23
Jun
2010
Marketing With Web 2.0
In the world of selling, one must be on his toes to be in a position to vie with their competition. The selling landscape changes over the years, and if one isn’t up to the task, his or her business will flag.
Before, if one hears the word “delicious” it invokes images of a happy eater having had his fill. Now, it can suggest an internet tool for bookmarking as well as selling one’s business. Delicious dot com is a bookmarking and social site that will prove to be a powerful tool for web marketers. Especially if paired with services like ping.fm, one can post whatever he or she wants and have it posted in assorted web 2.0 sites. Flickr is also one popular site to use
Before, promoting consisted of massive poster advertisements, print ads and in the recent past, television ads and perhaps videos uploaded in youtube. Save for youtube, all those mean a lot of spending. Marketing and launching an advertisement campaign isn’t cheap.
However , with the appearance of the internet, as long as you have an net connection and a P. C. , you can market yourself for literally less than 1 / tenth what you might spend for standard selling secrets.
aside from Delicious, you can use facebook, twitter, diigo or myspace to market yourself. What makes it so cool is that all those are free. That suggests you don’t have to spend a tasty sum simply to start your promotional program. What’s more, being social network sites, you are able to add your friends and they will always be current to what you are up to. Some services let your announcements or messages be seen by the buddies of your friends’ mates. Think about the large market you have tapped into. And best of all, it didn’t cost an arm or a leg.
So go forward and kick off your own web 2.0 marketing campaign.It costs nearly nothing, but the results can be overwhelming.
27
Oct
2009
Can Social Media Help You Sell More?
Can social media really help your business build it’s brand or sell the products you have to offer? With more people using these web sites on a daily basis, there must be a way to turn followers into purchasers. I believe its possible with a few simple strategies. Consider the power of social media as communicator, leader, and sale person. Follow these guidelines for social media success.
Social media is all about building a dialog with like minded people or people who are in your target audience. Social media has impact when it is focused on the market you serve. If you are in shoes and you’re trying to build a following in the area of automotive, you are setting yourself up for failure.
Create a social media plan. How are you planning to use social media? What are your goals? Who is going to help you manage the dialog? Take some time to consider all of these questions and others related to how you are going to manage your social media plan. It’s important to know who can support your social media needs and how you are going to succeed online.
Share your expertise. What are you good at? Others want to learn from those with experience in a given area. Do you have a skill that you can teach others? Take time to share what you know and do it in bite sized pieces. This can keep others engaged and allow you to communicate within your comfort zone. The more experience you can share the better.
Consistent communication is important. Posting information one day or one week and not the next doesn’t do much to build a following. Those who are most successful communicate just the right information at the right time. Striking a balance is important to your successful over the long term. Start with small, consistent communications that provide value and you’ll see results.
Invite conversation with others around specific topics. Take a stand and choose a side. By serving to create dialog, others want to be part of the conversation. The more people that weigh in the better your content as it represents many different points of view. This enriches the content and attracts others to your conversation.
Succeed by not selling. One of the biggest turn offs of social media is that a lot of people, businesses included, jump in and start selling. Just like the used car salesman, some individuals focus on selling without first creating value. This is one of the most important things you can do within the realm of social media. Start by creating a dialog and providing value to your followers. Once you do, they will want to use the products you’re using and try the services you recommend.
The area of social media is in full force. By developing a list of followers or fans, you can quickly improve the opportunity to build your brand. To sell your products however, you’ll have to create value for your followers. Don’t try to sell directly. You’re best bet is to mention products in a subtle way. This has more power than the direct approach when it comes to social media marketing. Followers can leave you quickly so don’t push your luck. Create value and they will return the favor.
Need guidance with your social media marketing? Start with our SEO training and social media program. Check out our Internet marketing forum for more social media guidance.