Posted on Fri, Jul 30, 2010 @ 09:13 AM
There's little question that times
are changing for business seeking to build and promote their business. No longer does a business need 20 years to build their image and customer loyalty, or establish word of mouth advertising. No longer do business owners rely on TV Executives, Radio Station Directors and Newspaper Editors for an opportunity to market their brand. Now, we have Social Media. If you are just catching on to the social media craze you had better buckle up, because there is no shortage of social media networks, tools, tips, and resources. For this reason, we've compiled a straightforward, brief summary of what you need to know in order to incorporate an effective social media strategy.
Be real
The age-old saying "be yourself" is equally, if not more, important in online etiquette. Those that have been online awhile know who’s there to market & sell, and who’s there to build relationships. They smell SALES PITCH coming a mile away, and some will call foul the moment they do. Remember, your goal is to build relationships through interaction, not self promotion.
Listen
To be a better marketer you need to be a better listener. Have you ever had a relationship that ended because the other person never seemed to listen to you? That rate multiplies by 10 in social media because it’s easy to click & un-follow.
Value attention when you get it
People are starved for time and are generally thinking about 5 or 6 things at once. If you manage to capture some attention from your prospects don’t squander it, and don’t expect to constantly be in the spotlight. Value the attention you’re given because time is truly a limited resource.
Don’t focus on numbers
A short-term marketer or sales person only sees the quota they need to hit or the volume they need to produce. Social media is about long-term relationship building. Make it your goal to build lifelong connections. Rome wasn't built in a day and your social media strategy shouldn't be either.
Treat your network like a garden
Personal and timely communication is vital if you want to gain business from social media. Tend to your group, help it grow and bloom, and enjoy the beautiful results!
Don’t be a bore
Let your personality shine and you will find the influential connections come much easier. Be different, be fun, be interesting.
Don’t be a social litterbug
If you’re going to create social profiles on every network out there and only visit them once, congratulations, your profile has just become online litter. It clogs the system and will irritate users, not influence them.
Be personable
With the vast numbers of brands and individuals using social networks nonstop, the social sphere can often compare to a virtual vuvuzella. With so many choices and potential competitors available on the web, what makes you different and relatable to others?
Welcome participation and feedback
It's important to keep in mind that due to the internet's ambiguity, people tend to be more direct than they are face to face. But if you are prepared to not take negative feedback too personally, it can be a great way to understand how your brand is perceived by the public and allow you to adjust your marketing strategy accordingly.
Commit time and resources
Social media does take some time – it’s like attending a meeting and building a relationship all rolled into one, except digitally. Social Media Marketing embedded in your Marketing Mix is a long-term goal, not a quick-fix solution, and if utilized correctly it can bring unparalleled results!
By Ilona Lemeshov, Internet Marketing Associate
Posted on Thu, Jul 01, 2010 @ 10:58 AM
As most companies know social media has become a necessity for conducting business. What most companies are having trouble identifying, is what social media can do for your business. There will always be naysayers out there that say, "There are too many social media outlets out there to know what is really going on, I'd rather just pick up a phone." Well for those people in that situation I can understand where you are coming from. But before you start to disengage yourself away from social media, ask yourself, "What do I want social media to do for my business?" Once you are able to assess your needs for social media, then you will you be able to start utilizing social media effectively for your business.
Increase Your Brand Awareness Through Feedback
Creating a buzz around your product on social networks is one of the quickest ways to create brand awareness, but this can attract both positive and negative response. The solution to effectively marketing your brand is by monitoring what is being said about your product. Negative comments aren't necessarily a bad thing for your business; it only creates an opportunity to resolve the issue. By closely monitoring your brand, you will be able to quickly pick up on what is being said and engage your customers better. Negative feedback can become one of the best ways to increase brand awareness, because you have now filled the void of customer satisfaction with a quick response.
Create a Loyal Following
Now that you have engaged conversation with your customers, they now feel bonded to your product. This can be done in a variety of ways...internal blogs, online events, twitter, and just communicating with your audience have shown to be effective. A loyal following goes a long way and will enhance your product for other users that are not yet engaged in your community. Not everything that is conducted online has to be a big sales pitch; users like to see the more personal side. If you are not willing to engage with other users, they will never know who you are.
Driver Traffic To Your Website
Social Media makes this very attainable and it's a fun engaging way to go about it. A few ideas on how to drive traffic to your website are:
• Submitting articles to the correct social bookmarking sites (Top 10 social bookmarking sites)
• Make your headlines enticing; Top 10 articles, Why you need to..., How this product is changing lives. These are engaging headlines that draw attention to your article
• Avoid Pop-ups and banners - they're annoying
• Use images that are fun and relevant to your content
Now that you have a better idea of what your companies intentions are for social media, you must realize that social media is all about communication. Communicating with users is the fastest way to create a buzz around your product. If no one is talking about your product, how will anyone know about it? If you can take anything away from this article it is that communication is the greatest means of interaction and with social media can be used effectively for a business.
By Cameron Moulton, Internet Marketing Associate
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Posted on Wed, May 19, 2010 @ 01:24 PM
So now that you know how to avoid being kicked off of social bookmarking sites, it is important to realize how to gain relevance on these
sites. I have gone through the process of controlling over 80 social bookmarking sites, utilizing Social Marker, instantly pinging out articles through Ping.fm, and found that not only was I overwhelmed, I wasn't becoming the voice that I envisioned. It became a process of how fast can I get out 80 articles or blogs to as many social bookmarking sites so that I would have an array of articles on the internet. It was not easy. I learned quickly that not only was I being monitored for spamming but I wasn't gaining entrance into these sites. In order to become a recognized voice I had to do more than just submit blogs. There are a few simple things that can be done to successfully become an authority.
1. Start reading other articles & and blogs that are being submitted by users that are of relevance to your company and ones that you find of interest
2. Start interacting on social bookmarking sites to show other users that you have a common interest in what is being said by dropping comments, voting on articles, and joining groups
3. Gain an audience by "friend requesting" users you think would be important to your inner circle (anyone talking about a subject that you have common interest with qualifies).
4. Be as genuine as possible to show other users that you are a real human, just like social bookmarking sites ask you at the end of an article you are about to submit, "ARE YOU A HUMAN?"
5. Personalize your profile with a nice fancy picture of yourself and a little summary of who you are
With these simple tidbits, you will find that it is much easier to gain recognition by social bookmarking sites and maybe one day you will find your article on the front page! Not only do you need to take these things into consideration but you need to modify the amount of social bookmarking sites you submit to accordingly. I simply found that the only way I would gain entrance into social bookmarking sites was by limiting it to my Top 10 social bookmarking sites. Read up a bit on which sites offer your company the greatest chance to be seen. Not only did I limit the amount of articles I submit to, but I also started to submit to social bookmarking sites one by one. I no longer use Ping.fm and Social Marker because I felt I wasn't attracting my viewers the way I wanted to. It was not genuine and it came off as just that. Although these are great ways of submitting to mass amounts of social bookmarking sites, it was not good for me in pursuing online relationships.