2009 15 Nov

How To Use Social Networking With Your Business.

Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Linked-In, there are far way numerous to count… and for that matter, too many to remember. It’s very easy for a business owner to feel overwhelmed when it comes to marketing your products and services. It’s no longer just as simple at putting an ad in the paper, buying a radio commercial, or having a TV commercial created. While your customers still listen to the radio and TV quite heavily you need to show up in more than one place to make a true impact on your customers lives, and to make them take action. Bottom line : The consumer needs that little extra reminder that you exist. The good news is… the cost of attending the social media outlets is free. It just takes some time and effort for it to pay off big time, if done properly.

When you use social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter effectively, you can reach thousands of potential clients with an important message on a daily basis. But how do you persuade these potential clients to become your “Friend” or “Follow you” if you’re starting from a mere plan ? That’s where traditional media comes in. Recently a major restaurant chain wanted to strikingly increase its “followers” or “fans” on Facebook. To do this, they started on a campaign on TV and Radio asking people to sign up and be their “Fan” on Facebook, the message clearly stated that if “a set amount of people became a “fan” by a select date, every one of them would get a coupon for a free burger”. The result… thousands of people became a “fan” and many of them told their friends to become “Fans” as well, and so on and so on. Eventually, every single one of them were given a free burger.

So now this restaurant chain has plenty of “Followers/Fans”… Now what? If the restaurant uses their social networking intelligently, they can make sensible offers, share viral videos, bits of humor, all in an effort to be “top of mind” with their target customer. It’s not just a matter of posting the daily specials, their “posts” than fall onto their fans “feeds” cannot be spammy in any manner, shape, or form.

What we are witnessing is the development of a new venue for marketing. Just as the evolution from billboards lead to print lead to radio led to TV led to internet, and now to social marketing. None of the mediums died, they simply created more places to reach your consumers. The businesses that are reaching their target customers, still use all of these mediums in some way, shape or form. Everyone of them are effective at delivering different ideas. Some in making direct offers, some in branding top of mind name recognition, some in garnering excitement and evoking passion and action. They all work as partners. If you would like advice or help with integrating social networking into your current marketing plan feel free to email or call us at any time, we’d be happy to share some thoughts and advice.

We strive to help social business effectively reach their streams of income through compelling & social business model.