Using Social Media Effectively
By Biba Pedron
Today social media is everywhere. When you hear about a company and you want to know more what do you do? Personally, I look them up on the web. Most companies have an online presence. So why don't you have enough online presence? If you're a solo-entrepreneur or small business owner, you need to have a profile and be active on social media. How else are we to learn about you in this day and age?
Something must be holding you back. Do you understand how social media and social networking function to get you business? Are you comfortable getting clients or communicating effectively behind the screen?
With more than 500-million users on Facebook, more than 50 millions on Twitter and 70 millions on Linkedin, it is time to sit back and learn about integrating social media into your marketing plan. The biggest advantage of social media is that it is free, even if you just start your business you won't need a big budget to promote your products or services. It's well worth the time to spend to really understand how it works. Working with a coach is the most timely and effective way to learn how to use social media to turn your contacts into clients at a rate you can be proud of.
I always suggest to my clients who are new to social media to sit down with a daily plan and spend just one hour a day (at first) to attain a routine. After they perfect their routine, just 15 minutes a day will be enough to keep the client flow. If you use your time strategically you can just spend a few minutes a day keeping up with the three major sites.
The Six Effective Online Marketing Strategies:
1. Have an effective profile. People should immediately understand who you are, what you do and what the benefit is of choosing your products or services over someone else's. Think about a visual and text based elevator speech. Developing a great pitch will keep clients interested in using your products or services.
2. Join groups related to your target market. Look for Facebook Fan Pages, Linkedin Groups and other online networking groups related to your target market. Check the profile of the members and invite at least 20 people a day. Yes, you can do this in just minutes! I will show you how.
3. Send a personalized message. When you invite people don't just click on the invite button to send the, by default message, which just says something like "I would like to add you to my network." A personalized message should mention that you are in the same group, which shows that through similar interests you could have synergy in your businesses. How can you help them with their problems? Ask them!
When contacts accept your invitation, again send a personalized message with more info about you, how to reach you on other social media sites and always finish your message with your call to action. What do you want them to do next?
-visit your blog or website
-sign-up to you mailing list or newsletter
-sign-up to your free offer if you have one (and you should definitely have one)
-sign-up for a consultation
-call you
What ever is the next step, let them know.
4. Post at least twice a day on your page, you can use ping for example to save you some time. The same post will be distributed in each of your social media pages in just one click. (See, I told you just a few minutes!)
5. Drive people to you blog or website. You want potential clients to learn more about you and to join your list.
Remember that your "friends" or contacts on Facebook, Linkedin, or Twitter don't belong to you. If your Facebook account gets hacked, you run the risk of losing all of your contacts. Now if you drive your contacts to you mailing list, you will never loose them and you will be able to communicate with those contacts on a regular basis for years to come.
6. Be consistent - whatever you do, don't stop after a week or a month. You must be consistent in your daily tasks on social media, the same as you must be consistent in your marketing. That's why I ask for one hour a day from my new clients, to make a non-negotiable routine.
Just like face-to-face networking, social media results don't happen overnight. Your hard work will become effective if and only if you are consistent, invite people continuously and contact people on your list a little every day. When you communicate on a regular basis and give valuable information clients will be ready to buy from you, not from your competitors.
Using those simple tips, your contacts will know you, like you and trust you, and this loyalty will convert to paying clients.
To get more tips like these ones to grow your business with proven offline and online networking strategies, download your Biba's networking kit at http://www.theconnectionqueen.com/
Biba Pedron helps solo-entrepreneurs to network like pro, by teaching them highly effective follow-up systems to maximize their networking and social media results.
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Posted by Manny Sarmiento - http://www.nmx2.com/ http://newmedianewmarketing.blogspot.com/
