There are many social media sites to choose from, and when you are starting social media for business there are lots of things to think about. Just like any successful marketing campaign, social media for business needs to work. It needs to get you sales and expose your business in the best ways possible.
There are a number of things to think about when selecting social media sites to join. Each of them will ask you to start up a profile or a page, and you will be able to invite friends, fans and followers to track your business and the items that you post on the site. Each social media site is different however, and they may or may not all be for your business.
Firstly, consider your time. Do you have enough time in your business to maintain six or eight social media sites? Even if you do now, and you find it fun for a while, will you be able to do so in the future when it all gets busy? Remember, in business, time is money, so the time that you invest in social media will need to pay off in sales. Continue reading “Is Facebook right for your business?” »
Social media networks can sometimes look like a family tree, with yourself in the center, and different stems extending out to the different groups of people whom you know. When you start developing an online social media network of your own, you might even consider sitting down with a pen and paper, and creating a vision of your own social network as you know it.
This is simply the planning stage. When newcomers to social media dive in, they are often very excited by the bright lights and the technology, and forget that the secret to social media lies in understanding the purpose and function of the new media platforms.
Map out your offline social media network
Use a pen and paper to map out your social tree, which is just like a family tree, but that includes all of the social networks that you are already connected to offline. These are the people that you can bring into your social media profiles, and network with online, with the purpose of later securing sales. Continue reading “Identifying Your Own Social Media Networks” »
Twitter is a unique social media platform, and while it may take a while to understand, once you know the benefits and how to access them, Twitter can be a rewarding social media for business platform.
Twitter allows you to post up to 140 characters. It is all about fast and concise information that flows in a continuous feed. The no-fuss approach of this social media platform is highly effective, so don’t be fooled by its simplicity.
1. Business networking on Twitter
Twitter is all about interacting. Find people with similar interests to you or complimentary businesses to yours, and start the conversation. You can easily send tweets to people all around the world, including celebrities and CEOs. This is your chance to get involved, strike up meaningful conversation, and then over time develop the relationship over other social media platforms, or face to face. Continue reading “10 Strategies for Success with Twitter” »
In business there is a lot of talk about the power of social media for attracting fans and followers, but one of the most useful functions of social media is networking with other professionals. Many sales these days, come through referrals and having a tight network of other business owners around you, and can help build up the sales that you desire.
What is Social Networking?
Social networking is about connecting with other people who have similar needs and interests to yourself. As the Internet has expanded, it has become much easier to meet people who are interested in the same niche as yourself, even if you live in a remote area. Online social networking allows you to extend your contact base, outside the geographical area that you live in, and connect with people outside of your town, your state and your country.
Social networking is about forming relationships that function to serve both parties. Often this will simply be having a chat about the things you have in common, and over time you will develop a sense of trust and be more likely to refer business onto each other. Remember that social networking, like all good relationships, takes time and it is a long-term solution to good business partners and successful sales. Continue reading “The Power of Online Social Networking in Business” »
Lead generation with Pinterest is an exciting new opportunity for businesses who are marketing and selling online. The Internet is growing and new social media platforms are starting to emerge. Just like in offline business, it is important for business owners to keep track with the latest trends online. Business is about offering your products and services to a target market, and it is important to stay updated with where they are, and what they are interested in.
Pinterest for business
People are flocking to Pinterest and this platform is growing fast for one reason, humans are highly visual creatures. We are inspired by the things that we see. Just like our dreams, Pinterest allows us to visualise the things that are important to us, are cherished in our lives, and brighten our hearts.
Continue reading “Why Pinterest can be a Powerful Source of Traffic For Your Website” »
Social media etiquette is just a digital version of traditional etiquette. The same considerations should be given through social media, as you would when networking and interacting with people offline.
The reasons social media etiquette can get scrambled or forgotten, is that we often forget there are real, living and breathing people, on the other side of the computer screen.
Even if you can’t view their immediate reactions to your postings, through the form of facial expressions or an immediate verbal response, your fans and followers will remember what you post, and they will quickly form an impression of you and your business from your social media profiles. Social media for business is a powerful tool, but for it to work well, you need to understand the platform, the people you are interacting with, and employ good social media etiquette.
Here are some tips, to get you started with social media for business, while maintaining good social media etiquette standards:
Get to know your fans and followers
Treat your fans and followers as real people. Show them respect and respond to them in the same way you would if you were meeting them for the first time at a business breakfast or dinner party. You may not get along with all of them, like best friends, but each person in your social network can contribute to growing your business in a unique way. It is your job to get to know them as real people. Ask questions. Interact. Find out where they work, what their new projects are, and what keeps them excited. Once you get involved in social media, you’ll soon learn how powerful a few comments on a Facebook status can be. Use them to your advantage, to grow your relationships on social media for business. Continue reading “What is Social Media etiquette and how does it apply to my business?” »
Pinterest is a new and emerging social media platform, that has also established itself as a respectable and intelligent medium for sharing ideas and images that people are passionate about.
The concept of Pinterest can be found in the name of the site. Your profile is like a ‘pinboard’, where you can collect, arrange and display items for your friends and followers to see. Also, Pinterest is about sharing your unique interests, not just your latest products and services.
The success of Pinterest, and yes, the rapidly growing site that frequently competes with both Google+ and Facebook, relies on the concept that we all have unique interests and personalities, and the Internet is the perfect medium for brining likeminded people together from around the world. Continue reading “What is Pinterest and how can I use it to promote my business?” »
Social Media Marketing is now an essential component of any business’s marketing plan. Anyone with a product or service that needs promoting can turn to Social Media Marketing to introduce, share, gain feedback, engage with consumers and ultimately Sell.
Ask any business owner, what or who are your best quality leads and they’ll likely say ‘referrals’. Referrals are generated from one person sharing their experience with another person within their SOCIAL circle.
And this is the power of Social Media Marketing. By placing yourself or your business in a social space you increase your chance of receiving more business due to someone finding, searching for, reading about or directly being referred to you.
But like any marketing platform there are always certain principles to adhere to and pitfalls to avoid. In this article we’re focusing on the 4 steps to success in Social Media Marketing… Continue reading “4 Steps to Success in Social Media Marketing” »
Social media for business, is changing the way we market our products and services. Technology and online opportunities are influencing the way consumers interact with each other, lead their lives and make purchases.
As a business owner, you can use your knowledge and understanding of business social media, to expand your business into new and exciting directions.
Some of the online social media marketing options include Facebook for business, and Facebook marketing. The new trends in social media for business are seeing smart businesses integrating themselves into their customers’ daily lives. Their products and services are becoming a part of how their customers live, and their business messages are being communicated directly and subliminally throughout their daily routines, including spending time with friends, and even waiting for the bus. Continue reading “How Social Media is Changing the Way We Do Business” »
1. Know your market
Create your website based on your target market – colors, layout, navigation, images and information. Make it relevant. Ask yourself, “If I was a visitor to my website what would I expect to see, how can this business help me solve my problem?“. Be different. Be the purple cow.
2. Keep it simple
In this age of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) it pays to deliver information as quickly and easily as possible. Pretend everyone of your website visitors has ADD. Now, how can you change your website to deliver what they’re looking for ASAP?
3. Be active
Add to your website daily or weekly- create a Blog and aim to educate customers through informative blog articles of 500-700 words. Imagine if you only turned up to your retail storefront one day a month, how successful would your business be? Your website should be treated like a retail store, open it everyday, update things, add things, make it fresh and interesting.
4. Educate yourself
Saying “I don’t understand computers or the internet” won’t grow your business, open your mind and treat it as your new hobby. Read up on internet trends, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Training and take action.
Continue reading “The 10 Website Commandments – How to Get Found Online and Get Your Website Working FOR YOU” »
