Combining Your Social Media Tools

So, you have completed the hardest part of social media marketing, creating social media accounts.  Now what?  Individually your Twitter account and your Facebook account are no doubt powerful business tools, however combining these tools will make you an even stronger business entity. Here are three simple ways to link your social media marketing endeavors to one another.

1.  1. Facebook and Twitter- Two of the largest social media sites currently in use right?  But did you know that you can use one to benefit the other?  Linking your Twitter account to your Facebook page is a great idea to save you time and energy.  You can have each of your tweets appear as updates on your Facebook account, that way anytime you tweet a quick piece of info it will update to your fans on Facebook too.
2. Twitter and Blogs- There are several ways to make incorporate your blog content with Twitter feeds.  Including a retweet button can allow your bloggers to tweet on something they have read or said on your blogs.  Thus also drawing your Twitter followers to your blog as well.
3. LinkedIn and Blogs-Linked In has a great option available to their members that many do not fully utilize.  There is a feature available that allows members to post part of their blog comments directly to their LinkedIn page automatically.  This is a great way to keep other business professionals in tune to what your bloggers are talking about and get them interested in adding to your blog as well.

 

 The idea behind combining your social media tools with one another is to benefit you and your followers who are limited to just one social media communications method.  Not only do these options save you time, but they are a great way to promote your business and get others interested in your niche.  These tools also make it appear as though you are more active online than you actually have to be, you are sort of shortcutting a few steps!

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Don’t Just Sit There: Participate in Blogs!

Any good businessman understands that business is not going to come to you by merely sitting behind your computer.  You have to work to obtain the clients and the following that you desire, and work even harder to gain sales.  Take the first step in marketing and participate in other niche related blogs!  It should be simple enough for you to talk about your niche and the endless information you can supply that is related to it, so why not take that knowledge and share it with others.  When you are seen as the expert in your field you can gain the confidence of others who are blogging as well, in turn gaining potential clients.  If even one fellow blogger follows your posts  then ‘likes’ you on Facebook, you could have dozens of new viewers and other potential clients  in just a short amount of time.  Word of mouth travels, and social media travels even faster!

Say you’re stumped on what to post in someone else’s blog, think of conversations!  Respond to questions, comment on topics, and even ask questions of others.  Think of a blog as a giant networking opportunity to meet others who are interested in your niche and bounce ideas off of one another.

To begin you will have to identify a few niche related blogs that directly relate to your business or industry.  Take a look at previous conversations to ensure that the blog seems professional and truly is legitimate, you never know sometimes.  Every other day try to make a habit to check out these blogs and perhaps post your comments or questions as they relate to the conversation.  This will create a reputation and add credibility to your name in the industry, not to mention draw guests to your website.

After time has passed and you have grown to be a regular on a particular blogging site take the next step and propose to the blog owner the possibility of allowing you to write an article for their site, or post your link with your blogs.  There is no harm in asking, even if you get a no you are still gaining the social networking experience that is necessary to build relationships online.

You don’t have to be a social media mogul to take advantage of free marketing, and that is exactly what blogging is for small business owners.

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Using LinkedIn to Build Your Small Business

LinkedIn is one of the Internet’s increasing forms of social media communication that can benefit small business owners of all types.  Not only are you creating relationships with others, but you are networking with other professionals who are in or interested in your niche as well. Aside from creating a profile on LinkedIn, here are a few other ways LinkedIn can help you to build your small business faster.

• Use LinkedIn to spy on your competition.  Since many small business owners now have profiles on LinkedIn, you can use their profiles to obtain information regarding their business, including everything from promotions to hires and even their statistics.
• You can use the blog space to comment and demonstrate your expertise to others, and make legitimate business connections.  If others see that you know what you are talking about they are more inclined to become a follower, consumer, or recommend you to someone else who will purchase from you.
• LinkedIn is a great place to network with other professionals.  Who knows, you might meet someone who can offer you advice and tips on your business, or you might have some useful knowledge for someone else.
• Feel free to use the friends that you make on LinkedIn for guidance.  As a small business owner there is always going to be a predicament or situation that you have never handled before.  Using the expertise of your peers is completely acceptable.
• LinkedIn is a great way to just keep in touch with others who are following your small business or are interested in your products.  Communication is key, so reply to all comments and thank those who take time out of their day to take an interest in your business.  Professionalism and courtesy are always valued and they help to build stronger relationships.
• Finally, the most common and sought after benefit of using LinkedIn is the increased possibility that you will gain new consumers for your products.  If you do join groups, participate in blogs, and respond to all comments in a professional manner you are sure to find others who are interested in purchasing your products.

 You may already have a Twitter account, just as you may also have a Facebook account, but having a LinkedIn account should not be passed up.  It is simple to start and simple to begin networking with your peers and building your business.

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LinkedIn to Make More Facebook Fans and More Money

LinkedIn and Facebook are two of the most commonly used social media networks available for small business owners.  Did you know that you could use your LinkedIn account to bring more attention to your Facebook page, and in turn draw more customers to your business?  It’s true!  You can use your connections from LinkedIn as a source for communication with other business owners who are part of other groups.

Here are some easy steps to follow in order to use LinkedIn to gain Facebook fans:

• Join LinkedIn groups that are relevant to your niche or business industry.  If these groups are large and have members that are active it can mean more and more business connections for you.
• In these groups that you join on LinkedIn there are usually pre-existing discussions that are related to Facebook and how it can be used to promote business.  If there is no existing discussion feel free to start one!
• As you become acquainted with your LinkedIn group you can post your Facebook page and a link to it on your discussions with your groups.  This is a good time to introduce your business and communicate with your group members.  Ask them to add you to their “likes” on Facebook so that you can share contacts, and you should do the same for them.
• Be sure that you thank by name each person from LinkedIn that has liked you on Facebook.  It demonstrates professionalism and a level of courtesy that will stand you out from all others.
• As you start communicating on other discussions within your LinkedIn groups it is a good idea to include a link to your Facebook page, so that these people can follow your business more closely.

It is important that before you ask your LinkedIn group members to check out your Facebook page that it is set up properly.  You should have images, information on your site, and you must have a link to your site!  Without an existing link to your website on your Facebook page all your social media work could be useless.

The idea of using these two forms of social media to draw attention to your website can generate more of a following than you would ever know, and can double your business and sales opportunities. Use LinkedIn to double your Facebook attention!

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Social Media Tools for Small Business

When you think of social media sites, most people think of Twitter and Facebook.  These are not the only social media sites that can help you market your online business.  Take a look at some other ways you can use social media to your advantage, there may be some you never even thought of.

• Blogs- If you are an entrepreneur who is considering creating their own blog it is a great way to interact and communicate with others.  In a blog your clients and potential consumers can comment on your products, website, or niche in general.  It a good way to work on relationship building with others online who are interested in your niche.
• LinkedIn- If you are looking at communicating with other business professionals who might have an interest in your products sites like LinkedIn are perfect.  Here you can connect with your clients and create groups with other professionals like yourself.
• Twitter- For a quick marketing technique, Twitter is quite powerful.  In less than 140 words you can inform others of specials, new products or anything your business has going on.
• Facebook- Of course creating a business page on Facebook is one of the first ways to market with social media.  Here you can make friends, communicate on your wall with clients, and reach new consumers.
• Multimedia sites- Using sites like YouTube you can create short video presentations of your products and the business you are trying to promote.  This is a great way to allow your clients to get to know you a little more personally.  It is also really useful if you need to demonstrate your product or need to give a hands on demonstration.

 

No matter the type of social media you choose to employ it is important that you keep your screen name or domain name the same.  This is crucial as your clients should have a firm understanding of how they can contact you specifically at all times.  You should also be sure that you are differentiating your social media endeavors for business with your personal social media accounts.  There should be no connection between the two if possible.  All comments, postings, and videos created for marketing purposes should be kept professional and about niche related topics.

Using the resources that have been created by social media tools, like those listed above, is one of the only ways to market with little cost and gain new clients.

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