Make Social Media Marketing Your Friend

It is clear that social media has had quite the impact on the communications technology of today.  Between Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and even those users who still have a MySpace account, there are plenty of people that you can reach and bring your business to their attention. Don’t be afraid to try out certain medias until you find one that produces the results you desire, it is all about the connections that you make with others.

Why it works?

Social media is a great way to communicate with potential consumers, former consumers, and those who are interested in your niche.  It is a great way to give a personalized touch to your business and present your business to clients in a conversational and relaxed way.  There is no need to pressure people or feel like you have to sell to them with social media, instead it is merely just to communicate with them.

Social media is a great way to give an identity to your business.  This will separate you from other businesses and services that are available online.  It is also a good way to introduce your services and products to your key consumers who otherwise might not know about your website.

It is a conversational approach to making new business contacts and keeping in touch with those who are already interested in your services.  Remember that you don’t have to be overly formal in your conversations, but you do have to be respectful of others and their opinions.

How to be successful?

The key to using social media as a marketing tool is to check your account on a daily basis, or numerous times a day.  Consumers need to know that you are attentive to their needs, and that you are looking forward to responding to their questions and comments.  Additionally, this quick response allows your followers to gain more trust in your and your business, as they can see that you are passionate about your niche.

In your online social media endeavors you want to be sure that you are personable and professional in all your comments and interactions. Don’t favor certain users and speak to those who follow your business as though they have something to gain from your knowledge and your services.

Whether you are trying out social media for the first time, or you have used these sites for personal communications, there is always someone to connect with online!

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Tweet Your Way to More Consumers

One of the newest social media trends can be found on Twitter.  Twitter is similar to blogging, but on a much smaller and shorter scale.  It is great for consumers and business owners to post comments about your niche or thoughts and feedback. For a business owner it works as a 140 word or less marketing tool that is free and can reach millions. There are many ways to put Twitter to work for you and your small business, consider some of the following:

• Use it to promote new product releases or special promotions.  Tweeting is a quick, simple, and (need I say again!) free method to reach all your business followers who are interested in your niche.  Announcing a promotion on Twitter can literally take you seconds, but can result in hundreds of dollars in sales for your business. 
• Use it to promote your blog or topics in the news that relate to your niche.  It you feel there is a particularly good topic on your blog that will draw attention to your business let Twitter followers know about it.  If there are new findings in your niche that are in the news right now, share that in Twitter.  The idea is to let your followers know that you are at the top of your game and an expert in your niche.
• Use it to find out how well your business is doing.  Twitter has features that allow you to see how many people are actually following your posts and your business.  This is a great way to measure what really draws the interest of your potential consumers.
• Use it to keep in touch with your consumers.  If your niche constantly has changing information or new developments talk to your consumers about them.  A quick message will let your consumers know that you are available and care about what they have to say, like a good business owner should be.

In summation, there are many marketing tools that are available to small business owners.  However, for the entrepreneur who is just starting out and is a little uneasy, start off by using free marketing tools that won’t drain your of your money but can still help your business gain recognition and start earning sales.

Twitter marketing is one of the quickest and cheapest (FREE!!) ways to get your business noticed.  Take advantage of what social media communication has done for small businesses, and create your Twitter account today!

Image from:http://www.dumblittleblogger.com/2011/05/13/will-twitter-ever-make-a-profit/

List Building for Beginners

One of the easiest ways to market online is to perfect your list building skills. List building is a compilation of all your business contacts that you can send periodic e-mails to regarding your products and your business. There is no right or wrong way to build and increase your list potential, just good and better methods for your business. Here are some tips that will help you make the most of your list building possibilities that will help your building to flourish.
• Create an opt-in section of your website. In your opt-in section you should ask for the party’s e-mail address and their name only. If you ask for too much information you will turn off potential consumers. It is a good idea to create a squeeze page that is linked to your advertisements or your blogging messages. That way if someone expresses interest in your niche and clicks on the link they are directly taken to your opt-in section and they can sign-up with ease.
• Create a list of benefits that subscribers can obtain by signing up in your opt-in section. This list should be brief, but also needs to draw in clients and those interested in your niche. This is also a good time to mention if you give any special discounts or offers for subscribers over non-subscribers. You can also explain how often your subscribers can expect to receive notices from your business, whether it is every month or two weeks.
• Place your opt-in box in a noticeable area of your website. If you put your opt-in box at the bottom of a page it is likely that your visitors may not even see it. If you do not pronounce it at the top of your page is bold lettering it is easy to access and hard to miss.
• Make sure that you keep in contact with your subscribers. If you are requesting for people to help grow your list and sign-up as a subscriber, it is important that you keep your promises and send them useful information that directly relates to your niche.

List building does not have to take up your whole day. Instead, start small and use these tips to build your list as long as you can. It is okay to ask your subscribers to recommend your site to a friend, or to use social media to promote your squeeze page and site.

Image from:http://wealthsecretsgroup.com/hugelistbuilding/

Why Businesses Won’t Survive Without Online Marketing

One of our favorite resources for the latest information about online marketing is Hubspot. They share critical research and stats in an ongoing series of informative and easy to digest reports about why businesses need social media marketing and more.

This recent Hubspot report is, in our humble opinion – an absolute must-read for any business owner who has customers who spend time online. And these days – who doesn’t?

Do you have a hard time actually finding the time to implement all this online marketing?

Using Facebook as a Marketing Tool

Today, Facebook has millions of users from all over the world.  To the unsuspecting small business owner who is unaware of the possibilities, Facebook is a marketing treasure.  And the best part is there is no charge! Your business success using Facebook as a marketing tool is entirely based on you and your online communication skills, not on how much you pay a third party company.  Now, if this isn’t exciting enough to get you started… I don’t know what is!

Without further delay, for the beginning small business marketer, here are some ways you can make Facebook work for you and your business!

• Develop a strong business profile.  Your profile is going to be the first thing that visitors look for on your page.  They want to know what your business is about, what kind of products you offer, and how they can use your expertise.  Don’t forget that your consumers also want to get to know you, as the business owner better, so consider adding in some information about your background and what got you interested in your niche.
• Make friends.  Post messages with your friends including your link.  Ask your consumers to add you as their friend on their account too.  One friend will lead to another and another, soon your potential clientele could double.
• Update your page frequently.  The more informed and up-to-date your consumers and friends are, the better.   The appearance and information transmitted through your page is an indication of your business itself, and the care that you take with your products.

There are many other ways for you to maximize your Facebook usage.  Decorating your page and making it tailored to your business can also draw the attention of additional consumers.  Your page should be a representation of you and your niche, so try to maintain the focus on your services. Think of your target audience.

While you can use Facebook as you please for your business keep in mind that you are trying to gain the confidence of your consumers and potential consumers.  Try not to mix your business and personal Facebook page if you would like to keep your contacts separate. 

Using Facebook for your business marketing does not have to be a chore, have fun and make some new clients! What are you waiting for, get over to Facebook and start your new business profile page today!

Image retrieved from: http://facebizproapp.com/

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