The Power of Social Media Marketing Times are tough and leading your business through a recession is hard. What is a business owner to do when traditional advertising is becoming less effective everyday? You've spent money on TV ads, but people fast forward through them with their TIVO or DVR's. They are plugging in their iPods instead of listening to the radio. Direct mail campaigns are getting thwarted by savvy anti-junk mail recipients. Cold calling died with the Do Not Call list.
You need to do something other than relying on word-of-mouth, so it is time for a new strategy. As a business owner you are an expert in your industry. As an expert you are positioned to answer people's questions about your industry and you should be involved in that conversation. By sharing your expertise you are building relationships with people that will get you business, and you will find people you wouldn't mind referring business to.
Watch this video for stunning facts about the power on Social Media.
Here's the facts:
More than 1 in 8 viewers make a purchase after watching a video ad online - eMarketer
Facebook has 150,000 new users sign up every single day - Time Magazine
AS of October 2006, about 100,000 new Blogs were created every day - Technorati
Linkedin has 137% growth year after year bring its visitors to 8 million per month - compete.com
People aren't just goofing off on Social Networking sites. They are doing productive things such as asking and answering business questions, getting referrals and giving testimonials. Not part of it yet? Do the research and you will see your competitors are. Now is the time to join the conversation or get left behind.
Case Study #1:
For 29 years Zagat has been using their network of food critics to review restaurants. Yelp, the new restaurant review guide, emerged only 5 years ago. Yelp's strategy was to embrace Social Networking. In that brief amout of time it has created such a buzz the New York Times began to report on it saying Yelp might be more of a factor the Zagat :
"Yelp's traffic has expanded geometrically while Zagat's has grown only a little. This July, Yelp drew 4.76 million unique visitors, compared with Zagat's 384,000. -Randall Stross
Are you starting to see the serious impact that Social Media has? More importantly, how is it affecting your business? How do you find out?
Step 1:
You need to monitor your reputation!
Search on Google for your name and your company. What are the results? Scam Alerts? Judgement papers against you? Scathing reviews from disgruntled former employees? Becoming involved in Social Networking lends you the opportunity to share with Searchers relevant information you want them to see on the Google Results page such as your Linkedin account.
A really valuable tool for monitoring your reputation is Google Alerts. It will email you an alert whenever somebody links to your website or mentions you in a review. We can set this up for youas part of our Social Media Package. If the review or link was favorable, send the person a "thank you" email. Tf the review or link was bad, then we can help you do some damage control to change them back into a satisfied customer.
Case Study #2:
I recently bought a steam cleaner from HAAN. After using it and being amazed how clean my floors were I told my friends on Twitter. Some asked if they could borrow it, but something else happened. HAAN saw that I was talking about them and started to follow my posts. They also contacted me and told me to Tweet them if I had any questions or comments which beats having to go through a phone maze to reach a customer service person. I was impressed that they cared about my experience with their product, and I was more than pleased with their customer service. When was the last time you bought a product and was contacted by the company to make sure it worked for you?
Step 2:
As a business owner you most likely do some offline networking in your Chamber of Commerce, local business networking groups, and volunteer organizations. Social Media is a lot like those activities and as you have probably realized it is easier to receive and refer business with people you have come to know on a personal level.
Because of your status as an expert, your goal should be to share your expertise with those people in your networks and becoming their "Go-to Guy or Gal".
Ultimately, you want to be on as many appropriate networks as possible. Linkedin is like MySpace for business professionals. You will want to fill out your free profile with as much information about yourself and your company as you can.
Similarily, Twitter is a great place to build and join networks. Simply, create yopur profile and search on Twitter Search for people talking, blogging about your product or service.
Blogs are a great way to keep your network engaged. Invite people from your networks to read and comment on your current Blogs.
These are just a few tips to get started in the Social Media landscape.
WSI Social Media Optimization
You are probably thinking," I don't have time to write blogs and manage all my networks. I have a business to run!" You would be right and that is where WSI steps in for you. WSI stands for We Simplify the Internet. We have done it with Website Development, Search Engine Optimization, Paid Search Marketing, and Online Display advertising. We are at it again with the newest trend in Internet Marketing, Social Media Optimization.
We will help you to monitor your brand, build awareness, and join in on the conversation with your current and potential customers. Our multi-industry experts will write creditable and relavent Blogs about you, your products/ services, and your company. We can set up profiles for you on the appropriate networks. We know how to find the people conversing about your field and how to engage them. You will have the time to run your business and have the confidence knowing your brand is protected and growing.
Let WSI put you on the fast-track to Social Media success. Speak with a WSI Internet Consultant to learn about the oppotunity to build your brand, and grow your business. We will discuss what strategies would be best for your business/ industry with your Return On Investment as the focus. Call or email us today!
