As a marketing executive, you're always trying to gain influence among customers and potential customers.

With influence comes motivation and support. Ultimately, marketing efforts allow you to know the passions and pain points of customers and prospects. This is especially pressing when it comes to social media marketing, according to a recent white paper by the folks at Awareness Inc. that lays out the keys to influence.

Social media moves fast, and there's a real temptation to half-heartedly "like," "tweet," and "share" your way into a social marketing strategy.

That would be wrong. Don't confuse influence with popularity. According to Awareness, the goal of a marketing executive should be wide, authoritative influence throughout his or her company's network. With this, you can motivate customers and industry opinion leaders not only to buy stuff, but to spread the word.

In time, a marketer has an army of industry influencers at his or her fingertips.

A real social marketing strategy is about growing your network with relevant authentic messaging, knowing what your brand has to add, asking for feedback and acting on that feedback quickly and decisively.

Don't fall into the popularity trap. Click here to read the white paper.