KnowledgeBase
Social Networking
Social Networking II
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Social Networking - Improving your Image OnlineWhy should you use social networking to improve your business and what can it do for you? Social networking is cost effective, builds credibility and trust, and improves relationships. It is no longer enough to have a company website; you need to drive traffic to it. If a site is going to be successful then it needs a steady stream of new and repeat visitors. Many site owners build a website and wait for people to find it. One of the most overlooked and practical traffic generating techniques involves social networking. YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and MySpace are sites filled with virtual world communities of people who are looking for the things you are offering. They just need to know that you exist.
Social networking is all about forming relationships with your customers and contacts. The sooner you start, then the quicker you will start building your reputation and expertise. One of the best reasons for you to consider social networking for your business is that it allows you to establish a personal relationship with your contacts. Constant communication with them will help you get to know them better, and when this happens, you will be able to find out what their needs really are. Since you now understand your contacts better, you won't have a difficult time thinking about how you can satisfy them. The answer will be available with just a click of the mouse.
So let's break down the most used sites and how they work to publicize your business. Sites like MySpace and Facebook have pages in which you build a profile and gain an identity on the site. You can build your brand by posting information about your business, including photos of those involved in the business and providing links to your website. This way "fans" can learn more about you and your business. It gives a personal feel that a business web site may not. Facebook goes one further with groups to join to find like-minded people and those interested in your products and services. You can also start your own groups to further promote your company. Facebook has many applications to use specifically for businesses and helping to promote your page.
Twitter is the latest to join the social networking sites but is very different than the others. With Twitter you can quickly update your followers in messages that are 140 characters or less. Twitter is one of the fastest growing sites on the internet, with over 20 million current users and hundreds of thousands of people joining every day worldwide. In fact, according to recent data, this past February, Twitter was growing at over 1000% per month. That's pretty amazing! You can build a loyal group of followers by giving them something they won't find on your website or other social networking sites. Coupons, gift certificates or even updates to new products or services so they are "in the know" before others. Many people have Twitter deliver "Tweets" to their mobile devices so they receive the messages in real time giving them a call to action and the opportunity to utilize the information immediately. Be careful to not turn your Tweets into spam though, you want your followers to look forward to your messages.
You may be thinking social networking is great if I want to reach people in all parts of the world but how does it help me connect locally? You will find with a search there are plenty of people in your area you can begin to build or further your relationships with. When your followers see there is a benefit to being part of your circle they will invite their friends to join too. Engage your current customers in discussions by asking questions. Twitter is a great way to get opinions from your present customers and can help you in providing the services and products they are talking about. Twitter can also be used to track how often your business has been mentioned in social media.
Some tips on using these methods include:
- Start slow by choosing 3 sites to use. Social networking can take quite a bit of time and it is almost impossible to use all the sites out there.
- Stay current. There is no reason for others to go to your site if it isn't updated on a regular basis.
- Give follows information they find useful. People don't want to feel as though they are being spammed.
- Your business profile should focus on your company but add some personality to it. You want people to know there is a person behind the profile.
- Don't only focus on what you are posting but also to responses from others. Listen to what they are telling you and use these comments to develop strategies to further promote your business.
Remember, signing up for these sites may be free but there is a value to the amount of time using them. Don't overdo it or feel pressured to update your account every 10 minutes. Set a plan for your updates but be sure to follow it. If you say you will give an update every other day, do it. This is part of building trust with your fans and to keep them coming back for more. Don't give up as it may take some time in building your following before you start to see the advantages but they will come. So whether your business is something that's relatively new; or one that is already well-established, social networking is one element that you will need to consider if you want to truly achieve success.