Social Media Marketing - Targeting the Right Customers

Social media marketing is the use of a variety of social networking platforms and communities for marketing, customer service, public relations, and sales. They can include the most commonly used networks such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter or they may be effectively managed through blogs or niche communities such as LinkedIn or any combination of options. Its goal is to attract attention about a specific company or event of interest. The buzz that is created is spread by word of mouth, otherwise known as virally. As more people talk about the product or organization, brand recognition is increased. 

Social media marketing is not controlled the way traditional marketing campaigns are. Once it has been released on the Internet, it takes on a life of its own. It encourages user participation in a variety of discussion settings. Whether the buzz is created by a press release, advertisement, video clip or photo, the publicity that spreads like wildfire is just as uncontrolled. As a result, organizations that choose to promote themselves online should take care when crafting the campaign. Although the popularity of the Internet has allowed us to connect with people around the globe, sometimes the message gets lost. 

There is so much information available today that most people are overloaded. In the last few years, social media marketing has gained acceptance as a useful and effective marketing method. When in its infancy, most organizations concentrated on getting as much news and information posted on the Internet as possible. They tried to have a presence in all of the most popular social networking communities as well as some of the niche blogging platforms. As Web 2.0 features became familiar to the user at large, target markets were more firmly defined. 

Organizations are beginning to realize that they need to focus on the networks where their primary consumer has a web presence, rather than the largest networks. People care about what is going on in their community. This is as true for their online communities as it is in their physical location. By focusing social media marketing campaigns in these areas, brand recognition will increase and marketing budgets are used more efficiently. Once the right customer base has been found, the attention results in an increased return on investment as well as revenue. Market research is more effective and the value of consumer feedback becomes priceless in understanding what the customer wants. 


To YOUR Social Media Marketing Success!


Rebecca

Internet Marketing Articles – Choosing Topics

If you are just starting your own home-based Internet business, you have probably found a lot of people giving advice about how to bring more traffic to your site. Internet marketing articles, also known as article submissions, are often a key part of being able to do that. They not only bring more people to your site, but they also increase the number of links. This will help you rank higher with the search engines and has been proven to be an effective way to spread the news about products and services. The difficult part is choosing something to write about. 

Think about the hottest trends in your industry. If you have tried any of them, your Internet marketing articles can address what worked, what didn’t and what you learned from the entire process. If there are contradictory results, expand on what happened and why. If there is a particular topic or process that people seem to misunderstand, try to simplify it for them. If there any particular events that are coming up then write about how to properly prepare for them. In most industries, there are events that occur annually. This holds true for tradeshows, conferences or anything that many people participate in. 

If you are selling a specific product or service, there may be a holiday or season that business usually increases. Write Internet marketing articles that address how to capitalize on that cyclical interest. One of the most effective ways to come up with ideas for new material is to start a list of items that are helpful to your customers. There are often industry lists of frequently asked questions. Answer some of the most common questions with your own recommendations and why they are useful. You may even decide to create a list of do’s and don'ts.

Whichever approach you choose, make the Internet marketing articles informative so that they interest the reader.  However, one or two articles will not be enough to make a difference in the traffic to your site. To maximize the effectiveness, it is recommended that you write several articles a day. This will help keep your brand in the public eye. If you are still searching for content, you may want to step away for a while. Sometimes taking a break will help you gain a different perspective on the situation. Submitting to article directories is free and can help a whole new market segment find you.

To Your Article Writing Success!

Rebecca

Building Your List – Increasing Links to Your Subscription Site

If you are like most people who have recently started their own home-based Internet business, you are beginning to look around to see what everyone else is doing to encourage business. You will find that there are numerous forums and blogs in your industry. Many of them are consistently being updated with content and there are always new comments. If you are concentrating on building your list of qualified leads, posting comments on these sites will help jumpstart your efforts. Select a topic that is relevant to your business and participate in the discussions. In most cases, you can sign your posts.


Instead of leaving your name only, insert a link that takes the reader to your subscription information. Don’t just visit all of the forums in your industry and leave you signature. This is considered a form of spam. Make sure you add quality content that is valuable to the reader. This helps establish you as an expert in your field. Another way to begin building your list, which also furthers your reputation as an expert in your industry, is to write articles. These articles can be filled with information about how you are building your business or events or webinars that you found helpful.


There are a few requirements for article submissions. The first is that they provide useful information that will attract others in your field. The second is that it is not a sales pitch designed specifically for building your list. People don’t want to be sold and most directories won’t post this type of article. At the foot of the article, there will be a resource box that gives you the opportunity to provide personal information. Add your name, business and various links to your site. It is recommended that you don’t use more than two links. Consider linking to your newsletter subscription information and your home page. 


If there is a page on your site that is more relevant to the article, link to that instead of the home page. Building your list with qualified leads is all about creating trust and relationships with your prospects and customers. Establishing yourself as an expert in your industry will help build brand recognition. When people begin sharing your content with others, your reputation will spread quickly. This often results in a larger list, which in turn enables you to sell your products and services faster to a larger target market. Profits increase significantly when you have a larger qualified subscriber list.


I recommend a great list building resource here:  Your Email Marketing Solution!


To your successful list building!


Rebecca

Article Marketing – Promoting Your Brand

One of the fastest ways to increase traffic to your web site or blog is through article marketing. It also significantly increases the number of external links to your web site. This can help you move up in the search engine rankings. Although the articles that are posted in online directories are not supposed to be article advertisements, they can be focused on your industry with links in the resource box to your site. They can address the needs that your products fulfill and how they do it. If possible, find a topic that allows you to write a “how to” article. 


These are also the most likely to be published by other sites. Broad based, informative Internet marketing articles will attract a larger reader base than a technical article. However, if you write something that is industry specific, you may find that your site attracts a larger percentage of qualified prospects/customers. Each has its advantages. The goal should be to make the articles informative about a specific topic rather than concentrating on driving your web site traffic. The back links to your site are invaluable for helping you move up the rankings with the search engines. There are many different ways you can use these links.


The strategy with the best results includes using a maximum of two links in the article’s resource box. The links on your Internet marketing articles should each go to a different page. One to your home page and one that most closely relates to the topic of the article are usually the best choices, but it is your choice. To be effective, you need to write several articles and each one should have its own combination of links. This increases the number of external links to your site, known as link popularity. Writing articles for submission can be time consuming, and finding content is sometimes difficult. 


However, it is one of the most effective ways to build traffic to your site and increase brand recognition. Depending on the directories that you use to submit your Internet marketing articles, you may be able to use HTML rather than text links. This often makes it more difficult for people to find your web address though. If you want Webmasters and other web searchers to be able to republish your articles or visit your site, it is recommended that you use the links to make it as easy as possible for them. This will increase your visitors and ranking.


Helpful Tip:  Set up an account at the online article directory, www.eZineArticles.com to post your articles.  


To Your Article Marketing Success!


Rebecca

Personal Branding Online – Steps to Solidify Your Brand

There are many reasons to build a personal brand. The most common reason is that by creating your personal brand online, you differentiate yourself from others and become memorable. It’s about bringing the trust and integrity that you are known for in the physical world and transferring it to your reputation online. A successful brand sets you apart from everyone else. It can be anything for the amount of content that you have to the products you offer. Your brand is not a character that you play, but a genuine reflection of who you are and what you represent.

Many people use an alias, rather than their true name for personal branding online. This makes it difficult to explain if you are applying for a job and your potential employer wants to find you online. Publicize your achievements and successes to show your expertise and knowledge. Share tips and other information with people in your industry. Talk about what methods or techniques helped you succeed. Consider following other people in your industry to see what works for them. Focus your attention on the areas that are frequented by your target audience. This may require some research.

Find out if your name is an available domain. This is often one of the easiest ways to be found, especially if you are just getting started creating you personal brand online. If you have started a blog, syndicate it in brand related sites and industry networks. Social media sites can be useful if you choose the right platform to carry your message. There is a significant amount of time commitment involved in keeping the information current and responding to comments in a timely manner, so takes some time to research, which will work the best for you. These sites are designed to be social, interactive environments. 

It’s about getting to know people and taking time to build relationships. There are many different types of content that can be used to reinforce your personal brand online. You can create and circulate newsletters that include information in your field, furthering the perception that you are an expert. Build an affiliate network that will promote your products, and as a result, your brand. Post on blog sites other than yours. People will follow you if they like what you have to say. Building a personal brand can be time consuming, but if you do it right, it will help increase your exposure and encourage your business to grow.

To Your Personal Branding Success!

Rebecca

PS:  Please share your thoughts on this article below. :-)

Attraction Marketing Online - Attracting Customers And Building Relationships

A large percentage of businesses that use attraction marketing online are finding increasing success on Facebook. Presenting a fun, informative page is like being in the middle of one of the best parties on the block. They are designed to be a place where people come to interact with others. It is about making friends and building relationships. This helps build trust and credibility about your business and the products you sell. To get started on the right foot, it is important to decide on the basics, such as what kind of person you are and how you present yourself. 

The image you project is vital to your success. Attraction marketing online is about letting people know who you are and letting them get to know you. Unlike traditional marketing, where the product or service is the focus, this method is more about you. Social networkers do not want to be sold. That is not why they are here. They are not interested in your business and are offended by advertisements and the hard sell. This is one of the fastest ways to sabotage your attempt before you even have a chance to really get started. 

They want to be social and find out about your hobbies, interest and what you are like, in general. They are also filled with inherent self-interest. Which means, that while they are interested in you, they want to know how you will be able to increase their business. As a result, your goal for attraction marketing online should be to provide them with products or services of value, rather than a product pitch. When you offer a viable solution to their problems, they are more likely to be attracted to your other services. When value is proven, they become more interested in selling your products.

For some people, the results come faster than others. The outcome of your attraction marketing online depends on how successful you are at pinpointing your target market. It is also important for you to be genuine. Don't talk about things just because you think others will be interested in them. Share your thoughts and feelings on a variety of topics. This is the best way to build lasting relationships. If you begin pushing your products from the very beginning, people will leave and not come back, so taking the time to understand their needs is also an important aspect to you success.

To Your Online Marketing Success!

Rebecca


PS:  Please share your thoughts about this article below.

Blog Design & Creation – Design Elements Count

Although creativity in blog design & creation is encouraged, there are certain elements that must be considered on every site. The more time and attention you give to each of these design components, the more effective it can be. One of the first things people will see when they come to your blog is the header. It helps to increase brand recognition and differentiate it from millions of others. This is why headers are given so much attention. Even if you do not have a lot of design experience, take some time to create a header that really pops.

It usually contains graphics such as your logo or slogan. It can be playful or serious, but it should match the tone of the contents. Once you decide the message you want to convey, blog design & creation will be easier. If you already have a web site, it should be similar so that you continue building brand recognition. An effective header will ensure that your visitors understand what the blog is about as soon as they arrive at the site. Don’t be afraid to try different header designs and messages until you find one that works.

The content area is where most people will spend the majority of their time hanging out and chatting. It should be uncluttered and easy to read. There should be few distractions, such as animations or advertisements. Many people stick with a white background with black text and colored links for their blog design & creation techniques. This is traditional and works well, but don’t be afraid to try a dark background with a mid-tone text or even links that are more creative. Creativity is encouraged as long as it doesn’t take away from the blog itself. The format should be consistent throughout.

This will ensure that the reader does not need to search for the next posting. When considering blog design & creation, keep your navigation location consistent. Most people keep it towards the top of the page because that is where users expect to find them. They can be text based or graphics to give them additional definition. Focus the links on the primary areas of your blog to enable users to get around the site quickly and easily. Blogs should be designed with an eye towards ease-of –use. If visitors find it too cluttered or confusing, they will leave. Keep content fresh and consistent to encourage return visits.

To Your Blogging Success!

Rebecca