| Ramp up your marketing | | | | Save time and money on travel and use LinkedIn to |
| Companies ranging small and large are increasingly | | | | network. Instead of driving to the other end of town |
| turning to outside blogs, viral videos and websites such | | | | fighting your way through traffic use the largest |
| as Facebook, Twitter, FriendFeed and Digg -- and their | | | | business social network to build new connections and |
| tens of millions of users -- to reach consumers. Instead | | | | to nurture existing ones. Only attend your most |
| of cringing at the idea of relinquishing control to social | | | | valuable networking events, and transfer as much of |
| media outlets, smart executives realize that there is | | | | your networking as you can to the web. LinkedIn, |
| more benefit in joining the conversation than fighting it. | | | | Plaxo, and Facebook are some of the best social |
| Instead of controlling information about your brand, your | | | | networking applications. |
| social media strategy should be about engagement. | | | | Reduce your legal fees through a fairly new social |
| Advertising as we know it is expensive; social media is | | | | media site called Docstoc. It is a place to find and |
| cheap. For this reason, the recession is bad news for | | | | share professional documents such as contracts, |
| traditional marketers, while the same environment is full | | | | confidentiality agreements, intellectual property |
| of opportunities for social media marketers. Setting up | | | | documents and more. Docstoc is a social community |
| a company blog or a Facebook page is significantly | | | | resource that enables anyone to find and share |
| less expensive than traditional marketing. Even creating | | | | professional documents. The site provides an |
| your own community web site can be significantly | | | | opportunity for individuals and organizations to share |
| cheaper than traditional advertising campaigns. | | | | their professional documents. Documents available on |
| Social media marketing is not without risk. While every | | | | Docstoc can be easily searched, previewed and |
| company wants to generate buzz, online backlash can | | | | downloaded for free. |
| be vicious. Recently a Motrin commercial aimed at | | | | Decrease your recruiting costs as you hire your |
| moms created quite a stir. You can view the ad on | | | | employees though Craigslist, which has quietly become |
| YouTube as did another 210,000 people. The ad | | | | one of the most visited websites in cyberspace. It |
| makes the apparently condescending claim that | | | | offers a much cheaper way to recruit online, and your |
| carrying babies in a sling is a painful experience for | | | | company can expect excellent response rates for |
| moms. According to moms, the ad was wrong and | | | | your job posts. |
| they made it loud and clear through social media | | | | Putting it all together |
| applications such as Twitter. Some moms found the | | | | Are more companies turning to social media in this |
| Motrin ad outright offensive, and they were quite vocal | | | | economy? They should if they want to improve their |
| about it. You can catch them on YouTube. Of course, | | | | marketing efficiencies, enhance their customer service |
| the disaster doesn't end there. It continues on a myriad | | | | experience, or develop their research techniques. |
| of blogs, and carries on in a Facebook page dedicated | | | | Social media allows companies to engage with the |
| to boycotting Motrin. The backlash ad on YouTube | | | | customers instead of shouting about their own |
| can be viewed. | | | | wonderfulness. It offers ways to business to partner |
| What to do when your target rejects your ad? Turn | | | | with the community in an effort to develop a better |
| to social media. Instead of rejecting the market | | | | product. In the end everybody wins because both the |
| reaction Johnson & Johnson could have used | | | | company and the consumer end up with a better |
| social media applications to learn about their market | | | | product. |
| prior to creating and publishing the controversial ad. | | | | Virtually all companies can benefit from using social |
| There could have been a Facebook page created to | | | | media not just to create awareness, but also to |
| learn about young moms and pain. There could have | | | | become part of the conversation. Managing your |
| been a blog inviting moms to provide video testimonials | | | | corporate reputation is impossible without social media, |
| on YouTube. The lesson learned in this case is to use | | | | and ignoring it can be outright devastating. Instead if |
| social media to learn about your market, or be | | | | fighting against it, embrace it as it rockets your |
| prepared to be taught very quickly and painfully. | | | | business forward as it deepens your relationship with |
| Reduce your expenses | | | | the only reason you are in business for, your customer. |