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How to Introduce Social Media to Your Business
Tags: Managementsocial media adoption
September 20, 2010 by Danny Brown

Fact – too many businesses still need to wake up and realize that social media is not “one of these Internet fads” that will disappear.

Fact – because of this mindset, too many businesses are potentially missing out on extra business that could mean the difference between staying afloat and going under. So why the problem?

One of the main reasons is that businesses – whether it’s the CEO, top-tier management or otherwise – are looking at social media as an individual medium, much like PR or marketing.

This is where the cracks start to appear. Social media benefits companies the most when it’s used as part of a marketing campaign or similar.

Social media is also perfect for reaching out and connecting with your audience, as opposed to just selling them something. Sure, you’re still selling your brand or product – but this time, it’s in an “encouraging to ask questions” approach instead of “this is us and you’ll like it” one.

Accepting that social media needs to be approached as an integrated strategy rather than a standalone campaign is the first step businesses need to take. After that, the job gets a little bit easier.

Define Your Audience
Just like any market or product, social media is made up of different audiences. As a business owner, you wouldn’t launch a new product onto a more traditional marketplace without some in-depth market research first – don’t ignore this on social media.

Knowing your audience is key to succeeding in business social media. You need to know if your audience are participants or promoters. Why the need to differentiate? Simple –

•Participants are social media users that may use numerous social media sites and applications, but don’t really “take part” in the medium. They’re like the visitors to your business website that may purchase something and then interact with you no further. There’s nothing wrong with this – but as a method of expanding your brand, you may need to look elsewhere.
•Promoters are the users that like to share information – whether it’s recommending something via Twitter or their blog, if they come across something they like they will pass that information on. This is where your use of social media can help build your name. Just remember that social media works both ways. Don’t try and cheat the system – give back just as much (more, even) as you receive.
Have a Clear and Defined Goal
Another area where businesses are failing to adapt social media to their needs is that they don’t have a clear goal on what they want to achieve. Many hear the phrase “social media” and immediately feel they need to be a part of this buzz, jump straight in without any forward thinking, and are then disappointed with the (lack of) results.

Ask yourself who you want to connect with and why, and then research the areas of social media that are most relevant to your needs. Demographics are one of the key points of knowledge for any campaign – make sure you know where your demographics are playing online. A social map can help here.

Again, though, don’t try and play the system – cheaters will soon be found out, and your brand can suffer irreparable damage if seen as merely a self-promotional company on social media.

Tools of the Trade
Once you have your audience and your goal set out, you need to use the tools that will help you the most. There are numerous available, and this is where building your social media connections can help, by advising what ones they use and what results they achieve.

Some of the best free examples of business tools include Monitter (which allows you a view on Twitter discussions of keywords); Google Alerts (giving you insight into what’s being said about you); and Social Mention (letting you gauge social reactions and reach to your topic or keywords and allowing you to jump in on conversations elsewhere).

Getting into social media shouldn’t be a hard decision for businesses to make – it’s either right for you or it isn’t. Social media is a long-term strategy, not a short-term fire sale.

Understand that, and you begin to understand social media.

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Using video blogs can really increase your business and build relationships. It sounds a little overwhelming creating a video, but it is very simple and easy.

This is a fun and fast way to create really fun videos. Here is one I did today just to see how it works, I will have more to come! To take a look at the system Animoto you can click on the Image Animoto - The End of Slideshows

Social Media Video Blog

Small Business Internet Express

Wouldn’t it be nice to… 

  • get a complete web marketing plan set up with just ONE phone call
  • enjoy increased revenue from customers who can now find your products or services on the internet
  • deal with just ONE friendly team instead of half a dozen “experts” who promise bits and pieces of web development, SEO, writing, social media set-up and…you name it
  • enjoy an Internet presence that communicates who you are (not a cookie-cutter image)
  • save thousands of dollars in web design fees
  • take complete charge of your own Internet empire so you are not dependent on developers and helpers who disappear for weeks at a time, usually before your work is done 

 

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Do It Yourself Small Business Marketing

Wouldn’t it be nice to… 

  • learn to grow your business using the internet tools your competion is using
  • enjoy increased revenue from customers who can now find your products or services on the internet
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  • take complete charge of your own Internet empire so you are not dependent on developers and helpers who disappear for weeks at a time, usually before your work is done

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Social Media Marketing for Small Business

Small Business Social Media Marketing Like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter Are Not Just A Fad!

Discover the easy and fast way to…

  • get your Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts set up the right way
  • learn the free tools that you can use so that your social media marketing takes minutes instead of hours a week
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  • enjoy increased revenue from customers who can now find your products or services on the internet
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Google Analytics can really help you track your results. It is a tool you use and plugin to the backside of your website and it generates a report for you showing where people came from to find your site. For example from Twitter, Facebook, Google, other sites also what country or state they live in. It is an awesome tool and very simple to use.

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Learn about Constant Contact and how it can be used to help your business grow.

Details of Internet Marketing

Something I have learned over the years are there are different types of people; there are analytical people who pay attention to every detail. They would NEVER send out a newsletter, event posting, email, etc without proofing it and spell checking it; you very rarely find a mistake in their marketing. There are people who want their marketing materials, emails, newsletters, etc to look good and at the same time details do not mean as much to them or they can overlook them, these people may have YOU instead of YOUR, or missing a comma. I am one of the people, so in my field of marketing I have to make sure I double and triple check everything. I have learned that the slightest error or grammar mistake can cost you a client or a great power partner. One of my clients told me last week when you are doing work for other people or writing a quick email to make sure to proof it and ask yourself “Would you put your name on it?” This made me think even thought I am not huge on details the majority of people are. We all have so much on our plates every day, especially if you are an entrepreneur. We are CEO, admin, tele-marketer, bookkeeper, networker, and more, this make me think how much more careful we have to be on details. We ARE OUR Company! When we work for someone or corporate office, we have something to blame it on. We need to be very careful when we are doing internet marketing because so many more people are viewing our videos, blogs, and social media. A couple tips I have for when you are writing for your company or posting anything for your internet marketing:

Tips

1)   Find a power partner where you can exchange your editing expertise, take turns on proofing each other’s emails, newsletters, blogs, etc.

2)   Take time to write an outline, remember when you were in middle school and before any essay or paper you wrote you had to have an outline. This will help you stay on track with your writing and make sure you have covered the points you wanted to.

3)   Remember basic Grammar; two spaces after each sentence when writing, using a comma when needed, watching run-on sentences, and ALWAYS spell check.

These seem like such basic tips; I know that’s what I said. When I sit down to write a blog I am mind dumping on paper and sometimes you can get so involved in what you are writing you forget the basics of grammar.