Selling Skeptics on the Benefits of Social Media Marketing - A Personal Experience
More and more companies are turning to Social Media Strategies.
In spite of all this attention there is still an element of weariness at the though of putting a profile on Facebook, MySpace or LinkedIn.
After 4 years of eating and breathing Social Media I thought I would put a few notes together to help others take the plunge.
The hooks: The why and where.
Way back in 2004, my daughter, still in high school, soon to be a graduate and off to college, announced that now she could finally get herself a Facebook profile.
At the time it was open only to college students.
Needless to mention I was intrigued.
I already had a MySpace profile for the company and could not see it being of much use.
Once Facebook opened its doors to the general audience I was the first to get an account.
To my surprise I found that I was networking with my peers and I discovered that not only I could post information but I got lots of good resources in exchange.
I joined every group, downloaded every app and made tons of friends.
I was now officially part of a community that could benefit my business.
I was now hooked! The arguments: Building a business with no time to spare The more I shared our information, the more traffic came to our website.
For very little cost I was able to create massive brand awareness.
I saw a steady increase from month to month and a steady increase in lead generation.
I devised a system that enabled me to do my actual work and make some time for networking.
20 minutes 3 times a day.
For example: the phone call to a client became a personal wall post on Facebook and I began fielding inquiries through LinkedIn.
Introductory programs: Business benefits As I progressed I discovered other Social Marketing Sites.
There are many very good ones out there but I only have room for a few key ones: o Facebook has a "fan page" feature and a "groups page" here you can promote your products and services to your network of friends and colleagues.
You can also create vertical groups for your "niche" pages.
o LinkedIn is the choice for the corporate set and is strictly networking.
One of the features is an answers box, here you can share expertise in your field.
o MerchantCircle allows you to market your business in the neighborhood, it is a "business in a box" concept with all the tools you need to promote your services online.
o Twitter is a micro-blog that allows you to post 140 characters.
Here you can share relevant links, talk to your fans and follow relevant posts.
The more followers you get the more visible you become.
o YouTube speaks for itself.
Needless to mention it exemplifies the power of viral marketing.
For those still wondering, I recommend that you work closely with your online marketing agency to establish a social media time allotment, which profiles make sense and what the ROI could be.
And of course watch the metrics.
In spite of all this attention there is still an element of weariness at the though of putting a profile on Facebook, MySpace or LinkedIn.
After 4 years of eating and breathing Social Media I thought I would put a few notes together to help others take the plunge.
The hooks: The why and where.
Way back in 2004, my daughter, still in high school, soon to be a graduate and off to college, announced that now she could finally get herself a Facebook profile.
At the time it was open only to college students.
Needless to mention I was intrigued.
I already had a MySpace profile for the company and could not see it being of much use.
Once Facebook opened its doors to the general audience I was the first to get an account.
To my surprise I found that I was networking with my peers and I discovered that not only I could post information but I got lots of good resources in exchange.
I joined every group, downloaded every app and made tons of friends.
I was now officially part of a community that could benefit my business.
I was now hooked! The arguments: Building a business with no time to spare The more I shared our information, the more traffic came to our website.
For very little cost I was able to create massive brand awareness.
I saw a steady increase from month to month and a steady increase in lead generation.
I devised a system that enabled me to do my actual work and make some time for networking.
20 minutes 3 times a day.
For example: the phone call to a client became a personal wall post on Facebook and I began fielding inquiries through LinkedIn.
Introductory programs: Business benefits As I progressed I discovered other Social Marketing Sites.
There are many very good ones out there but I only have room for a few key ones: o Facebook has a "fan page" feature and a "groups page" here you can promote your products and services to your network of friends and colleagues.
You can also create vertical groups for your "niche" pages.
o LinkedIn is the choice for the corporate set and is strictly networking.
One of the features is an answers box, here you can share expertise in your field.
o MerchantCircle allows you to market your business in the neighborhood, it is a "business in a box" concept with all the tools you need to promote your services online.
o Twitter is a micro-blog that allows you to post 140 characters.
Here you can share relevant links, talk to your fans and follow relevant posts.
The more followers you get the more visible you become.
o YouTube speaks for itself.
Needless to mention it exemplifies the power of viral marketing.
For those still wondering, I recommend that you work closely with your online marketing agency to establish a social media time allotment, which profiles make sense and what the ROI could be.
And of course watch the metrics.