question: are people paying attention to what you have to say?

A strategist is passionate about the effectiveness and value of social media. No one should be spinning their wheels, not you, not your team. If the interest of your audience fades or if you drop off after posting for awhile (or you simply get too busy with your new client load), a strategist either keeps your content fresh, keeps you on track, or handles your social media networking for you.

Some of the packages a social media marketing strategist might offer: