Getting Started With Social Media

As a business owner, you know by now that building a strong, powerful, dominating presence online is essential to long term business success.

Staying competitive in your market these days requires well established Internet marking, Social Media marketing, and email marketing skills.

Are you paying too much for advertising that is no longer effective?

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As I mentioned in a previous post, more and more large corporations are turning to Twitter and other Social Media platforms for effective, inexpensive alternatives to conventional advertising.

Originally, Twitter was created and used as a virtual water cooler, a place where it’s creators could gather, without leaving their desks, and share ideas.

Obviously, Twitter quickly caught on and people everywhere started “tweeting”.

Not intended for business at first, marketers soon discovered that the unique ability to build relationships with potential clients makes Twitter (and other platforms) great for business.

As of April, 2010, 105,779,770 Twitter users were reported and there is room for enormous growth.

Also, 51% of Twitter users follow companies, brands, or products on social networks.

These kinds of statistics let us know that, if done correctly, amazing things can be accomplished on Twitter for business.

What Can Twitter Do For My Business?

1. Grow your business/Dominate your market.
2. Establish and/or extend the reach of your brand.
3. Raise the profile of your business.
4. Build publicity for your products, services, events.
5. Build deeper relationships with customers, clients and other entrepreneurs.
6. Gain wisdom and advice from experts.
7. Gain additional streams of web traffic.
8. Give alerts to previous visitors of new content on your websites.
9. Promote blog posts.
10. Turn followers into visitors/visitors into paying customers.

Referring to an example I’ve used before, Twitter makes it possible to totally revolutionize your customer service.  When set up correctly, you are able to respond instantly to customer service issues, or simply follow up with customers and prospects.

So how do I effectively set up Twitter for business?

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As a small business owner in the early 1990’s, methods of advertising were not what they are today.  I remember, agonizing over how to most effectively invest the limited business capital we had.  A Yellow Page ad, in our industry (Transportation) was an absolute must, but oh, so expensive.

In order to compete, we really needed a full page ad.  Limited resources, however, allowed us only a half page ad.

It was obviously better than nothing.

Unfortunately, the high costs of advertising, coupled with the drastic changes in the market, led to us having to close that business and get regular jobs, not something that anyone with a true entrepreneurial heart wants to do.

Later, in Real Estate, newspaper ads and direct mail marketing were preferred, along with the more pricey radio and television ads.

Then we discovered the Internet and Internet Marketing.

Suddenly, more and more Realtors had websites.  Virtual tours were popping up everywhere, and a new breed of home-buyer was emerging.  Young, up and coming professionals who had no problem viewing a virtual tour of a home on a website, then contacting the Realtor to see more-or even make an offer.

These exciting changes were not just for Realtors.  Marketing online became a huge, promising, and economical alternative across all industies worldwide.

I’ve seen three major shifts in the ten years I’ve been involved in Internet Marketing.

1.  Google vs. Yellow Page Ads

Internet searches have virtually put an end to conventional advertising like Yellow Pages and Newspaper Ads.  A company without a web presence is miles behind it’s competition.

2.  Blogs vs. Websites

Just putting up a website on the Internet is not enough. Blogs are proven to be significantly more effective for marketing online because of the interaction and engagement with prospects you don’t get with static websites.

Because of the built in search engine optimization of blogs, they climb high in search engine rankings quickly. Plus, they are inexpensive to set up and free to maintain and update.

3.  Social Media

Pepsi Cola pulled out of the 2010 Super Bowl, electing to invest in Social Media Marketing rather than over $1 Million for a 30 second commercial. While many large corporations gladly spend $40,000 per year on a Social Media Manager to handle their accounts, small business owners can capitalize on this type of marketing with little to no investment.

With Social Media Marketing, any business, large or small can quickly and inexpensively market to their prospects and service their existing customers more efficiently than ever before.

Example

An Internet Marketer I know created an ebook and sold it on his blog.  In his marketing he offered,

“Tweet me if you have any questions or concerns”

One day, a customer purchased his ebook but could not download the product.  Frustrated, he went on Twitter and sent a tweet to the Marketer about his issue.  Receiving the tweet directly to his I phone, the marketer was able to instantly reply to the issue, giving immediate, glowing customer support that everyone on his follower list witnessed.

Not only did this savvy marketer successfully deal with one paying customer, but he also displayed excellence, honesty and integrity in business to thousands of warm prospects without tooting his own horn, so to speak.  Plus, Twitter, like all other Social Media Marketing platforms is free to use.

So how do you use Social Media Marketing to grow your business?

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