Social Media As A Tool For Small Business Marketing

Social media platforms like Linked-In and Twitter are tools; but vital ones. Technology is getting better at making these tools easier to use. Many aspects are free.

I have found that most of my successful small business clients understand that core content of a base web is the preeminent feature of social media, but from there, effective networking is also a strong contributor.

You must network a core content and let it do the work for you, building connections around it like spokes on a wheel. Don't think only of Linked In, but expand your efforts to grow connections to other venues as well and use your core content to create synergism.

I set up a Google blog as an extension of my volunteer work that blossomed into a web site ($10 a year to buy and convert it from a blog to a domain in my name) containing the basics of entering and succeeding in the venue as well my books and articles on the subject for download via Box Net (also a free application)

The idea was to refer clients to article links at the site to avoid repeating myself over and over to new business clients and still keep myself available for specific inquiries and problems.

I linked everything together on "Linked In" and began answering questions at the "Answers" feature there as well as registering at many of the free applications for networking web sites on the Internet to see how that could benefit my work. Twitter, BlogCatalog, Facebook, Widgetbox, Friendfeed, Ning and similar free applications served my site well. The Adsense Feature added cash flow. Roughly 30% of my clients began coming via Linked In or Linked In related networking.

The result has been heavy traffic, good efficiency in supporting in excess of 5000 counseling cases and virtually no expense to me as a volunteer working for a non-profit organization.

Be prepared to provide information, samples and valuable service gratis as a marketing tool. Introduce yourself and then immediately engage the client with your presentation tools available to bring your expertise to whatever topic they are interested in.

Let them take you where they want to go with their concerns and their needs. Apply your presentation tools and expertise dynamically on the fly in a sincere manner to those concerns and needs and you will have their ear.

When the dialogue begins to revolve around a specific scope of work that can be identified, quantified in terms of hours and a schedule, reduce these details to a quotation and ask the client to consider it.

Remember to quote and bill what the client can afford and grow with him.

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Above advice courtesy of Kenneth Larson from SmallToFeds

5 Ways to Attract Customers with Social Media

Business owners are always looking for new ways to attract customers. Newspaper, radio, and television absorbed media budgets until the advent of online marketing roughly ten years ago.  At Web4Retail (an online marketing firm), we educate and inspire small businesses on the benefits of social media and how it can attract new customers if managed correctly. Below are some first steps into the world of social media:


1. Create a Facebook Fan Page

There are lots of ways to get creative and engage your customers, and then their friends become your fans and customers too. It’s best to ask an expert to help you set up your page and manage the day to day maintenance.

2. Tweet Special Offers or Advice Daily Via Twitter
Sprinkles Cupcakes is just one business that encourages customers in its stores and on its Web site to follow the company on Twitter. Every few days, the company sends out messages such as “Celebrate National Chocolate Cake Day! The first 50 people to whisper “rich” at each Sprinkles receive a free dark chocolate cupcake.” That gets people into the shop — and most times they buy another cupcake and a drink.

3. Encourage Customer Reviews on Yelp

Some 90 percent of consumers say they trust recommendations from people they know, and 70 percent say they trust consumer opinions posted online, according to a Nielsen Global Online Consumer Survey. A Web4Retail client, Bedderbuy, utilizes Yelp beautifully for new customers and reviews. I encourage all furniture retailers to make Yelp a part of their online marketing effort.

4. List Your Business on Google and Yahoo

When we want to find anything, we turn to Google or Yahoo to search — and you can’t get any bigger in terms of Web sites than these. Google has a Local Business Directory where you can register your business absolutely free. And here’s what’s most interesting: You don’t even need a site to have a strong Web presence. It’s open to all types of small businesses — with hundreds of thousands posted. (Yahoo offers a similar service.) There’s no reason not list your business on both sites — whether you own a mom and pop hardware store or a bar, you want to leverage the extraordinary reach of these search engines. Check out Google’s tutorialto help you get started.

5. Be Your Own Publicist

Finally, the Web site ”Help A Reporter” is a free daily email service that delivers media queries three times a day right to your inbox from among some 70,000 bloggers, authors, TV reporters, and radio producers. Often the requests are for small business owners — recent listings seek smallbusiness owners to discuss creative financing in this economy; other queries are for gardening experts, jewelry makers; the needs are very diverse. This is a way for you to do your own publicity without the expense of a publicist to get your business mentioned in the media.

Web4Retail had designed and manages more than 100 Facebook pages for businesses. If you would like more information visit our website @ www.facebookyourbusiness.net or call 877-536-4786

How To Advertise Your Small Business Website On The Internet

If your object is to serve up your web site to as many viewers as possible, then the recipe is fairly simple -- consider search engines, newsgroups/discussion forums/social networking media, and link exchanges. But before we talk about those, let me just say, you absolutely don't want to spam anyone in the process of building traffic. That'll kill your reputation and doom your business before you even get started.

Now, without knowing what your product is, let's see what's on the menu for building site traffic, without spamming your potential customers.

First Course, Search Engine Marketing ....

You know the big 2 -- Google and Yahoo-- but others are popping up all the time (see Bing). Go to every one you can find and do a search under the key words that would direct someone to your site. See where you show up in the results. You may have to go through 250 or more listings at each site before you find yourself. But it's a necessary evil for getting to know how easy it is (or isn't) for your site to be found via web search engines.

If you haven't registered with these search engine sites, take the time to do so. Most have FAQs sections to help webmasters get their sites listed on each search engine. Some may even help you by suggesting better page titles and page organization. Search engine webmasters are willing to offer any help that'll eventually lead to their own visitors getting better searches.

Second Course, Internet Discussion Forums, News Groups, and Social Networking Media ...

News groups or discussion forums are where the Internet got its real start. With these Usenet postings, people who share a common interest, can exchange information through postings to a news group. (So you're not spamming people, you're just posting information they can use or leave!) So look for the groups whose readers would be interested in what you offer. If you're not sure where to start with news groups, do a little research at dejanews.com.

Don't leave out the social networking sites and medium either. Maybe something like LinkedIn, Sta.rtupbiz.com, Digg, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. You can get some amazing visibility with these if you're creative ... and consistent. Look over each to see how they work ... and how you can best fit in and take advantage.

Again, good table manners are appreciated at these sites. Observe, read, and contribute when you're ready. Make sure your web site address and tag line are on the bottom of every email you send (and I mean every one, not just the ones sent to news groups either) and "post" you share. Invite people to your site with every email or posting you send out.

Third Course, Banner Ads and Link Exchanges ....

If you have a healthy marketing budget, you'll find some tasty options when it comes to banner ads and link exchanges. Exchanges are a great way to get traffic to your door. And getting your banner ad or logo on a related site will get others to click over to you as well.

One option you have is "no-cost link exchanges." Some companies find websites willing to place a banner ad of your site on their site for no charge -- the catch is, you're charged for each link they get for you. The cost comes from them doing all the work, such as finding the sites and arranging the links. To learn more about his, visit ZDClicks. ZDNet is one company that promotes "no-charge link exchanges."

If you'd rather bus your own link exchange tables, no problem. Remember all those searches you did so diligently when trying to get a feel for your site's position on the search engines? Well, this can be the basis of your hit list for emailing related site webmasters with a link exchange request. It's not always easy to find the webmasters. So save yourself some time by preparing, in advance, several short, to-the-point, but friendly emails requesting the exchange. Effective request emails explain the benefit they'll receive from the link.

After your initial request -- and you see no links or response has been made -- follow up with "progressive" emails. For example, the second email could start off by reminding the webmaster you wrote requesting the exchange; the third could ask if they need further info; and the last could inquire if you're reaching the correct person for link exchange requests. Of course, this means some organization on your part. Keep a list of who you contact and which emails they've received. This way, you'll increase your chances for getting your link!

While this full meal takes a long time, you build some good relationships this way.