I just got back from a Seattle Chamber of Commerce event on Social Media strategies. Tons of useful information to be had… here are a few cool tips I picked up while I was there:

• When you send out e-mail campaigns (or any marketing campaign, I suppose), include a photo. It adds a personal touch to an otherwise faceless company and generates more customer responses.
• There’s already a conversation going on that relates to your product or service. Are you a part of that conversation? Use Twitter search to find out what people are already talking about. When you get comfortable, jump in with your professional opinions. Become a part of the conversation.
• Social media is great, but it doesn’t hurt to use a physical presence as your base. Host an event, then integrate social media tools like Twitter. Even a small gathering of customers can expand to 100 times more people when you provide social media incentives.
• Twitter contests are a great way to involve customers (crowdsourcing!!) and expand your base. Example: this Twitter contest by Zappos.

Cool tools you can use:

• Twitter search – GREAT way to discover what people are interested in. Provides better results using real-time data, not some old link that’s been lying around for weeks.
• Tinker – stay on top of trends in Twitter and across the web. You can also use Tinker to create your own channels and promote your business.
• SM2 from Techrigy – this “freemium” service provides social media monitoring and analysis specifically for PR and marketing professionals.

I haven’t used these tools yet, but I plan to… if anyone has, or has any other tips on social media marketing, please share!!