I came across an ezine recently that encouraged visitors to visit a celebrity social media site for an interview that was particularly compelling. Prior to posting the ezine the owner also posted several appropriate comments in both the blog and guest book. They were also listed as one of the celebrity's friends. This may be considered groundwork for social media marketing potential.
One click on their photo and the visitor who came to find out more about the celebrity can find out more informal information about the business and the owner that originally sent them to the social media site.
This savvy business owner comes away from this gentle nudge to a celebrity social media site inextricably linked to the celebrity because of a few simple posts. Some visitors will likely view the site owner in a different light (for better or worse).
The combination of uses for social media sites is astounding. If there were no marketing potential in social media why do you find so many record labels, book companies, recording artists, authors and comedians with their own unique social media site? Many of these sites will also include video streaming to further interest the site visitors.
It is a unique twist to discover a link based on little more than inference (i.e. this celebrity is my friend) and the marketing potential such inference suggests.
Social media sites can become a bit like online play areas, but they can also be presented in an attractive way that is informal enough to be inviting without being so formal as to be detract from the playful nature that is suggested by the term ?social media?.
If you can develop a popular social media site you will be pleased to see how many links visitors access and how often your blogs are replied to. There also remains a very real potential for friend requests (additional links back to your social media page ? then to your primary website).
It may be advisable to at least do a cursory check on any and all that submit a friend request. You don't have to know everyone who is on your friends list, but there are some good reasons to do a bit of investigating. Some who ask to be your friend may be a business that is in direct competition with you or it could be individuals who have an agenda that may only become evident through guest book posts.
If you ever become uncomfortable with someone you have welcomed as a friend you need to know that most social media sites allow you to remove a person from your friends list and even ban them from posting on your social media page. This may be important to know if you ever see material that is offensive or derogatory.
Social media can be an important marketing tool. Make sure to monitor your social media site and proceed responsibly.
Don't get me wrong, there will be a learning curve - we all went through it (and I met some great people that helped me, and that I helped along the way) but the key is to learn up front to minimize errors!
So, here we go...
Mistake One: Completely Ignoring Social Media
Believe it or not there are still some people out there that are ignoring social media. They may be unsure of how to participate or maybe they just don't have time to get involved. No matter what the reason, this is a big mistake. Social media continues to grow in popularity and in importance to internet users - the exact users you are trying to reach.
Mistake Two: Bare Profiles
If you don't bother completing your profile people won't be able to get to know you. It is also a sign to other users that you aren't serious about participating on that site. Many spammers don't bother to complete their profile and a blank profile has become a red flag.
Your profile should include a custom background when possible, a photo, contact information, and a list of interests to help people get to know you better.
Don't be afraid to show some personality and let people really get to know you and your company and what you stand for.
Mistake Three: Faking It
We've all seen companies being ripped apart for trying to fake it in the social media world. They either hire someone to pretend to be them (it's OK if staff, colleagues or team members participate, but to hire an unknown to play you, not cool!), or they make up personas or even fake customers posting positive feedback.
The truth is if you can't invest the time to create an authentic social media profile, you shouldn't bother creating one at all.
Mistake Four: Trying to Sell Users Instead of Listening
Social media isn't about you selling, selling, selling. You are here to network, build trust, listen to what customers and prospects have to say. You want to hear customer concerns, to learn about them, to find out what gets them excited, what they like about your product, what they still want, etc.
Remember to be a good social media participant, which means listen before you speak. If you don't, you risk being written off as yet another company that doesn't know how to use social media and who is only interested in promoting themselves. Remember, you always have to add value to the communities you're participating in - just remember its value for your customers, not yourself.
Mistake Five: Recycling
Don't recycle old content and marketing materials on social media sites. Start new conversations, create new information to share. Granted, you'll have some content that falls in the "oldie but goodie" category and that's OK to share. Just try to keep things fresh.
Mistake Six: Launching, then Ignoring
Social media is similar to search engine optimization in that you can't just set it and forget it. You need to participate and remain active, otherwise you have wasted your time initially setting things up.
If you want your customers to stay engaged, you have to keep producing great content yourself. Keep writing Blog posts, creating widgets and being active in the community. Social media is real work but when done properly it's worth the effort.
So review your social media practices and make sure you aren't making any of these mistakes. If you are, change course quickly and get yourself back on track.
Both Scott Lindsay & Jennifer Horowitz are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Scott Lindsay has sinced written about articles on various topics from Payday Loans, Computers and The Internet and Mens Health. in minutes with HighPowerSites.com or with Buil. Scott Lindsay's top article generates over 1830000 views. to your Favourites.
Jennifer Horowitz has sinced written about articles on various topics from Guided Meditation, Internet Marketing and Joint Venture. Jennifer Horowitz is the Director of Marketing for EcomBuffet.com. Since 1998 Jennifer's expertise in marketing and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has helped clients increase revenue. Jennifer has written a downloadable book on SEO and has been publishe. Jennifer Horowitz's top article generates over 14800 views. to your Favourites.