Posts Tagged ‘Social Media’

Well, here we are in August, 2010 and location-based social networks are all the rage. Everyone’s talking about Foursquare, Gowalla, Yelp and now, Facebook Places. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn are all considered mainstream and imperative in terms of marketing.

However, it is obvious that many, if not most, businesses have yet to venture into the simplest and arguably the most effective type of social marketing…blogging.

Blogging is nothing new. Blogs date back to 1997, took off in 1999 and were considered mainstream by 2004.

It’s 2010 and your company hasn’t started blogging. Why is that? Are you afraid of what someone might post on your blog? Here’s the deal…people are going to talk about your company, whether it’s on your blog or in the grocery store. Perhaps you don’t see the importance and you’re not completely sold on blogging for business.

A recent study by eMarketer shows a strong increase in companies entering the blogosphere. Their study predicts that 43% of companies will be blogging by 2012.

Here’s a short list of 5 reasons why your company should be actively blogging:

1 - Blogging gives you the opportunity to establish yourself as the expert in your industry or field. Are you a local fitness center or gym? Your blog should contain posts and information on why someone should join your fitness center, as opposed to your competition. You never want to downgrade your competition on your blog. Rather, focus on what your fitness center has to offer and emphasize all the positive attributes of your facility and staff.

2 – Blogging gives your current and potential customers a platform to ask questions and communicate with your business. This adds credibility and can increase customer loyalty. Monitoring your blog closely, answering questions and replying to comments will promote trust and transparency.

3 – Search engines love fresh content. If you don’t add new content to your website on a regular basis the search engines have nothing new to crawl and distribute. Integrating a blog into your site makes it easy to post fresh information on a regular basis for the search engines to find.

4 – A blog is another chance to issue a press release, announce an event, launch a new product or make an important announcement. Blogging is marketing. What are you marketing? Your business!

5 – Your blog serves as what I call your “content distribution source.” With every blog post you publish, you can take that article, create profiles on dozens of other social platforms and post. Not only will this generate more traffic to your blog and website, but you’re also creating links, which will aid in search engine optimization.

Maximizing your blogging efforts will take time, but it’s worth it. Post often, include important keywords for your business/industry and engage with your audience. In my opinion, this should be the first step in creating a powerful social media presence and personality for your company or business.

To learn how we can help, CONTACT US!

Connect on:
   

There are so many different excuses that businesses and organizations use to NOT launch social media marketing campaigns.

- We sell septic tanks? Who would want to follow that?
- Our customers don’t use social media.
- Our company is in a highly regulated industry.
- We don’t have time for social media.
- We don’t want to know what people are saying about us online.
- We tried it once and had no ROI.

The list could go on and on. For B2B, the answers to these questions just aren’t that simple. However, at this point the risk of not participating is far more dangerous than taking a step back and approaching social media with a strategic plan of attack.

Here are three basic components you should have in your plan:

1 – Position your company/brand as the expert: Start a business blog and keep it updated on a regular basis. Not only will this aid in search engine optimization, it also gives you a strong source of content for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. Communicating your expertise sets you apart from your competitors and demonstrates leadership within your industry.

2 – Connect with your audience: Chances are the people you need to reach are out there and motivated to engage with you on different social media platforms. By connecting, you’re projecting transparency and giving your audience the ability to communicate with you on a more personal level. This helps build loyalty and respect.

3 – Manage your brand: Online reputation management. Look it up. You have to claim your identity online and take control of the content associated with your company or organization. Social media gives you the opportunity to monitor and engage negative feedback, as well as express appreciation for the positive feedback…thus, building your brand.

Share compelling content, engage your audience and monitor/respond to the chatter. These are the basics that can lead to a positive and powerful online presence for your company or organization. Combine this with an effective search engine optimization campaign and you can take a closer look at whether or not you should spend all that money on every trade show on the calendar.

To learn how we can help, CONTACT US!

Connect on:
   

It’s hard not to notice all the local AND national brands out there in social media land that just don’t get it.

For instance, on Twitter I see many well-known businesses and organizations who have apparently just given up completely. Typically, they haven’t posted a tweet in 2 months or longer and they don’t follow back. It’s like they tried it, didn’t work…moving on. Giving up is the easy thing to do.

A popular song by Journey suddenly pops into my head…”Don’t Stop Believin’”

Here’s the chorus:
Strangers waiting, Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlights, people, Livin’ just to find emotion
Hidin’, somewhere in the night

Yep, that sounds about right. They’re hiding somewhere in the night…waiting on “the boulevard.”

With so much hype surrounding social media, it’s easy to understand how a business can set up a Twitter account, post a few tweets and then wait patiently for the social media tooth fairy to arrive with thousands of new potential customers…only to be disillusioned when nothing happens. 

Sorry, but it doesn’t work that way. Social media is just like anything else. You get out of it what you put into it. Take some time every day and do a Twitter search to find interesting people to follow and by all means, follow people back. You don’t have to follow everybody back, but you should check them out and follow those that make sense to you.

Most importantly…engage. One of the best ways to grow your audience is to participate in pertinent conversations and provide interesting information to your followers.

Don’t expect a glorious appearing of new business in the first month. But, do monitor your analytics closely to see what’s working and what isn’t…keep managing & tweaking the process and you will see results. Above all, “Don’t Stop Believin’”!

For more information, or to get help with your social media strategy, CONTACT US!

Connect on:
   

Twitter is a great tool to help drive interested readers to your blog. Here are 3 Twitter tips that will help you establish yourself and grow your community on your blog.

1 – Retweet your followers: If one of your followers posts something you think is funny or interesting…retweet it for them. They’ll most likely see that and thank you…exposing your content to more people. Remember, Twitter’s not just about you.

2 – Post articles from other writers: Whatever your passion is…write about it on your blog. But also, post articles from other sources with similar content. This lets your followers know that you’re genuine about your passion and not just looking to push your own message out to them.

3 – Answer questions: Monitor your community and try to answer your followers’ questions. If you don’t know the answer to one…maybe someone else does. Find out and respond. This helps build your reputation and credibility, which can lead to more followers and the likelihood that your posts will get retweeted…hence, extending the reach of your message.

For more information, or to get help with your social media strategy, CONTACT US!

Connect on:
   

While some companies have banned the use of social websites altogether, many still allow employees access in the workplace to sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.

The question is, “Are you being careful with what you post?” There are some legendary stories out there of people who have totally dissed their bosses on Facebook, only to discover that the boss was actually watching. Not smart.

Here’s a list of things you can do to stay safe and not run the risk of being incredibly embarrassed…or fired, some of which are pretty much common sense.

1 – Don’t post any comments or status updates that may bring your company/employer into disrepute.
2 - Don’t use social networks in any way to attack or abuse colleagues or competitors.
3 – Don’t post direct references to any business-related activities regarding your company/employer.
4 – Don’t post personal stuff during work hours. Do that away from the office.
5 – Only post positive work-related comments and information.

Remember, posts are time-stamped, so if you call in sick and decide to post a picture of yourself having lunch with your friends or shopping at the mall….you’re only asking for trouble.

Be careful out there. The boss might be watching!

For more information or to get help with your social media strategy, CONTACT US!

Connect on:
   

By: Scott Dickson

It would be very easy to come up with more than 5 reasons why your business should be utilizing social media.

Here are 5 significant reasons to consider…

1 – Establish yourself as an expert – Blog about your business and share tips and advice to help you stand apart as the expert in your field. Share those blog posts on your Facebook page and Twitter profile and your audience will come to you with questions.

2 – Word of Mouth – Your potential customers are talking to their friends and family about their purchases. If your fans and follwers trust you they’ll tell others…increasing the chances they’ll buy from you.

3 – Build Relationships – The audience you develop through social media will be more loyal and feel more connected to your business. Communicate with them on a personal level and some may become ambassadors or even evangelists for your business.

4 – Increase Website Traffic – Once you develop a sizable audience and begin posting links to products, pages, blog posts, etc. you should see an increase in traffic to your site. Measure the analytics closely and record the metrics on a monthly basis.

5 – Search Engine Optimization – Google indexes content on Facebook pages, Twitter profiles and other social sites. This creates links back to your site, which should increase your search engine rankings and bring you more business!

For more information or to get help with your social media strategy, CONTACT US!

Visit: DicksonInteractive.com

Connect on:
   

By: Scott Dickson

While the internet changed the way consumers shop for products, social media is also having a profound effect on the way consumers research and plan purchases. 

Wesbites like InsiderPages.com, Epinions.com and Yelp.com give people access to consumer reviews, which empowers them with information they need before they decide to go to a restaurant, for instance. 

But, with social media…people can have actual discussions online before they purchase. 

Case in point…below is a brief conversation on Facebook where someone is interested in potentially switching from cable to DirecTV. This is an actual thread pulled straight from Facebook. The names have been changed to protect the innocent… 

JOE: TWC wants mo’ money but since the converter box came in the door our cable has been icky. May look into #DirectTV.
Mon at 8:40pm • Comment •LikeUnlike • View Feedback (11) Hide Feedback (11)

Diane
I’m feeling the same way
Mon at 9:02pm

Sam 
Don’t do Dish Network. We did that and it never worked in the rain.
Mon at 9:26pm • Delete

Mary
I love DirecTV … we got it this summer after TWC made me mad one too many times. Before you sign up, let me or someone else with DirecTV know — they have a promotion right now where both people get $10 off a month for 10 months if you give them my (or someone else’s) account number when signing up. The DVR functionality alone was worth it — and we pay a lot less each month and will even after it goes up after the first year.
Mon at 10:56pm

Jane
We are considering moving away from TWC. This input from others is helpful.
Tue at 8:17am

Sam
How does DirecTV work during wind, rain and storms? Does it stay on? I know folks who have had issues with it.
Tue at 8:42am • Delete

Danny
Heavy rain and forget it, no tv. Still, I really like the info button – esp for movies – tells the actors, director, yr made, and synopsis.
Tue at 9:07am

Danny
Joe, I can give you a $100 coupon, if you want to go w/ Directv
Tue at 9:08am

Chris
DirecTV is good — we’ve had it for a few months now. It’s only had brief blips of non-service in bad rain/storms. (knock wood!) Plus I really like their customer service.
Tue at 9:16am

Matt
We switched last month and love it so far. No major problems so far even in the rain. Wife doesn’t love the dish in the back yard, but it’s not that bad.
Tue at 10:48am

Mary
Even with a really heavy storm a couple months ago, we had no blips or loss of TV, which used to happen at the drop of a hat with TWC!
Tue at 11:59am

Sam
wow…i’m sold…..joe – directv owes you!
Tue at 12:53pm • Delete

So, here’s the takeaway…

If you’re a business owner and you haven’t gotten started with social media marketing, then it’s time to take the plunge. Scared of opening yourself up online? Scared some people may talk about you? Well, guess what…they’re talking about you anyway…whether it’s on Facebook or in the grocery store.

Why not take the new media seriously and learn how to monitor your reputation and use these tools to your advantage? Not to mention it will change your entire perception of how you should be marketing your business.

To learn more, CONTACT US.

Visit: DicksonInteractive.com

Connect on:
   

By: Scott Dickson
www.DicksonInteractive.com

According to a recent media study conducted by the Council for Research Excellence, advertisers need to keep traditional media in their marketing mix…for now.

While it’s true, there is phenomenal growth online with the explosion of Social Media…overall reach is still dominated by broadcast television with radio coming in second. The most notable development in this research is that the web has surpassed newspapers and magazines as the third best way to reach the masses with your message.

The study produced numbers based on the following key “advertising-based” media platforms:

• Television had the highest reach & daily usage among users (95.3%)
• Broadcast radio (77.3%)
• Web/Internet [excluding use of email] (63.7%)
• Newspapers (34.6%)
• Magazines (26.5%)

The print medium is dying. I’m sorry, but there’s nothing anyone can do about it. It’s not going to die today, but it’s hard to believe that it will be around in its current form ten years from now. Real growth amongst these platforms is only happening on the internet and the difference here is with engagement.

Think of engagement this way. Can you email a TV spot to a friend? No, but you can send a YouTube video link to your buddy via email or share it through Facebook and other forms of Social Media.

Did the newspaper ask your permission to send you that load of inserts in the Sunday paper? (Tell the truth…do you really look at every one of those?) No, they didn’t ask. But if you follow the independent, local furniture store on Twitter…you’ve given them permission to communicate with you.

Therefore, as an advertiser, the audience on your blog, fans of your Facebook page and followers on Twitter are incredibly valuable to you.  They want your marketing message. Don’t just spam them with discounts, etc. Engage them socially.

So, yes….traditional media still has the reach. Keep it in your mix. But, spend the time and make the effort to build a loyal audience online. The landscape will continue to change. Everybody’s getting in the boat. Don’t get left on the beach.

Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Visit: DicksonInteractive.com

Connect on:
   

Source: 10e20.com
by Rebecca Kelley

When I spoke about Facebook marketing strategies at SMX East, someone asked the panel of speakers this question: “If you had to do only one to help your business, would you start a blog or focus on social networking?” The answer, I feel, is not necessarily a black or white issue. Obviously, if you can handle running a blog and social networking, the easy answer is “both,” but there are situations where one is more suitable than the other.

Why You Should Blog

Adding a blog to your site can be beneficial to your business in a multitude of ways, a few of which I’ll highlight below:

• It builds unique content. By posting new entries on a regular basis (daily, weekly, etc), you’re creating new, unique content for your site. You’ll get more pages indexed, meaning popular posts can pull in some good search traffic and other posts can rank for long tail search terms.
• It’s a great launchpad for linkbait and viral content. If you’re developing linkbait or viral content for your site, a blog is a great, easy way for you to launch the content. Deploying a piece of content via an active blog makes it seem less orchestrated/intentional than if you were to set up a separate page just for a list.
• It’s a good brand builder. Giving your company a voice via the blog can make your business stand out among the competition. If you provide really helpful information and stand out as an industry leader, your blog will become a valuable resource. Also, establishing a personality on the blog will create emotional ties to the reader and you can develop positive relationships with your audience (which can lead to sales!). You can also use the blog to address any reputation management issues and share company news with the public.

  READ MORE

SEE THE REST