What to Write? What to Right?

One of the biggest issues people have with #socialmedia is: What to write?  If this stumps you, not to worry, you’re not alone – at one time or another, everyone gets stumped with that!  But you don’t have to look as far as you might think to come up with some great ideas for social media and blog posts.   

Mark Twain said, “Write what you know.” Great advice! You’re an expert in your industry. But not everyone else is. Position yourself as the ‘go-to’ person in your field. And write what you know.

Let’s look at some examples of sources for inspiration:

1.     What are the 2 (or 3 or 4 or 5) key misconceptions about your industry? What are some of the most common myths surrounding what you do? Be the mythbuster! Social media is a great way to disseminate the information that will set people straight.

2.   What about your industry has changed within the past 5 years? What’s new? You’re the professional. Let people know that. Since you’re the one with your finger on the pulse, use that. Change within your industry is the important stuff that people need to know. Share it on social media.

3.   Think for a moment. What are the questions that you are most asked about your industry; about what you do; about your products and services? Elaborating on the responses to these questions can provide you with plenty of inspiration for social media and blog posts.

4.     Finally, and this is really important: What is the call to action? Make sure you include something. Once you have people’s attention, what is it that you want them to do after they absorb all of the useful information you’ve provided via social media? Well, ultimately you want them to buy your products; you want them to use your services. And how do you leverage social media to entice them to do that?  That’s your call to action. And you want the call to action to be an immediate response. It might be to call or email you to request further information about your services, or even better, to set up an appointment (don’t forget to provide contact information where it will be easily seen - and in the case of an email, link to your email address right there). Or it might be to come into your store/offices/workshop to purchase what you sell (again, a very visible address and a map to your location should be included on your social media sites – not to mention a link to your website). Or you might want people to subscribe to your newsletter or blog (and yes, you can write those, too! Piece of cake!). If that’s the case, ensure that you include a “Subscribe” button that people can click on right then and there. Easy!

Posting to social media sites isn’t rocket science, but it does take some time and thought. It’s also a necessity in business these days if you’re going to be competitive. I defy you to find one big business that doesn’t have a social media presence. I’ll bet you can’t! And there’s a very good reason for that. In today’s climate, if you don’t have a social media presence, you pretty much don’t exist. Just some food for thought…

Want more help with your foray into the realm of the social? We’ve got just the course for you! Join one of our Social Networking for Business workshops today! (See the call to action??)

How to Leave an Impression with Each and Every Blog Post

There is a monumental amount of blog content swirling around out there.  Some of it memorable, and some, not so much.  The success of your business is tied to your ability to to craft a compelling message and deliver it in a way that will inspire your clients to act. How do you make your content stand out and resonate with readers?  How do you get your blog post to leave an impression?  Here are a few tips:   

1.       Don’t write for you – write for your audience.  That is, know your target audience and create content that you know will be an asset to them .  Pretend that one of your clients is sitting in front of you and write as though you’re speaking to that person.  Answer questions that are frequently asked by your clients.  Post content that is relevant and keep your audience in mind at all times when writing.  Think:  How can your posts benefit them?    

2.       Write with a “human quality”.  Although the term ‘business blogging’ sounds like the equivalent to dry and dull content, it doesn’t have to be.  Keep it informative, yes, but not boring.  Don’t be afraid to allow your humanity to seep through.  In fact, be daring and lighten it up.  Use lots of humor – use language that will strike an emotional chord and move your readers.  Make a connection with them from a human standpoint.

3.       Keep it clear and concise.  People seek out blogs (especially business blogs) to learn something – to be informed.  Stay on topic when you write.  If you start to ramble and go off on tangents, your readers will be nothing but confused and start to wonder what they were trying to get out of your post in the first place.  Oh, and they probably won’t be back to catch a second act!

4.       Mind your grammar!  Bring back shades of your fifth grade teacher?  Sorry, but proper grammar is an integral part of blogging.  No one is going to take you seriously if you can’t string a sentence together.  If you’re not sure how to spell a word or of the correct usage of a word, just “Google” it.  A thesaurus is a wonderful thing! 

And, don’t forget to proofread & edit – not just once, but twice.  If a sentence sounds a bit off to you, read it out loud.  Sometimes that can clarify things.

5.       Use images for visual stimulation, to break up the text and to drive your point(s) home.  Looking at a page with a bunch of text on it can be painful on the eyes.  Using one or two well-positioned images can be an effective way of not only breaking up the text and making your post more aesthetically pleasing, but of reinforcing & depicting what you’re writing about.  And, an image doesn’t necessarily have to be a picture.  If you’re citing statistics, include a graph, a chart or an infographic.   There’s no law against making it colorful!

5 TIPS FOR A KILLER BLOG POST

Blogging is an effective way of keeping your name at the forefront of people’s minds when it comes to  industry news and relevant information.  Others are doing it, why not you?

Here are 5 tips that will help make your blog the one people keep coming back to read:    

1. Write with Intention:  People generally look to a blog post as a source of information.  You therefore want to ensure that your posts impart crucial news and enlightening info that people are sourcing out.  Keep it fresh, current and relevant.  But, be engaging (and entertaining where warranted) as well.  You don’t want your audience reading your posts as a sleep aid!  And, whatever you do, don’t use your blog as a press release or an advertising forum – people are not going to keep coming back to read blatant self-promotion.

The takeaway:  Make sure each post offers readers the illumination they’re looking for, but try to set forth a unique tone, a sense of personality (yours, of course!) as well.

2. Maintain a Sense of Cohesiveness:  Remember your grade 7 English Composition class?  Remember the rule about every piece of work having an introduction, a body and a conclusion?  Well, that applies here.   People aren’t going to stick around if they’re trying to make sense of a jumbled, pointless mess.  You want your introduction to hook your readers’ attention.  The first line or two should create intrigue and make people want to read on.  A little drama never hurt anyone. 

Transition smoothly into the body of your post – and this should be where you become a resource – a wealth of pertinent, need-to-know and up-to-the-minute information.  Keep paragraphs relatively short and engaging and keep it focused.  Go ahead and be creative – make use of your toolbar and incorporate style elements like numbered lists, bullet points, etc.

Your conclusion should briefly summarize the body content, but must also invoke a call-to-action.  Hopefully, this will be to contact you to either acquire more information or to hire you.  But, remember, no sales pitches!

The takeaway:  In order for your posts to be informative, they need to primarily make sense and to follow (at least some of) the rules of the written English word.

3. Maintain a Sense of Decorum:  You want to be engaging and entertaining in order to maintain your readers’ attention, but you also want to invoke in them a sense of trust in you.  It’s essential to therefore maintain a sense of professionalism.  This is not to say that you must steer away entirely from being a bit cutting edge, or even informal, but just remember that it is, after all, a business blog and you are a real estate professional.  As your mom would say:  Watch your language!

The takeaway:  You can go ahead and make em’ laugh, but just bear in mind your target audience and the purpose of your blog, and write accordingly.

4. Make Use of Visuals:  Yes, your post will be engaging and enlightening, but it never hurts to add a little visual enhancement.   Insert a relevant photo or two where pertinent and this just adds to the ‘keeping - their- attention’ factor. 

The takeaway:  Photos add an element of interest and help to break up the text.  People love pictures!

5. Brevity is Key:  Even though people are sourcing you out and wanting to read what you have to say, they won’t want to be reading the second coming of War and Peace.  You will only be able to maintain people’s attention for so long, therefore you want to get all of your most important points down in a well-paced manner.  If people don’t care to stick around to finish a blog post, chances are, they won’t be returning to check out your next one.  A good rule of thumb is to try not to let any post exceed 1000 words.  If you’re blogging on a popular topic that is worthy of more than 1000 words, consider breaking the post up into Parts I & II – a great way to keep people coming back for more!

The takeaway:  Keep it brief and you won’t run the risk of boring your audience!

Ready to start blogging?  By following the above strategic moves, you should be doing it like a pro in no time at all!!

5 Things You Can Do on Social Media to Find Your Dream Job

Technology and (most especially) social media have simplified our lives in too many ways to count.  And, finding a job is definitely not the same daunting task as it was even just 15 years ago.  There are a variety of ways technology has put things at our fingertips when it comes to the job search:  websites showcasing available employment opportunities; websites that help with resume writing; websites that offer job interview tips and, of course, social media sites that connect you to the whole world of the job hunt and open up an unprecedented wealth of opportunity!   

Here are a few tips for you to consider when using social media in the search for your dream job:

1.  Ensure You’re Up-to-Date and In the Know – Knowledge, as they say, is power.  Make sure that you’re up to date with all of your industry’s news, trends, info and goings-on.  Social media make it very easy for you to stay current.  Check out industry-related people and news via Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and LinkedIn.  Monitor and join discussions and groups and stay a part of the action.

2. Get Connected (and Recommended) on LinkedIn – Of all the social media platforms, you’re probably aware that LinkedIn is the most professionally relevant.  Unlike its social media peers, LinkedIn is all about connecting & keeping up with other professionals and businesses.  And, LinkedIn takes it one step further – it has its own “Jobs” tab and built-in job search functionality.  It’s like one-stop shopping for the job hunter!

Make the most of what LinkedIn has to offer by ensuring that your LinkedIn profile is at 100% completeness.  Think of your LinkedIn profile as your online resume and fill it in with as much detail as possible pertaining to your employment history, educational background, experience and skills.  Ensure that you request plenty of recommendations from past employers, co-workers and educators.  Use an abundance of keywords to better your chances of being found in a search for suitable candidates for employment.  LinkedIn really is unparalleled when it comes to looking for a good job in your industry – take advantage of what it offers and you’ll be employed in no time!

3. Mind Your Manners and Keep it Professional – Most people use Facebook and Twitter for personal use and entertainment – and that’s fine.  But, when you’re on the job hunt you want to mind what’s publicly viewable because anything in the public domain that your friends can see, your future employer will be able to see as well.  So, while you’re actively looking for a job, watch what you tweet and what you post on Facebook.  Check out your Facebook privacy settings and use them wisely.  If you blog – watch what you blog about and showcase your smarts rather than posting a scathing, sarcastic piece about something that really ticked you off last week.  And, that brings me to my next point…

4. Blog, blog and blog some more – If you haven’t already, start a blog and write on a weekly basis about something relevant to your industry.  As mentioned above, this is a great way to showcase your intelligence and industry know-how.  Make sure that all of your posts are grammatically correct and full of valuable information that positions you as the person in the know!  There are plenty of blogging sites out there: Wordpress, Tumblr and BlogSpot, just to name a few.  Take advantage and start writing now!

5. Arm Yourself with Info – Before you head off to a job interview or even prior to submitting an application, do your homework and arm yourself with plenty of background information on the company you’re applying to as well as the person with whom you will be interviewing.  You can search the company and its employees (especially the interviewer) on Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn and if the business has a blog, read as many posts as you can to familiarize yourself with what they’re all about, their mission, etc. 

So much information, so little time!! That’s the value of social media.  They literally put the professional world at your fingertips and make it so easy for you to network to find that position you’ve dreamed of since graduation!

READY, SET, BLOG: WHY TUMBLR IS MORE RELEVANT NOW THAN EVER

We recently began using Tumblr for the ‘Blogging’ segment of our Social Networking for Business workshop, and, I must say, I’m impressed.  I first learned about Tumblr through my teenage daughter who used the site as a form of communicating and photo sharing with friends, and to be honest, I dismissed it at the time (a couple of years ago) as just that - another teen fad.  But, when I actually created a Tumblr account and researched its functionality, I definitely changed my tune.

Tumblr, in a word, simplifies the blogging experience.  It’s straightforward as well as easy, quick and fun to use.  In singing the praises of Tumblr, I’m not diminishing the qualities of WordPress or Blogger, but I have to admit, Tumblr does facilitate blogging and picture & video sharing in an unprecedented manner.  Tumblr is multimedia – you have the option to post a photo or video only (with a caption if you so desire) or you can post text content with or without photos or video.  You can even post a quote and have the option to cite the source in its own field.  And, so much more… It really doesn’t get any more uncomplicated than that!

With respect to branding, Tumblr is unquestionably the way to go.  As a quote from an article on imediaconnection.com puts it:  “If your brand can be conveyed visually, Tumblr is the best platform because it’s fast and high resolution image based…”

Another major advantage to Tumblr is that it’s extremely social - the site makes it easy to follow other blogs – and that means that your blog will be easy for others to follow.  Tumblr, in effect, allows greater accessibility to your blog, thereby making it almost effortless to build your audience. 

And, as far as SEO (search engine optimization) goes, Tumblr is one of the best forums you can use.  As journalist, Dan Goodswen, says: “Tumblr’s native reblogging system means that any links you embed in your posts can quickly spread around the site, generating potentially hundreds, even thousands of linkbacks.”

There’s no doubt that Tumblr’s user numbers are growing exponentially.  The blogging site has doubled in size since the fall of 2011.  Here are some stupefying numbers: 

And, from pingdom.com, here are some more stats with respect to Tumblr’s content:

• 637 posts per second
• 38,194 posts per minute
• 2.3 million posts per hour
• 385 million posts per week
• 1.65 billion posts per month
• 20 billion posts per year

I, for one, with still a soft spot for Blogger in my heart, will definitely be checking Tumblr out more often and contributing to some of its awesome numbers with a few posts of my own.

If you want to learn more about the virtues of Tumblr, why not join one of our Social Networking for Business workshops and we’ll get you started.  For a schedule of dates and locations, please click on the following link!  http://escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

4 REASONS WHY IT’S CRUCIAL TO KNOW YOUR SOCIAL NETWORKING AUDIENCE

Social media is all about engagement and connecting with other people.  To successfully run any customer-facing business, the first rule is:  Know your clientele.  And, in social media speak, that means: Know your audience.

Why is this so important?  Because your audience (hopefully comprised in large part of your clients and prospects) is your sole reason for being active on social media sites from a business standpoint.   

Here are four definite advantages to knowing who your audience is and what they’re all about:

1. You’re Able to Better Focus – If you can focus intently on whom you are targeting, it makes it easy to create content that resounds immediately with these people.  And, that’s important because generating valuable content that allows you to engage the highest number of relevant people is the essence of your social media business strategy.  You want to capture their interest.  You want to keep their interest so that they’re coming back often to see your latest Facebook and blog posts.

2.  The Walls Come Down – You’re able to listen to what people have to say about your business – the positive as well as the negative – and respond in kind.  Social media is all about, well… being social.  And interactive.  Social networking affords you the opportunity to effortlessly communicate with your audience in an unprecedented manner.  Take advantage of that!  The more you interact with your audience, the better you come to know them.

3. You Can More Readily Respond to Specific Needs – Imagine being able to get to know clients so intimately through social media that you come to the point where you’re able to offer them what they require prior to them even inquiring.  You can make valuable suggestions to them and can tailor your services to fit them specifically simply because you have made the effort to communicate with them via social networking sites.  Ask lots of questions and interact often.  Soon, you’ll know what they need before they do!  The ultimate in customer service.

4. You Can Position Yourself as an Industry Leader – When the people in your audience (your clients and prospects) have industry related queries or need to be apprised of valuable information, you want to be the one they turn to, don’t you?  Make yourself readily available to people on your social networking sites – let it be known that you are the expert in your field!  Blog, blog, blog and then blog some more.  Blogging is a prime way of showcasing your wealth of industry knowledge.  And, don’t forget to post links to your blog posts on your other social networking sites – Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.  Get your messages heard by the people you want to reach – your audience.  And, get to know them as well as you can, so you can better serve them and become their go-to person.

For more information on social media and the importance of getting to know your audience through social networking, join one of our Social Networking for Business workshops.  For a schedule of upcoming workshops in your area, please visit: http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

6 SUREFIRE WAYS TO GENERATE INFINITE BLOG CONTENT

So, you’ve got your blog up and running and everything’s moving along swimmingly until one day you hit a dreaded patch of writer’s block.  Think you’ve run out of ideas for great blog content?  Well, think again.  I’m going to share some ideas with you that will ensure you never run out of ideas for your posts!     

1.  Take a Break – As counter-productive as that might sound, it’s actually not a bad idea if you’re stumped for something to write.  Sure, you can sit there and bang your head against you monitor hoping to jar some brilliance within your tired mind, but chances are, you need to take a break from thinking so hard.  Give it a rest for a few hours or until tomorrow.  You’d be amazed at how many bright ideas can come to you when you’re rested, de-stressed and looking at your monitor with ‘fresh eyes’.

2. Scour News Sources – Great blog content can always be generated out of news items you’ll find online, in your morning paper or in your favorite monthly publications.  Put your own spin on an interesting story; share your opinion (especially if it’s opposing – who doesn’t like to read someone’s scathing contradiction of a popular topic?).

3. Read Other Blogs – If you read blog posts written by other people that are within the same vein as your own, you will no doubt be inundated with inspiration and will in no time be typing away.  Again, put your own spin on what you’ve read and make it work for your audience.

4. Write Drafts/Partial Posts Even if You Think they’re Going Nowhere – It happens to me quite often.  I’ll have a brilliant idea for a post and start researching and writing it, then think to myself that maybe the idea isn’t so brilliant after all.  This might simply be because I’m not in the mood to write at that very moment, or it might be because I run out of steam with my idea.  But, rather than scrap it, I always leave partial work on my desktop because more often than not, I revisit what I’ve written and when I look at it with fresh eyes, I’m able to work some magic and turn it into an interesting post – even if it’s not the same post as it originally started out to be.  The idea is to always have ideas!!

5.  Always Have a Pen & Notebook Handy – You never know when brilliance is going to strike – and when it does, you want to remember what was so brilliant.  Like lightening, bright ideas don’t often strike twice in the same place.  There’s nothing more frustrating than knowing that you had a great idea, but not remembering what it was.  I even keep a pen and notepad handy on my bedside table, because as weird as it sounds, I have awoken in the middle of the night countless times with ideas churning – and good luck remembering those after falling back asleep and awakening five hours later!

6.  Hit Your Local Library – Check out a few books related to your niche and voila!:  an instant plethora of fresh ideas.  Libraries are still a great place to source information and to even do some writing (remember the days before the internet when we did our research at the library?)!! 

Ideas can be sparked anytime, anyplace.  You can be inspired by so many different, ordinary things.  Just use your imagination, do some good, old-fashioned research and give your mind some time to decompress and come back with fresh thought.

Remember, blogging can be a very enjoyable undertaking as opposed to a daunting task - have some fun with it and the ideas will come pouring in!

For more on blogging and how to get your ideas for infinite content rolling – why not join one of our Social Networking for Business workshops, where we’ll offer you a multitude of tips and tricks for optimizing your blog.  Check out our schedule at:  http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

If you have any tips you’d like to share about how you come up with ideas for you blog posts, I encourage you to share in our comments section.

And, keep checking back here for more on blogging – my favorite topic! 

‘CUSTOMER SERVICE MARKETING’ VIA SOCIAL MEDIA

With social media altering the way we do business and how we interact with clients/customers, the customer service aspect of business has become emphasized like never before.  Social media have brought customer   relationship management and customer service to the forefront and have rendered customer service a form of marketing unto itself.  Here’s how:

Social media have enhanced the customer experience by giving the customer a profound voice.  And, for most businesses, this has translated into having a favorable impact on overall sales and growth.  Social media are interactive and customers can communicate directly with businesses; whether it be to ask questions about products or services, file complaints or offer praise with respect to products & services. 

Direct dialogue is now possible via most mainstream social media platforms.  Within a business’ “online community”, the brand benefits via engagement with customers.  This is true both in terms of insight and ideas that can be garnered from customers as well as how brand loyalty is being constructed and promoted via word-of-mouth.  Listening to what customers are saying and responding promptly & directly to them is key.  Customer service becomes an effective form of marketing!

To implement customer service as a form of marketing for your business, ensure that you:

A)     Focus on conversation/engagement as being the core of your business – concentrate on the exchange of information and ideas with your customers – interact, listen and respond.

B)      Strive to excel at a more refined range of things – you can’t be “great” at everything and solve all of the world’s problems, but you can focus on the things that are most meaningful to your customers (things that you will come to identify through real dialogue with them).

C)       Break down the barriers that have traditionally segregated business and customer – make use of social networking platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn & Blogging to get conversations started and to maintain & manage ongoing, solid relationships with your customers.

Need some help navigating these social networking sites?  Then our Social Networking for Business workshop is for you.  Please check out our schedule at: http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION: AMP UP YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY

Most businesses are by now using social media as means of branding and driving sales.  When leveraged correctly, social media can make a substantial difference in your bottom line.  With 2012 all shiney and new, it’s the perfect time for you to consider amping up the social media strategy for your brand.  Here are some tips to help you do just that:  

1.       Define & Focus on your End Game – For anything to work well, it’s imperative to have a vision. Develop a plan that begins with your end game in mind.  Exactly what do you want to get out of your social media endeavors?  Increased sales?  Lead generation?  Lots of buzz?  Social media can be used in so many aspects of your marketing initiatives- i.e. product & service launches, customer engagement, reputation management and much more.  It’s essential to establish your vision prior to embarking on a social media strategy.  Coming up with a solid plan takes time and some research.  If you have already been using social media for your business, evaluate how you’re doing with the plan that you originally had in mind.  Are you achieving your goals?  If not, it’s time to re-focus and streamline your vision.

2.       Maintain your Voice – If you are using social media as a means of branding and getting your business’ message out there, make sure that you speak from the voice of that business.  If, for example, you’re posting Facebook and Twitter updates as a means of promoting your real estate business, it’s crucial that you post information relevant to real estate (i.e. new listings; before & after staging photos of homes; changes to mortgage rates, etc.) that your clients and prospects are going to be interested in reading. 

3.       Be Social – The above being said, it’s important to remember that social media is just that – a social platform within which to engage and interact with people.  Keep it business-minded, but keep it social.  Statistically, 78% of customers trust peer recommendations.  What does that say to you about being social?  You want to be accessible to clients and prospects – you want to keep them entertained and engaged.  Ensure that your social media platforms allow for dialogue, conversation and interactiveness.   Above all else, cater to your clients and prospects via social media – if they have questions, answer them; if they have complaints or concerns, address them - promptly.   Focus on their needs.

4.       Make a Name for your Business – The more you put your business out there on social media, the more relevant your business’ name becomes in its industry.  It’s essential to be as active as possible on social media – and social media by its very nature make it easy for you to do that.  Post regularly on Facebook and Twitter; create a Facebook business/fan page; start a blog and post on a regular basis; ensure that you have a fully complete LinkedIn account; conduct promotions that require online viral interaction, etc.  Your business needs to be out there in order to be found.  Also, ensure that your Facebook and Twitter names are easy for people to remember and relevant to the purpose of your business.

5.       Work your Social Media Profiles – It’s imperative that your Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter profiles accurately represent and accentuate your business.  Again, ensure that what you post is relevant, and also make sure that your profile photos are just as relevant.  You want your business to be highly identifiable on social media.  You can’t go wrong using your business logo as your profile photo – it’s what people will always identify with your business.

6.       Keep it Entertaining and Fun – This is what social media fosters.  This is one fundamental way that social media differs from traditional marketing strategies.  They allow for fun engagement.  You want clients and prospects becoming fans and liking your pages.  You don’t want to be boring them to tears.

With the New Year now upon us, it’s the perfect time to take a good look at your social media initiatives.  Whether you’re new to the social media game or want to give your strategy an overhaul, we can help.  Click on the following link to find to see our schedule of upcoming Social Networking for business workshops.  A great way to start off a prosperous New Year!

http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20

MEASURE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA SUCCESS

If you’re taking advantage of social media with respect to your business, why not measure the success of your programs and campaigns by looking at the numbers.  Here are a few concepts and tips put forth by pioneer social media strategist, J.D. Lasica:       

1. “Customer Engagement” – Number one because it’s  the single most important factor relating to successful social networking – without it, there is no social media campaign!  As social media is extremely interactive, customers are able to participate in conversations about your brand and this allows

you to accordingly improve upon your business, products and level of service. You can easily track customer engagement by studying the following:

·         Number of followers and / or retweets on Twitter

·         Number of friends and /or ‘like’s on Facebook

·         Number of comments as well as comment content on blog posts

·         Reviews and ratings

2. “Sales & Profits” – As important as customer interaction and goodwill are with respect to your social media programs and campaigns, one of your main objectives is invariably generation of sales.  Social media allows you to keep an eye on your ‘bottom line’ by:

·         Tracking sales from Google referrals

·         Tracking sales from paid searches

·         Tracking sales as a result of social network mentions              

3. “Search Marketing & Rankings” – One of the most desired results of your social media efforts is “search engine optimization” and your social media efforts should exponentially increase your brand’s visibility in online search results. You can increase and / or track these results in the following manner:

·         Use targeted keywords strategically on social networks

·         Use links from Twitter or even YouTube to achieve valuable search rankings within your brand search terms

·         Each time someone shares content from your website on a social networking site, you can get a link back along with a submission history

4. “Lead Generation” – Social media is quickly becoming a valuable resource for lead generation.  There are numerous tools that now enable you to track business prospects via “sophisticated filtering mechanisms”.  For example:

·         You can use LinkedIn to connect with potential contacts & existing clients and you can easily track the rate of invitations accepted as well as traffic with respect to follow-up communication that has been acted upon

·         You are provided an opportunity for your internal team to work in unison to optimize the usage of keywords and key phrases.  You know your efforts are successful when prospective clients come to you

It’s imperative in today’s market that your business be ‘social’ – and successfully so.  We can show you how to make to most of your social networking endeavors through our informative Social Networking for Business workshops.  For further information, please visit us at:

http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20 

3 STRATEGIC SOCIAL MEDIA MOVES TO SUCCESSFULLY MARKET YOUR BUSINESS

Over the past several years, social media marketing has become not only more sophisticated in itself, but integral to the success of the more sophisticated business. More and more businesses are becoming familiar with and are better understanding social media.  They are learning how to best leverage online resources to create networks and recognize that interaction and engagement are key with respect to social media marketing.  But, in order to take it to the next steps, it’s crucial that you implement more advanced social media strategies for your business!

So, you’re already aware of how to create an online presence and you already have an online community in place.  Now what?  Here are a couple of progressive social media marketing strategies shared by technology strategist, Samir Balwani, that will be sure to further enhance your business’s bottom line:

1. Include plenty of Photos & Video in your Message – You’ve heard the phrase, “A picture is worth a thousand words”?  So true!  People are using the Internet prolifically to garner information on products and services, and that includes your customers and prospects.  They want to read all about what your business has to offer, but they also want to see photographs or videos depicting this information.  People are very visual creatures.  And, nothing completes your social networking profiles more than some visual aids.

2. Adjust Your Message to Fit the Platform – Within your social media campaign, you are no doubt making use of several of the different platforms at your disposal, namely: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Blogging.  It’s important, however, to ensure that, rather than deliver an identical message over the multiple platforms, you try to tailor your communication to each individual site.  Certain information and how it’s presented on your blog might be considered “spammy” on Facebook.  It’s crucial to customize each message to each site to ensure that your messages spread optimally.  And, customizing your messages on each site also saves your network of customers and potential customers from receiving the same communication over and over again.  You can effectively maximize your business’s potential by sending out messages customized to each social media platform.

3. Implement Strategic Sales Tactics – Strategic sales tactics can include offering discounts and conducting contests through your social media platforms.  You can effectively drive business by generating some excitement within your online community and discounts & contests are a great way to do this.  If you conduct a contest, for example, that requires those in your network to share virally with their networks (i.e. whoever garners the most comments or “likes”, etc., wins), your contest is sure to go viral and guess what that means for you and your brand!  And, don’t forget to give out exclusive discount coupons to your community.  In doing so, you’re literally rewarding existing and future customers, not to mention reiterating to them that you are a brand to engage with as well as a brand to buy from or do business with.

To learn more about strategic social media marketing, join one of our Social Media for Business workshops where we’ll teach you everything you need to know to enhance your social networking experience.  For a schedule of workshops in your area, please visit: http://www.escomputertraining.com/courses/details/industry/2/course/20 

See you there!