When it comes to marketing and sales, there are three different types of intended outcome. The first, a complete sale, is the ideal, and forms the basis of many major internet affiliate programs. The second, per-action marketing, is intended to push users through a certain chain of actions, often a non-paid website membership process or personal survey. Finally, per-lead marketing is designed to produce potential sales, and simply provides a business with potential leads to market to with a more dedicated presence in the future.

There is an overwhelming belief that social media is great for marketing anything, when in reality the truth is quite different. Social media is great for marketing certain products and services, and is often completely ineffective when it comes to others. The sign of a great social media marketer is not the ability to market every product, service, and offer, but the ability to determine which items will be successful, shape a campaign around them, and test, refine, and optimize them until they're a huge success.

1- Sales Marketing with Social Media

Per-sale products and services typically do not succeed as a mass marketing product on social media. Social media audiences, by and large, use the platforms to search for their friends, view photos and videos, and communicate with people they already know. As such, they are not in a buying mood.

Of course, there is a flip side to this. Social media audiences are not opposed to buying products that they already know about. A band with a large social media following likely will not have trouble selling their t-shirts, albums, or concert tickets using the services. However, for a marketer aiming to sell products that are otherwise unknown, marketing with social media can be very difficult.

2- Action Marketing with Social Media

One form of social media marketing that's often successful is the per-action model, where advertisers and social media marketers attempt to convince users to complete a simple action or process. These actions typically include website registrations, filling in survey forms, and completing reviews or discussions for a product.

Action marketing succeeds as there is no required purchase. Social media traffic is notoriously anti-buy when it comes to directly marketed products, and the per-action model escapes the potential difficulties of selling products by merely having users complete an action or task. Popular amongst CPA affiliates, action marketing on social media platforms is quickly picking up steam as a viable marketing model.

3- Lead Marketing with Social Media

If social media is the ultimate marketing form for one thing, it is generating sales leads. While social media traffic is typically low-value when it comes to completing online purchases, it is incredibly valuable for generating sales leads and future sales information. A simple email submission page can generate thousands of future customers with social media, allowing even the most short-term marketing campaign to rack up prospects for future marketing efforts.

Per-sale marketers should take a leaf from the lead generation book when it comes to social media. When users are not fond of buying products straight away, use social media as a long-term tool. Capture emails, generate business leads, and market through more effective per-sale methods.