Wise use of social media like blogs, Facebook Fan Pages, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and others can help you be noticed by prospective customers. There are several reasons to consider social media for your marketing plan:

• They are a proven way to help search engines like Google find you and your Website.
• They build credibility, if you use them properly.
• They help you stay current in your marketing effort by providing feedback from your prospective customers.
• They provide a “personal touch”, giving you a chance to interact with prospective customers that your Website does not.

Many people reject social media as marketing tools because they do not want to spend time writing blogs, answering comments on Facebook, etc.  In short, they see social media as a diversion from their pursuit of creating, with an unknown guarantee of any payback.  But, consider this:

Case Study in Blog Effectiveness

Two years ago, I posted an entry to my photography blog. I do not post regularly to this blog…only when I am moved to write, which is infrequent.  However, I had just visited a unique archaeological site here in the Southwest, and felt compelled to share it with the world.  Two years later, I still receive email comments and inquiries. The only way people can contact me is by clicking the link on the blog to my Website. People then browse the site and discover the images there, then they fill out the contact form on the site.  See for yourself. Enter the words, “Poncho House Ruin” in Google search, and see what comes up at the top of the list!

This is one good way you can use social media to attract attention.

But If You Are Really Serious…

A very successful sales manager at a Japanese company I worked with once advised me about sales calls:  “Always bring a gift.”  Even if you are blogging only to have your wisdom published in an online forum, you want to attract followers.  Blogs that advertise new products, or brag about your new clients, attract the least attention.  The same holds true for Facebook, which many newcomers mistake for a free advertising service.

People will bookmark your blog, and pay attention to your Facebook postings, if what you have to say provides value.  Readers appreciate useful information that is relevant to their interests.  And they expect to see frequent updates; weekly is insufficient.  If your readers learn through experience that your blog consistently provides useful ideas, they will bookmark it.

I Built It…Did They Come?

It is easy to build metrics in to your blog using Google Analytics, and you will find out pretty quickly how effective your Facebook Page is by how many “likes” you receive.

Another great way to gauge effectiveness, if you are selling a product or service,  is to create an offer through your social networking channels.  Keep track of which promotions work, and when is the best time to post them.

And do remember to keep the “social” in social networking.  Do not be afraid to let your personality show through, expecially on Facebook or Twitter postings.  Do be mindful, however, that everything you post, whether on Groups, Facebook, Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, or any other social network, lives virtually forever. So, be mindful of the online personna you are developing!

How to Get Started

There are right and wrong ways to use social media.  Remember that social media, unlike your Website, do require a certain amount of interaction. But you can decide just how much of your time you wish to devote.

Contact me to learn more about these valuable tools for gaining the attention of your customers.