| Social media is fundamentally changing the way | | | | sale or coupon to a HIGHLY targeted audience. Do |
| businesses interact with potential customers. | | | | you think the results would be better than sending |
| Everything from customer interactions to personal | | | | 20,000 postcards to homes? Twitter may not be right |
| engagement of organizations is shifting daily. This | | | | for some businesses though. It is only a tool in the |
| potentially makes social media one of the biggest | | | | social media marketing campaign. A word of caution, |
| changes in business communication since the | | | | be wary of those building your Twitter follower list |
| introduction of mass media. Social marketing is a new | | | | without targeting audiences. If the audience isn't willing |
| way for businesses to interact with their current and | | | | to listen to what you have to say, then they aren't |
| future customers via online blogs, online publishers, | | | | targeted! Another popular example would be |
| social networks and applications. By interacting with | | | | Facebook. Within Facebook, a company can create |
| their customers businesses provide that personal | | | | fan pages and groups bringing their customers |
| connection between their product/brand and their | | | | together. Within these groups customers could share |
| followers. Prior to social media, the primary way for | | | | their experiences. Now these experiences could also |
| businesses to communicate with their users was | | | | be moderated by someone within your company, |
| simply one-way. There was no way to gauge the | | | | which brings in Internet Reputation Management (a |
| performance of campaigns. Social marketing has | | | | definite requirement when developing a social media |
| changed this and will continue to grow providing | | | | campaign). These Facebook pages are similar in |
| businesses with a cheaper and more effective way of | | | | creating a following, but allow the customers to be |
| reaching millions more using highly targeted methods. | | | | engaged on a more personal level. These are only |
| Did you know that since Feb 2005 social media use by | | | | two examples of social interactions. A successful |
| adults has grown from 5% of internet users to over | | | | campaign will also utilize blogs, articles, press releases, |
| 46% in April of 2009? While social media is still not | | | | applications and numerous other networking sites. |
| viewed as a business requirement by some, the | | | | At first, when a company becomes involved in this, |
| numbers speak for themselves. | | | | they quickly learn they can't be all things to all people. |
| Social media and networking helps build communities | | | | This is where a company needs to target its |
| and bring people together with common interests and | | | | campaigns on those people who are the best fit for |
| goals. The platforms designed allow customer | | | | them. From polls to surveys a business can determine |
| interactions directly without influence. The networking | | | | the best fit consumer and will ultimately be able to |
| allows us to take those relationships deeper in much | | | | focus their influencers on those people who are the |
| less time. Social marketing defines a combination of | | | | best fit for them. The information received from these |
| efforts to reach the targeted audience. Simply opening | | | | polls and surveys in received and utilized to improve a |
| a Facebook page for your business is a good start but | | | | company's social media marketing campaign. |
| not effective without complimenting it utilizing the | | | | I know, social media seems a bit overwhelming. You |
| ever-changing methods of gaining targeted audiences. | | | | have a business to run and don't have time to create |
| These new advertising methods are changing daily | | | | and manage a targeted marketing campaign. But with |
| and it is imperative you take part in the new tools | | | | the ever-changing world of internet, can you afford not |
| developed as they change to stay at the top. | | | | to? There are several internet marketing companies |
| We have defined social media and I am sure some | | | | that bring together highly qualified and experienced |
| are interested in exactly what it is. Well, an example | | | | social media experts. These companies usually provide |
| would be Twitter. Twitter is one of the better known. It | | | | a free consultation and can develop, implement and |
| allows a company to build a group of dedicated | | | | manage your entire social media marketing campaign. |
| followers interested in what they have to say. The key | | | | Think of it as outsourcing your entire internet marketing |
| point is "interested in what they have to say". These | | | | division. You get expert knowledge, advice and |
| core loyal consumers have agreed to become part of | | | | professionalism at a fraction of the cost of hiring at |
| YOUR network and are waiting to hear what you | | | | least 2 more personnel. |
| have to say. Think of the possibilities. You advertise a | | | | |