10 Steps to Promoting You and Your Business using Social Media
Oh, if I had a nickel for every time I heard “you’re too old for MySpace”. If I did, I wouldn’t have to try and grow my business at all, I would be retired. Problem is, people are quick to judge and I am short on nickels. In today’s online world, you either promote yourself and your business online in some capacity - or you fade away. Period.
Social media is not a fad. It is here to stay and it brings a profound change to your potential client’s experiences. Now, not tomorrow, is the right time to implement features that will make you and your business social media friendly and will allow you to implement networking and marketing techniques that will realize increases in traffic to your website, and your bottom line.
Step 1. In the immortal worlds of Pete Townsend – Who Are You?
Let the world know who you are and what you do. People don’t deal with unknowns well, and when you are just starting to build a web presence; you are exactly this, unknown. Create a personal website along side your business website. From your personal website, link to your many vehicles of online networking; such as Linked IN, Facebook, and MySpace (to name just a few). Today’s online entrepreneur has multiple online presences and you need a central hub to manage all of these. Promote your online presence from this centrally managed online personal page.
Step 2. Create Online Profiles…
So, you need to start somewhere, but where? Start by creating a Facebook and LinkedIn account, Facebook is the online leader in social media and Linked in is the premier networking site, with just these two, you are well on your way. Spend two hours a week in the beginning building your profiles, connecting with colleagues, associates, and friends, and publishing content to these sites. Below is a list of other website which will let you create free online profiles or communities - for after you get your feet wet with Facebook and LinkedIn and have the need for more…
· MySpace
· Squidoo
· Meetup
· Blue Dot
· Wetpaint
Step 3. Start a Blog…
This is free and easy. The obvious choice for the beginner is the Google owned blogger.com, but for a more serious approach that allows customization, you may want a custom setup of Wordpress, LiveJournal, or other software. This allows for customization and you can provide an easy bookmarking feature to social bookmarking sites like Digg and del.icio.us or other listed in step 4.
Step 4. Yes, It Is A Popularity Contest…
Provide an action button for direct posting of blog articles to Digg. Digg, and others like it, are community-based popularity website that combines social bookmarking, blogging, and syndication. A well dugg article can bring thousands of visitors (read: potential clients) to you.
· Furl
· Shadows
Step 5. Short and Sweet…
Provide RSS feeds for your blogs, forum postings, websites, etc. An RSS feed provides easy access to your user base and allows them to quickly and easily navigate your information. Frustrated people often do not hang around long, and if they don’t hang around, they won’t learn about you or your business. Keep people happy and keep them on your site.
Step 6. Get it out there…
Publish all your feeds at Feedburner (or others from the list below). Much like Facebook, Feedburner is the premier RSS provided media distribution and audience engagement services for RSS feeds. They custom RSS feeds and management tools to bloggers, podcasters, and other web-based content publishers. Services provided to publishers include traffic analysis and an optional advertising. If you have something worth reading, you will be able “bank it” using their services.
Step 7. Going Viral
A Viral video refers to video clip content which gains widespread popularity through the process of Internet sharing, typically through email or IM messages, blogs and other media sharing websites. Now, not all of us have the potential for this, but we all have the mechanism. Remember, if you have a camera phone, you could have a viral video, which is posted, can drive traffic to your site, regardless if it is relevant to your business.
If this form of advertising and social media shenanigans is not for you, then take comfort, you can still provide video. Your video can be educational or service oriented and aspire to inform your clients or users on products and services you provide. Video is a medium maybe more powerful then the written word, but takes a bit more knowhow and thought.
Step 8. Spreading the Virus…
Provide embedded links to your remotely hosted videos from your blog, website, or social media sites. YouTube as well as others allow a community driven video sharing experience while keeping the load off of your server.
Step 9. A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words…
Use social photo sharing sites like Flickr and SmugMug to share pictures related to content on your site or blog. Use many of the techniques discussed earlier for social video sites.
Step 10. Sharing is Caring…
Provide a “Send Link” feature for all the services you provide to clients, your RSS feeds, your pics, (pretty much everything we covered above). This allows users to send an article, product description, etc. to a friend via e-mail. Free Advertising, and after all that’s what we are trying to do here right? Put in the work up front and let the internet and social media take over. It will take time, but it will be worth it.
These steps are not a get rich quick recipe, but a strategic formula for long term success in an overwhelming online world. If you have questions or comments, please leave them here or contact us.
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This is an article in a weekly series - how to promote your business online.
Business, How To, Online Marketing, Social Networking | Comments (0)Increase Online Productivity with iGoogle
iGoogle is a customizable homepage allowing users with a google account (get one here) to add Google Gadgets and RSS Feeds to your homepage. There are over 25,000 gadgets available and there is the ability to create your own from a template. We have sifted through thousands of gadgets to bring the top ten gadgets that increase your ability to get work done on the web, since there are a million out there that hinder it.
1. Google Analytics - If you have a website or blog you need to track user statistics. GA also allows for integration with Google AdWords. This module will Display Google Analytic Stats on your homepage. Provides access to all profiles created in your account. Allows user to set refresh interval for real time updates.
2. Timesheet Recorder - Freelancers, contractors, or even one of your employee may need an easy way to keep track of their time. Here it is.
3. Google Services - If you’re like me and use wmany different Google services, add their gadgets to your iGoogle homepage: Gmail, Google Reader, GCal, Google Docs, Googe Talk.
4. Compound Gadget - Allows you to combine several gadgets into a tabbed interface, allowing out clean up your page a bit after you add all the new gadgets mentioned here.
5. Google Map Search - Find places with Google Maps without leaving your homepage. Ajax Based, which means Coolness. Find restaurants to wine and dine clients, or get direction to your next meeting.
6. Document to PDF - If you send invoices or documents often, this will allow conversion to the standardized pdf format.
7. Microsoft Outlook - If you use Outlook, put your inbox and calendar on iGoogle.
8. Stickies - Movable, resizable, dockable post it notes. Finally remove those yellow stickies from all over your office…
9. Pandora Radio Gadget - Everyone needs some inspiration while working, and what better way then listening to some tunes from the internet’s coolest radio - since it only plays songs you like (how? find out more about Pandora here)
10. Create Your Own - if you are inspired like us, or just can find what you need, Google created a wizard allowing you to create your own, using seven templates, including ones for photos, a countdown, lists, etc.
Cool Online Apps | Comments (0)