KnowledgeBase
Social Networking
Social Networking II
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Social Networking Experts Assist in Building Your Online Presence to Achieve Results!Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, YouTube, Yahoo 360, LinkedIn, Digg, and Mashable are just a few of the over 350 networking sites out there. With so many sites how do you know which to use to promote your business? Using a Social Networking Expert gives you an edge over those that don't. Getting started in Social Networking can be a daunting task for anyone, especially your small business. Trying to weave your way through the web to find the sites that are going to best support your business isn't easy and very time consuming. Many Social Networking sites are free of charge to start a profile but the real value is time. Learning the pros and cons of the various sites and setting up profiles with the relevant information that will bring traffic to your sites can take time that many owners of small business just don't have but realize the value of getting involved in Social Networking.
A Social Networking Expert can assist your business by already doing the research on what sites to join and how best to position your company on them. An expert isn't just versed in the big sites but also in the niche sites that lead to your core market and can build your following on other profiles and traffic to your website. If you needed your roof repaired, wouldn't you want a roofing professional to ensure it was fixed correctly? It's no different in getting involved in Social Networking. An expert can cut the time it takes to get started and is devoted to updating your sites. The responsibility is not added to one of your employees that already has many tasks. Updating your sites on a regular basis can be very time consuming but if you don't keep the sites current you will lose your following. It's not enough to have the sites and then forget about them, they need to be active in order to keep people coming back for more.
The world is getting smaller and smaller and geographical boundaries can only be seen on the maps or history books. This has been made possible by the immense popularity and advancement of the internet, which has opened venues for social networking to thrive. Social Networking started out to build communities for people sharing the same passion or hobby or interest. Over the years, Social Networking has grown in leaps and bounds and now the once small community is able to bring together men, women, boys & girls, professionals, entrepreneurs etc belonging to different cultural backgrounds, countries and ethnicity. Facebook has 54.5 million monthly unique visitors, says Comscore, with a growth rate in the U.S. averaged 3.8% per month over the last year and with the fastest growing segment "45% of Facebook's US audience is now 26 years old or older. Twitter is the fastest growing site. According to Compete, the growth rate for Twitter was 752%, for a total of 4.43 million unique visitors in December 2008, in the start of 2008; Twitter had only around 500,000 unique monthly visitors.
One huge benefit is that the Social Networking sites will help you in initiating an extensive brand promotion strategy whereby you can do the following:
- Slowly build your brand
- Find potential customers and increase existing customer loyalty
- Use viral promotions effectively
- Increase traffic to your website
- Up-sell your services or products
- Boost your revenue
Blogging is another resource to use in creating your online presence. A blog creates a conversation between your company and your customers. It gives an insider's view of your company and in providing information others find interesting. Nielsen Online shows that: Social networks and blogs are now the 4th most popular online activity ahead of personal email, Member communities are visited by 67% of the global online population, time spent is growing at 3 times the overall internet rate, accounting for almost 10% of all internet time. While the other sites you use help in promoting your business, a small taste, your blog is the meat and potatoes. It provides the real substance behind your brand. Three things your blog can do for you are:
- Influence the public "conversation" about your company: Make it easy for journalists to find the latest, most accurate information about new products or ventures. In the case of a crisis, a blog allows you to shape the conversation about it.
- Enhance brand visibility and credibility: Appear higher in search engine rankings, establish expertise in industry or subject area, and personalize one's company by giving it a human voice.
- Achieve customer intimacy: Speak directly to consumers and have them come right back with suggestions or complaints-or kudos.
Using online professional profile management ensures that the real you is presented to those searching for you. You provide the information you want presented on the web and your consultant will do the rest. A Social Networking Expert ensures a personal profile on a variety of social networking sites in a clean and professional manner that is unmatched by any other service. Allowing your expert to create your presence online, you are ensured safety, security and credibility of your profile, helping you confidently build a network of professional contacts.
Kia Brand has over 10 years experience in marketing for small to medium corporations as well as non-profits. Her experience includes various marketing channels; online, direct mail and events marketing. Strong organization, communication and analytical skills have contributed to her success. She served as Vice President of Technology with the Central Florida American Marketing Association. Kia also was involved in the building of the brand for Heart of Florida United Way. She has worked with organizations such as Florida Film Festival, CITE: Lighthouse for the Blind, John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, and Precision Communications. In her spare time she is often spotted with her husband and their three dogs, Willow, Bella Rosa and Princess Chai Latte.