Social Media: So Many Sites – So Little Time
There has been a lot of talk this past year about how businesses need to have a presence on the different Social Media sites. The problem is that just having a presence isn’t enough. It’s just like your website. You may have a website, but if no one knows about it – how can you increase your business?
But, before you worry about getting traffic to your site, you must first answer these two questions.
- What Social Media sites are your customers on?
- What keywords would they use to find your product or service?
Choosing Your Social Media Platform
If you’re not sure about where your customers or potential customers are on social media – maybe the following highlights will help.
Facebook:
- The largest social media site with roughly 1,000,000,000 users who spend 3+ hours a day.
- Great for companies that need to connect to individual consumers.
- Business pages are searchable in the major search engines
Twitter:
- Uses short quick headlines
- Quick response
- Great for sending out messages for unannounced specials
LinkedIn:
- For connecting with the decision makers in business
- If you have a specific company you are targeting – follow them here
- creates an impression of expertise
- Connections are real and valuable
YouTube:
- Tells your story via video
- Can rank on first page quickly
- People would rather watch a video than read
Google Plus:
- A combination of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube
- Engage audience via hangouts – your virtual front porch
- When searching on Google – if any of your friends have searched for the same thing, they show up in your search
These are the main platforms where companies are finding new ways to connect with their customers and building their business. However, the one thing that you’ll discover from the companies that are successful growing their business through social media is that they are active on a daily basis and engage their audience through the use of contests, questions and relative and useful content. What they do not do is promote and sell with every post that they write.
Your Audience Wants To Connect
The old saying is true that people do business with people/companies that they know, like and trust. And to build and keep an audience you need to provide them with exactly what they are looking for.
How does someone get to know you? Building your following takes a great deal of effort on your part. Your customers want to know how to connect with you. So tell them! You should have it on your website, business cards and all of your advertising.
Once they have connected with you – you must build your likeability and trust with them by giving them useful information that they can use. If someone ask a question – answer it. Promote you special fan or client. Remember – in today’s marketing…it’s no longer about you…it’s about your customer. What is it that they want?
You can no longer scream “BUY MY STUFF”. You have to wait until they say “I’ll take it”.
Summing It All Up
So in the end, what it all comes down to is that Social Media is another tool in your online marketing strategy. And to be successful you must realize that:
- Social Media takes time
- You have to engage your audience on a regular basis
- You must provide useful and relevant content
- Selling is the NOT the top priority
- Choosing the right keywords is the foundation for your success
Find out more by calling Garry Cardinal at (301)850-4850
About Garry Owen Cardinal
