Internet Marketing

Are you a business owner or entrepreneur who hasn’t started using social media yet? Networking on various social sites will allow you to improve your Web site traffic and build your online presence. Whether you are a small business owner or communications director for a large corporation, adding social networking to your marketing strategy is imperative.

On a strictly business level, social media offers three key components: it allows you to connect with and engage current and potential customers directly; it allows you to connect with colleagues and business partners; and it allows you to leverage those connections to connect with others to meet needs you don’t even know you have yet.

When you directly interact with customers you are able to “hear” what they are thinking, handle minor problems before they turn into major ones and to make them active participants in how your business develops and grows. Your colleagues and business partners have valuable connections and are ongoing resources if you have questions on vendors, next business steps, or are seeking an expert opinion, even if it is from someone previously considered unreachable.

There are three places you need to be in the “virtual world”. Although there is a continual increase in the number of social networking sites available and some of them might be worth your while eventually, but in the beginning, you need to be on these sites: Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. And if you are too busy to do all three, then for business, use the second two primarily. Facebook is used a great deal for casual socializing, although many businesses do have a strong presence there. For beginners, it isn’t necessary.

When you sign up for these, sites use your real name (or as close as possible). You want people to be able to find you. You may also want to sign up under the company name which you can do on LinkedIn and Twitter. Get a great head shot and use a small version of this as your thumbnail sized avatar. The sites will offer to look for contacts from your email address book. This is a great feature and you should do it. Deselect if you don’t actually want to follow someone.

Write a complete and compelling profile bio. Be authentic in who you are and don’t skimp on this part. People want and need to know who you are in order to have any interest in following you. As appropriate, include a graphically appealing background. Twitter’s is pretty easily manipulated and there are plenty of free sites that will allow you to tinker with it yourself or hire a graphic designer for this small project. Always add your Web site or blog URL to your profile!

Get involved. If you are on Twitter, follow appropriate people (use the search on the main page for types of business people: entrepreneurs, artists, attorneys or go to WeFollow.com to find a broader selection). But don’t just be an observer. Share information, share articles you’ve found online, ask questions, cheer people on, connect people to other people! On LinkedIn and Facebook, sign up for groups or fan pages in areas that truly interest you and participate in discussion groups. Offer your expertise.

Although the bottom line for many using social media is to increase sales, don’t push your product or your services too hard. People don’t like this. It is a real turn-off and they might not just stop following you, they might encourage others to do the same. Offer real opinions and real interactions to slowly build a following and loyalty.

You may get the chance to meet some of your online contacts in person. Take advantage of this opportunity to build even stronger connections and loyalty among within your network. You can find events listed on Facebook and LinkedIn and do a search on Twitter for “tweetup”s.

From Fortune 500 companies to freelance entrepreneurs, social networking offers a way to interact and contact people we didn’t conceive of five years ago and allows for a broader reach to your target audience. Test the waters and go connect!