Article by Kristie Lorette
If you think that using social media is ultimately a waste of time, you’re missing a huge opportunity to reach audiences of potential customers that you may not otherwise ever come into contact with. When used correctly, social media marketing is a source for of a huge amount business. After all, what other forms of marketing is so efficient and effective that when you land business you walk away with 100% profit?
No Marketing Expenses
There is a variety of social media networks out there, so you do have to figure out which social media outlets are worth your time. Places where almost any type of businesses should have a presence include Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have a local-focused business such as a retail store or restaurant then sites such as Yelp, Biznik, and City Search are also places where you need to create a profile for your business. There are also social media networks that deal with specific industries, so industry specific networks should also contain a profile. Your only investment is the time it takes you to put up and manage your social media profiles, unless you choose to hire a social media expert to handle this for you.
Adding Social Media to the Mix
No one marketing tactic or strategy operate in a vacuum. The key to creating a successful mix of social media with the rest of your marketing efforts is to fully integrate your marketing efforts. This includes integrating your business blog, article marketing efforts, email blasts, special events, teleseminars and more.Steps to social media marketing may unfold like this:
* When you post a new article to your blog, send out an announcement to your social media contacts to let them know. Be sure to provide the link that sends them directly to the article.
* When you send out an email blast to your list of e-newsletter subscribers, include an excerpt of the new blog post and include a direct link for them to read the rest of the article. You’ll also want to include a special promotion to save on the purchase of a product or service you offer. It’s also imperative to include information about your business such as what you do and how customers can contact you.
* Send out a message or an update to let your social media contacts know that you’re running a special promotion on your product or service. Provide a link to the page on your website where they can take advantage of the sale.
* Create a video blog post instead of a written one. Post the video to your blog, upload it to YouTube and upload it to your social media network pages to share with your followers. Then the following week, you start the schedule all over again.
* When you send out a postcard to your mailing list, invite the recipients to follow you or join you on your social media networks.These steps will unfold over a one or two week period. Some may only occur once a quarter (such as a direct mailing of a postcard). Social media marketing works best, however, when it is done on a regular basis of at least 2-3 times per week.
About the Author
Copywriter and marketing consultant, Kristie Lorette, is passionate about helping entrepreneurs and businesses create copy and marketing pieces that sizzle, motivate, and sell. She is also the author of Action Marketing: A Step-by-step Guide to Launch Your Business Marketing Plan. For more information, visit http://wp.me/ptLrh-1.
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