The Power Of Social Media

 

 

 

 

It is a fact that developing a presence on social media is far more complex than simply making a Facebook page.

Social media marketing tools have become intricate and numerous this year, and the evolution of social media is peaking.

Businesses are struggling to keep up with all the new technology, and are finding out just how important it is to learn tools and techniques for online marketing and social media. As a result, there is now there is a big emphasis on teaching online marketing in universities, as the Internet becomes more and more relevant for conducting business.

Marketing instructor Jessica Rogers from Texas A&M University is a major supporter of taking advantage of every social media tools available.

According to Rogers, “Social Media creates a whole new world…Schools embracing these tools deserve a lot of kudos.”

Both students and companies around the world have more access to information than ever before, thanks to the Internet. And now social media has allowed businesses and consumers to connect and engage with each other on a more intimate level than ever before.

One of the latest tools used by students to get more in tune with social networking is Chatter. This platform is similar to Facebook, but allows for more privacy and has private, numerous subgroups that can be created. In addition to engaging through these subgroups, you can go into separate chat rooms to exchange and view videos and slides.

Always remember that there are so many different social media platforms in existence, so take advantage of the platforms that make the most sense for your business goals. There are sites with more simply stated and shared information, and other sites that are more “hands-on” and require a greater level of engagement.

Today’s students are gaining knowledge of social media because when applying for jobs, companies know social media and social media marketing are the future of business, so knowledge of how to properly use these sites is extremely important.

With all of this in mind, it is clear that knowing social media networking is power. You can take your business to new heights by learning and utilizing the right social media marketing techniques for your business.

In the social media world, the sky’s the limit!

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Solving Business Problems With Online Marketing

 

 

 

 

Top SEO company Oracle Digital has released new marketing techniques and marketing tools to assist businesses in finding an easier transition from the conventional marketing techniques to the newer, more efficient online strategies. Today, online marketing helps all businesses reach optimal success.

With the global financial crisis felt globally, a lot of businesses have been struggling to find success. This is mainly due to the increased interest rates and financing that have resulted from the financial issues in the market.

Retailers have been some of the hardest hit businesses from this economic crisis. Yet, there are many retailers who have actually been able to increase sales by effectively using Internet marketing strategies in operating their businesses.

Furthermore, online shopping has become a much more popular way of consumer purchasing recently. This trend could be both good and bad for retailers. Online purchasing offers convenience, which consumers certainly enjoy, but it also creates increased competition for retailers as more companies enter E-commerce marketing.

A recent survey conducted by Nielson Research Company found that the fashion industry gained 43% of their total online purchases from international online companies. Experts feel that this is a significant increase in online purchases since the year 2005, proving that more consumers are now very likely to make purchases over the Internet.

Another interesting feature of the online business world is that Facebook has now become a listed company, which will have a great impact on businesses. This will result in more changes in social marketing, across all social networking platforms, like Twitter and Google+.

Experts have also noted that the increased use of smartphones and mobile devices is making Internet marketing more relevant. With all these new ways of conducting business and marketing, finding business success could be a simple task if you develop a strong Internet marketing strategy.

While many may find that using Internet marketing can be difficult, it’s important to take advantage of resources available to help you learn the tricks of the trade. Businesses are shifting more and more to have a strong online presence, so it is worthwhile for you to get the most out of your business by utilizing online marketing!

 

 

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7 Steps For A Location-Based Marketing Campaign

 

 

 

 

When the idea to have users on social media sites share their geographic location on their mobile devices popped up back in 2009, location-based engagement became a popular trend. Foursquare became one of the best-known platforms that tackled this marketing idea.

Location-based marketing gives customers incentives to “check-in” to a company’s location so that consumers automatically engage with that business.

Some platforms aside from Foursquare that utilize this technique include Yelp, Gowalla, BrightKite, Facebook, and more. No matter which platform you choose, if you’re considering developing a location-based social media campaign, use these tips to be successful.

1. Measure Your Performance

Right at the beginning of your campaign, come up with a way to measure the campaign’s performance.  State the goals you want your business to reach and identify the appropriate tools to use to measure those goals.

2. Select Your Online Venue

Select a platform, or platforms, that you want to use to create your online presence for your location-based marketing plan. Register and create an account, then “claim” your online venue. This gives you complete ownership of your venue.

3. Use A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System

Figure out how to combine data from the location-based marketing systems you use along with the data from your CRM. This way, you will be able to see the social media activities that users are engaging in, along with the user interactions reported into the CRM.

4. Design Your Location Marketing Page

With each account you start for a location-based campaign, you should customize a profile page.  Current and prospective customers will want to check out your profile to get a feel for the personality behind the brand. In addition, this information is indexed in search engine databases, so people will be able to find your company more easily if you’ve filled out a profile page.

5. Adjust Your Marketing Plan

Look back to the goals you wanted to reach with your location-based marketing campaign and decide if there are things you need to change in order to see better results.

6. Adjust Your Budget

Go into location-based marketing strategy with a budget. Examine how your brand is performing with this marketing technique and make any changes to you budget in order to continue to be able to carry out the campaign.

7. Come Up With Incentives

Think of great offers to give to your users that are relevant to your brand. Incentives are what location-based marketing is all about, so you must create unique rewards for your specific target audiences.

It can be hard to start a location-based marketing campaign, but with a strong plan to stick to, location-based marketing can prove to be a huge success for your company!

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Some Negatives To Google+

 

 

 

 

With about 90 million users joining Google+ since it came out in June, it would seem as if Google+ has become a successful social media platform.

However, that number of users doesn’t explain how Google+ really matches up in the social media world. In fact, compared to its rival site Facebook, Google+ seems almost invisible. Research firm comScore Inc has found that while Google+ is getting many users to sign up for the site, users really aren’t actually on the site utilizing the tools Google+ has to offer very much.

Users on personal computers spent an average of three minutes a month on Google+ during the months between September and January, whereas they spent six to seven hours on Facebook during this same time, according to comScore.

In addition to this lack of engagement on Google+, there’s also the issue of differentiating Google+ from Facebook. With the launch of Google+ last year, the site was positioned as a Facebook rival where users could share content with very specific groups of people, however sharing on Facebook is much more commonly used.

An original feature of Google+, the “Hangouts,” where users can conduct a videoconference with up to 10 people, hasn’t seen much excitement from users. This feature has not proven to be compelling enough to convert Facebook users to Google+ users.

Executives at Google have tried to ignore this comparison to Facebook and continue to state that they are making a long-term investment on a strong idea and that they are still working to build up more tools to make Google+ triumph over Facebook’s features.

Google vice president of product management, Bradley Horowitz, claims that Google+ is meant to be more than just a destination site and acts as an auxiliary to other Google services like YouTube and Gmail, by adding a social-interaction component to those services. However, other Google+ partners are concerned by the lack of activity on the site.

Google still has not gotten companies to advertise on Google+, and some marketers testing the site have found that brand messages don’t seem to reach consumers as much as they had hoped.

It seems that Google+ does not have the same frequency of activity that sites like Twitter, Facebook and the latest, Pinterest, currently offer. And without the level of engagement on the site, there’s not a strong desire to advertise on the site.

Twitter and Facebook have come to change the way people find new content on the Internet, which competed with Google as the main gateway to the Web. Most activity done on Facebook cannot be accessed from the Google search engine because of privacy controls, which have made the search engine less useful since people are spending more time on Facebook.

So, what’s the main point to take away from all this? Google+ is definitely a prominent site in social media networking, but to find the benefit out of it, you must be effectively engaging on the site. Keep in mind that as far as consumer usage on social media sites, Facebook and Twitter are still the dominant sites used.

 

 

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The Power of Pinterest

 

 

 

 

 

The latest social media craze is Pinterest. Currently, Pinterest is not as big as Facebook and Twitter, but companies should look into adding Pinterest to their social media strategy to build up their brand.

Pinterest is an online “pinboard;” users can “pin” content and images they are interested in and can share it with users with similar interests, family and friends.

Just since last May, Pinterest’s audience has grown 76%! This shows just how relevant this site is becoming. In fact, it’s becoming one of the fastest developing social media site ever and is a great site to use to show off products and get noticed.

Right now, brands should develop their image on Pinterest before the site explodes and becomes even more popular. Become a brand already noticed on Pinterest right now before you become lost amongst even more brands in the future looking to join the site.

Build a strong presence on Pinterest now so you get used to the site and know exactly how to use it efficiently. The site is the newest way to visually show off what you have to offer in a new way that Facebook and Twitter cannot. Furthermore, it allows you to build strong relationships with consumers who share your same interests.

After finding these consumers who are passionate about your brand, they will share your content on the site, ultimately bringing you more consumers who fit into your target audience.

Make your boards fun, creative and exciting to get some attention and highlight what you have to offer. Pinterest is great for retailers showing off fashion trends, restaurants showing off their best dishes and brands that really target the youth culture-music, movies, celebrities, festivals, etc.

Give Pinterest a shot and give the world visually pleasing images of what your brand has to offer and watch your brand identity and loyalty grow!

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Getting Word of Mouth Marketing Right

 

 

 

 

By posting and sharing information the right way through various social media platforms, followers will post and share your information with their friends and followers on more social media sites, and you will ultimately become a stronger brand. You want to get people buzzing about your brand in a positive way with word of mouth marketing.

With social media sites, you must be careful about choosing what to post and share with your audience. If stated correctly, your posts have the power to engage and inspire your customers and they will automatically want to share what your brand has to offer with others.

Word of mouth marketing is as social as it gets. It allows your fans and followers to become your advertisers. Furthermore, they advertise your brand to new audiences and demographics, allowing you to reach more potential customers.

However, if you word of mouth marketing strategy isn’t done right, it can backfire and give your brand a bad rep. So, be careful with your campaign and use these tips to help you along the way!

1. Offer Quality Products

Without taking the time to develop the quality of your content, no consumer will give a second thought about your brand or product. Or worse, they may feel the need to spread negative opinions of your brand.

Millennials especially are affected by word of mouth marketing when making purchases. This generation, aged 18-34, uses and makes recommendations online to help their favorite brands, and will also give criticism online to help others’ purchasing decisions.

Invest in perfecting your products and services in order to get positive feedback from your fans and followers. Otherwise, you will see a wildfire of negative reviews about your brand!

2. Gain Consumer Trust

In order to carry out word of mouth marketing successfully, trust is essential. Hiding and/or laying low in the social media world will only cause customers to easily look over your brand or question your brand identity.

With 76% of consumers already feeling that companies lie in their advertising, it is key to building trust with your audience to keep loyal consumers for life. By getting your consumers to advertise for you with positive word of mouth marketing, others will see truth and the “realness” to your brand. People are more likely to trust their friends and followers on social media sites than a brand they are unfamiliar with.

3. Get Some Recommendations

As long as you use your manners and say your please and thank yous to your customers, asking them for recommendations can strengthen your word of mouth marketing.

Through social networking, you can stand out among other brands by highlighting recommendations and creating forums to build conversations with your consumers.

In fact, 93% of customers have noted word of mouth as the best and most reliable source for information on brands, products and services. This means recommendations could be the golden ticket for your word of mouth marketing.

If you can gain happy consumers who enjoy following and promoting your content, you will see long-term benefits in building a strong brand image.

Use these three ideas to help build your brand and gain consumer loyalty with the power of word of mouth marketing!

 

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A Peak Into Pinterest

 

 

 

 

With social media marketing, there is always a new platform coming out to learn. Pinterest happens to be the latest social media channel, and it is quickly becoming a popular site among users. Pinterest lets users “pin” things they find on the web that they like onto an online pin board. This new platform has great potential for small businesses selling visually unique products in particular.

Another appealing element to Pinterest is its strong social factor. Users can share their pins with followers on Twitter and fans on Facebook. These pins can then be repined and shared. Furthermore, users are also able to make new pins from anything they find on the web, or other social media sites.

Marketers everywhere are starting to discover how much potential Pinterest has to offer. Here are a few things to expect if your company starts using Pinterest.

1. More traffic to your site

After importing a “pin” (an image) to Pinterest, the site then links that pin back to its original source. For example, if a restaurant posts a pin of one of their best dishes, users can click on the image and will be directed to that restaurant’s website. This element of Pinteret will certainly drive traffic to your main site and increase your company’s SEO.

2. More insights into followers’ interests

Companies are using Pinterest for market research. The site is a great way to connect with consumers knowing that anyone can create a pin board in the site. This means that a clothing boutique could use Pinterest to discover what trends users are sharing with others. Then, using this information, the retailer could use these trends and styles and post similar clothing onto their pin boards. Or, they could use this information to make their own board that users could pin clothing trends that they’d like to see in that boutique. This gives businesses great feedback and insight from their followers.

3. More relationships with customers

New companies will find great success using Pinterest to get their name out there and create lasting relationships with new customers. The pin boards are public, so anyone can see and share pins. With a strong brand community, businesses will ultimately expand, and sharing your product images on Pinterest is sure to spark interest around your brand.

With any social media channel, it’s important to have strong connections and be active and engaged with your followers. Simply sending out promotions is not the way to start to reach customers. With Pinterest, users will immediately follow businesses that provide them with valuable content that connects with them on a personal level. After gaining a solid base of followers, slowly engage more and more with promoting your brand, but first begin by joining Pinterest to connect with people. Repin things you’re interested in and create your own pin board to get your business rolling with Pinterest!

 

 

 

 

 

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Staying On Top Of The Changing Social Media World

 

 

 

 

After playing with social media for a few hours, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. You quickly realize that there are so many new tools constantly coming out that you feel obligated to learn in order to keep your social media marketing plan strong.

You can be sure that with Internet marketing, once you conquer one social media platform, a new one will come out soon enough, so always be prepared for continual learning! However, understand that sometimes it is worth learning all the new social media tools, and sometimes you might not need to invest so much time in learning a new platform; it all depends on your specific marketing plan and target audience.

While it can be demanding to have to constantly keep up with the latest social media tools, there are tricks to help keep your cool and stay strong in the ever-changing Internet marketing scene. Here are three elements to stick with in order to keep your social media marketing plan sturdy when approaching new social media channels.

1. Stick with what you know

If you’ve been playing with social media for a while now, you should know what works for you and what doesn’t. If there’s one social media platform you know is bringing you success, stick with it and maintain that success. When you find a new social media channel, experiment with it, but don’t neglect your best platform.

2. Stick with your marketing plan

If you know certain social media platforms won’t work well with your company’s marketing goals, don’t waste your time with them. Know what your company message is, what content you want to deliver, and who you want to deliver it to. Keep this plan flexible so it can adapt to the latest platforms, but never forget what your marketing plan is. Only spend time looking into new platforms if they seem to align with your marketing goals.

3. Stick with your customers

To be successful with social media marketing, you must know who your target audience is and know what social media platforms they use the most. Take this information into consideration when new platforms pop up. Think about if the new platform seems like something your target market would get into, or not. If it is, take the time to learn it to reach those customers.

Even though there is a lot to learn with social media marketing, if you spend your time wisely on learning what will work with your social media campaign, you will stay successful.

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Using LinkedIn to Market Your Brand

 

 

 

 

There are several marketing opportunities with LinkedIn. Most companies know the basics, but there are some other unique tools that more brands should look into. With some of these tools, you can bet you will increase sales and boost brand awareness. Not of all these tools are free, but if your company can make some extra room in its budget, these LinkedIn tools will surely be worthwhile.

1. Upgrade company pages

Most businesses have filled out their company’s LinkedIn page, but it’s a good idea to consider buying extras to enhance your visitors’ experience. An analytics tab will let page admins get insights about company followers. An overview tab gives LinkedIn members a network-aware overview of your company. A products and services tab allows you to highlight your top products and services and lets you display product recommendations. And finally, a career page will let you advertises job opportunities and allows you to interact with those searching for a job. If you invest in a Silver or Gold Careers page, you can add more content and even videos to emphasize what your brand is all about.

2. Self-serve LinkedIn ads

Start with these ads on LinkedIn. Use geography, industry, age and gender, company size, LinkedIn group and job function to target your ad. These ads will be seen at either the right side of a home or profile page, or at the top of bottom of the page. They can be composed of text and images. If you link these ads to your website, or your LinkedIn company page, you can give visitors access to further information about your brand.

3. Display ads

You can purchase display ads from the LinkedIn field sales team that will give you ad space on the right side of the home and profile pages, where you’re likely to get lots of views. With this ad space, you can add blog feeds, videos, or a Twitter feed. A recommendation ad is a great idea to increase word-of-mouth advertising. If someone in your network recommends your product or service, the recommendation shows as an ad on others’ profiles who are also in that network.

4. Customized groups

With a custom group, you have more space for customization on the ride side of the page. You can even add a blog, video or Twitter feeds. Also, consider adding a poll so you can ask group members questions to get quick responses and keep them involved with your brand

5. Use Partner Messages

Partner messages are similar to the InMails service available on a premium LinkedIn account, where you can send private emails through the network. Partner messages allow you to send these kinds of messages, but you can send them as a bulk mailer. Companies can send out notes to a target segment and include a call-to-action button, an ad unit, and a co-branded landing page. Additionally, these messages can be shared through Facebook and Twitter.

Consider trying some of these marketing tools on LinkedIn and see if you notice a positive change in your marketing strategy!

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7 Ways To Engage With Your Followers on Twitter

 

 

 

 

Twitter is a great social media tool for sharing information and building a community of loyal customers. It is ideal for keeping customers informed about your brand and can also be used very efficiently to drive traffic to your other social platforms. The most effective use for Twitter is certainly its ability to help build lasting relationships with people who share your same interests.

Here are some tips that will help you to boost your level of engagement with your target audience on Twitter.

1. Leave space, yet Tweet consistently

If you send out 10 tweets in one hour about your brand, your followers will be overwhelmed and annoyed. Your Tweets will end up looking like spam. However, it is important to Tweet consistently throughout the day so that your followers will come across valuable content that they will want to share. Leave at least 30 minutes in-between your Tweets to keep a good balance between informing and over-informing.

2. Connect people

On social media sites, people want to make connections with those who share their interests. When you help to connect your followers with similar people, your followers will be grateful and have more respect for you. In return, they will be more likely to engage with your brand.

3. Show your personality on your profile

Having a real picture of yourself or your company will make people trust your brand more. You will appear more human and more relatable. Add personal information into your bio to get people interested in what your brand is all about. This way, people will feel passionate and make connections with your brand and look out for your Tweets, and hopefully, will retweet more.

4. Ask questions, and give answers

By asking questions to your followers, they automatically become engaged with you. It gives them a moment to think about what you’ve asked and might spark an interest in them to give you a quality response that you can learn from. When they ask questions back, be sure to answer those questions to build a conversation with your followers.

5. Break the news first

Think about some issues that are relevant to your brand and your company’s interests and provide valuable content continually about those issues. This positions you as an expert in your field, and your followers will know they can count on you to keep them updated about certain topics. Try to be the first to spread news on issues to increase the number of retweets you get, and get the conversation started in your community of followers.

6. Promote your followers

A great way to engage with your followers is to retweet your most passionate followers’ Tweets. Take time to thank them for sharing content and #Recommend and #FF others.

7. Ask for a retweet

If you add, “please RT” to your Tweets, you’ll find that you will get an increased number of retweets. It’s a simple way to remind your followers about retweeting and shows that you want to spread your information and reach out to others.

Twitter is not a site you can use to gain customer loyalty through without engaging with your followers. Always stay active on your Twitter account and listen to your customers to build a strong, lasting, engaging relationship with them

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