Internet marketing is becoming more socially related and far less mundane.
This is very positive as Internet users are more aware and perceptive to new products and are likely to research brands, industries and reputations.
There are several small business owners that are very interested in social media marketing but do not know where to begin.
Here is a basic four step plan to get started on social web marketing.
Before we get into the details of the four steps we will first need to deal with some social media concepts.
It is important in social marketing that you are transparent about services and any issues, that you are able to handle feedback from customers and that you are humble.
This medium requires time and while that does not mean you have to spend hours of the day behind your brand this means that you will need to inject your personality into the profile.
This will mean a few nights of dedication to meet customers and to build on your business brand.
The success you will have in social media marketing will be dependent on your personal investment and passion.
If you are not willing to do this, this form of marketing is not for you.
Here are the four steps to easy social media marketing.
The first is to listen.
This is a common business term called competitive intelligence.
This means that you need to scope out your environmental community through listening, reading and more.
This can be done by searching for discussions that are hot using tools like Google Blogsearch or BoardReader.
Here you can use search phrases and enter the conversations.
When we refer to community we do not only mean your company name but also the industry to which you belong as well as any competitors that you can identify.
They contribute to the brand and the reputation of your business.
You therefore must start your social network marketing with listening.
The second step is to establish a presence.
When you actively listen to your community you will be able to determine the preferences of the community on particular topics.
You can continue to actively scope out the community and at the same instance establish your name on the web.
Start with a blog, Twitter account or a LinkedIn profile and you can then claim your name on the web.
When you do this and establish your presence now you will avoid the next spammer trend which is namesquatting.
When you establish a name for yourself and you are able to prove your legitimacy then users and business partners will soon follow.
Deception is the key to failure and this can be social media suicide so keep it real.
You can start by getting your own domain for yourself and your company.
Use a credible webhost service and you can even find some that allow multiple domains hosted under one account.
You can then use auto-install blogging software such as WordPress to get started immediately.
The third step is to ensure that you are providing value to the community.
The attraction of online communities and social networking media is that they provide value to users.
This is the only way that you will build a following.
This has to be more than something material such as free items although these are good too.
The value that is important for any profile is the one that speaks as to your character and dedication.
People what to deal with others that are respectfully, professional and dedicated to exceptional service to their users.
Value can be in the form of relevant news on the industry, unbiased reviews, tutorials and much more.
When you have a large customer following then you may want to consider the construction of your own community.
There are some signs that indicate when this may be needed.
One of these is when people in your community start creating their own user groups/ support resources.
This is a sign that users want to get together and discuss topics that are both valuable to them and to you company.
There are many free online community solutions that you can use such as vBulletin.
When you listen, share information, answer questions and clear up misconceptions people will be attracted to your community.
You do not have to know it all but show that you are willing to help others.
When you are trusted in your community you will get great returns.
The fourth and last stage is to connect the dots in building a social media marketing plan.
When you have followed the previous steps and have been providing value and listening successfully then you are ready to start your social media marketing plan.
Provision of a voice for customers and prospective customers is important.
This can be through a blog or even Facebook.
This will make customers see that you value them and their opinions.
You can plan events to assist customers using free services like UserVoice without the need for focus groups that take a lot of time and money.
Listen to your customers needs and see what they want via social media visibility tools like Twitter Search and Google Alerts.
To be successful in social media you have to be passionate for your business and show loyalty to your customers.
Once you follow these simple guidelines you can boost greatly your visibility and get success once you continue to work at it.
The majority of successful communities on the Web have taken decades to come to frutition.