There’s a lot of buzz about social media marketing and how it can help you build your network, generate leads and strengthen your personal and business relationships. Now Google has taken another step toward integrating social media in their search results via “Social Search”!
Social Search enables Google account users (who are signed in to their account) to search on a keyword or phrase and see relevant results from their social circle of Tweeps, Facebook friends, etc…
You can use this new beta feature to your advantage in your career. If you consistently post high quality content on your social media profiles, that is relevant to your industry or area of expertise, your content will show up in the Social Search area when people you are connected with on Facebook, Twitter, etc… search on applicable keywords.
Here is a video from Peter Kolat that explains how Social Search works:
Social media marketing is a great tool for building and maintaining your business network. And, Google’s Social Search is just one more reason why you should consistently post quality articles on your social media profiles.
P.S. - I consult & train businesses on how to promote their business on the internet and get found! Subscribe to this blog via RSS Feed or Email so you don't miss any Free Tips! @KimberlyYow
Pepsi has purchased t.v. advertising spots during the super bowl for 23 straight years! So why skip the super bowl lime light now?
According to Sean Gregory’s article in Yahoo! News:
Instead of pouring millions of dollars into a Super Bowl commercial, Pepsi has started a social-media campaign to promote its “Pepsi Refresh” initiative. Pepsi plans to give away $20 million in grant money to fund projects in six categories: health, arts and culture, food and shelter, the planet, neighborhoods and education. People can go to the Pepsi website refresheverything.com – which can also be accessed through Facebook and Twitter – to both submit ideas and vote on others they find appealing.
You can bet that Pepsi’s decision to skip super bowl advertising this year was not a quick and easy decision. If a company like Pepsi is willing to take the risk of launching a very large social media campaign, in lieu of super bowl advertising, you can imagine that they’ve conducted research, looked at the ROI from every direction and are convinced of social media’s value.
What about you? Are you using social media to market your business? Are you convinced of its value? Do you think Pepsi’s social media campaign will be successful? Sound off below…
Kimberly
MarketingThatsEasy.com
Did you notice that you can now rearrange your profile modules on LinkedIn? Look at your profile in edit mode. You can rearrange, by dragging and dropping, any section that you see a plus sign next to including Summary, Applications & Experience.
Kimberly Yow
MarketingThatsEasy.com
A good Social Media Strategy has 4-steps which I call C.I.M.A. Many individuals and companies skip Step 1 because they don’t understand the importance of it. Having and following a Social Media Action Plan (SMAP) can mean the difference between success and failure with social media marketing. To maximize your Social Media Marketing results, you need to complete all four of the following steps:
- Create social media action plan
- Implement social media action plan
- Measure goals outlined in social media action plan
- Adjust social media action plan to meet desired goals
During implementation (step 2) you should:
- set-up & link social media sites
- set-up productivity & streamlining tools
- import blog where applicable
- get training on social media sites as needed
- generate content
- interact
- listen
- prospect
Unfortunately many people fly through the implementation stage and plug along but fail to Measure against their social media goals and Adjust their plan. Without these two steps it is fairly easy to get discouraged with social media marketing and to abandon it or not give it the attention it deserves!
If you need help creating a Social Media Action Plan or following my recommended 4-Step C.I.MA. Strategy, feel free to contact me at Marketing That’s Easy.
Kimberly
There are currently 50 million LinkedIn account holders. How do you determine which of those 50 million you should connect with?
I recommend that you use LinkedIn to maintain current business & networking relationships and build new ones. Great people to connect with are:
- customers
- suppliers
- co-workers
- referral partners
- people you meet at chamber mixers and networking events
- anyone that has inquired about your product/service or that you’ve done a proposal for
- people you may want to collaborate with
- influential people in your industry
- people that have taken the time to comment on your blog or other online content
- people who have asked you for advice
- etc…
I would not connect with people just so you can market to them. Only connect with people if you have a sincere interest in building or maintaining a relationship, collaborating, staying in touch or following them via their status updates, etc…
When you send someone an invitation to connect on LinkedIn, do not send the LinkedIn default message shown below:
Default LinkedIn Invitation
Instead send them a personalized message that states at least one of the following: why you want to connect, who your mutual connections are, which groups you both belong to, how you heard about them, what intrigued you about their profile, what common interests you have, etc… (See example.)
Personalized LinkedIn Invitation
Reaching out to someone with a personalized invitation shows that you value them or something about them and it is the first step in building a business relationship. I personally don’t accept invitations from people I don’t know unless they are personalized.
If you strive for quality in your LinkedIn invitations and connections rather than quantity, you will build stronger relationships and have greater success networking on Linkedin.
Please share your LinkedIn networking tips in the comments below…
Kimberly Yow
MarketingThatsEasy.com
I recently started a separate niche blog for everything Facebook. It will specifically cover How To Use Facebook For Business. Check out my new blog where I’ll be posting lots of how-to tips and info on Facebook features, news, policies, privacy and everything else that will affect how you use Facebook for business. I’ll also keep you up-to-date on any changes with the Facebook related products and services I provide.
Stay tuned to the Marketing That’s Easy Blog that you are on for all other posts that relate to internet marketing and using social networking sites for business.
Thank you for your continued readership and participation on my blogs!
Sincerely,
Kimberly Yow
Marketing That’s Easy.com
I frequently hear, “how do I advertise my business using social networking sites?”. The short answer is, “you don’t!” (Unless you purchase pay-per-click or pay-per-impression ads from the site itself.)
Social networking sites are for networking and engaging your visitors, customers and prospects. Your friends, fans, followers, connections, etc…do not want to see a constant stream of your “advertising” just like they don’t want telemarketers calling them. Caller ID, screening phone calls and the National Do Not Call list all help you avoid telemarketers.
Did you know that all social networking sites have features that help you avoid people who are only there to “advertise” their business? Well on Facebook people can delete you as a friend, hide your status updates from their news feed or remove themselves from being a fan of your Fan Page. On Twitter, you will get unfollowed or blocked. On LinkedIn, you will get deleted as a connection. Each social networking site has tools in place to help people protect themselves from spammers and from “friends” who advertise their business too much!
Using social networking sites for business does NOT mean “advertising” your business.
Social networking sites should be used to:
- Build an awareness of your business by having a presence on social networking sites.
- Share useful, relevant information that positions you as an expert in your field.
- Interact with friends, fans, connections, followers and visitors to build or strength relationships.
- Answer questions that pertain to your industry or area of expertise so people start seeing you as a “go-to” resource.
- Provide others with information that you come across that relates to THEIR industry or providing them with referrals. (You need to have a givers gain attitude.)
- Improve your Customer Service, Public Relations, Technical Support, Client Retention or Employee Recruiting efforts by expanding your reach and providing real-time answers or info.
- Gain industry knowledge that will keep you at the top of your game.
- Keep an eye on what your competitors are doing.
- Read what others are saying about your company and respond to their complaints, concerns, questions or compliments!
- Seek out people and resources that can help you grow your business.
- Make contact with potential joint venture partners.
What? You also want to generate leads and increase your sales? You CAN if you approach “social networking for business” in the above manner. If you approach it purely from an advertising or marketing stand-point, your presence on social networking sites will do more harm than good for your company!
Social networking for business is NOT advertising, it is NOT a monologue…it is a conversation. If you want to join this conversation, I invite you to leave a comment below.
Kimberly Yow
Marketing That’s Easy.com
Facebook Fan Page: Social Networking 4 Biz
We specialize in Social Networking For Business. If you need help developing, implementing and/or maintaining a Social Networking Action Plan, contact us at Marketing That’s Easy.
Enjoy the video!
Did you know I have a service called Fan Page Feedback? It’s meant for do-it-yourselfers who set-up their own Facebook Fan Page for business and are not sure how to maximize its potential.
Through ‘Fan Page Feedback’ I provide recommendations that may relate to applications, company info, content ideas, promoting your business via your Fan Page, etc… This service is only $35 per Fan Page and will help you take your Facebook business promotion to the next level.
Contact me to order ‘Fan Page Feedback’ so you can stop wasting your time and start maximizing Facebook for business. Or, simply enter your name & email address below and click the Buy Now button. (You will be asked to provide a link to your Fan Page(s) during the check-out process.)
Fan Page Feedback: $35 per Fan Page
Kimberly
Marketing That’s Easy . com
Facebook created the Fan Page feature so users could promote their businesses on Facebook while keeping their personal posts separate.
The ultimate goal of a Facebook Fan Page is to:
- provide exposure for your business, association or charitable organization
- create a dialogue with fans (answer questions that they post, etc…) thus showing your expertise
- generate leads & new customers (or members/donors) over time
Fan Pages are a great way to expose a company, business or group to the Facebook world of over 250 million active users. Providing useful tips and info will help you position yourself as an industry expert and thought leader. When readers like what you post and start looking to you as a resource they are in effect selling themselves on your product or service. If you stay in front of them by posting on your Fan Page, they will think of you when they need your product/service or when they hear that someone else does. By providing them with useful info you are pre-selling them…when they call or email you they already know they want YOU! They are typically not price shopping…they are ready to do business.
Do you have a Facebook Fan Page for your business yet? Get started today and make your mark on Facebook.
Kimberly
MarketingThat’sEasy.com
Facebook EBOOK recently released: “How To Promote Your Business On Facebook…Without Alienating Your Friends”.
