Archive for the ‘Twitter’ Category

Social Media… Part of the Larger Solution

By Amanda Bala

 

It was not very long ago that the words “social media” and “social networking” were linked to very different connotations than they are today. Many people thought that all things having to do with social media were a passing phase… just another blip on the radar.

But then businesses started to see the return on their investment into social media. Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook became very real marketing tools and people’s opinions about social media began to change. It was no longer a passing fad. Social media was here to stay and was changing the way we advertise ourselves and our companies and products.

Using social media as a part of your marketing strategy is a delicate balancing act. By taking traditional marketing and mixing in social media, you are able to enhance your marketing and strengthen your brand. However, it is important that you do not look at social media as the end all solution to your marketing needs, but instead look at it as a brand enhancer… another piece of an integrated larger solution.

Here’s a few things to keep in mind:

Know Your Target Audience. It is not about how many followers you have on Twitter or how many “likes” you have on Facebook. It is about having the right people follow you and like you. You can get your message out to 10 true potential clients and it will do far more for your business growth than getting it out to 1000 people who have no interest at all in what you are doing.

Think Like A Potential Client. If you were your own customer, what would you like to see on your Facebook page? What things would you find helpful and interesting. Those are the things you need to be sharing and putting up on your social media sites. Base your keywords on terms that your clients use.  Be willing to share as much helpful information as possible. The more people come to rely on your site, the more they will talk positively about you to others.

Engage Your Audience. The more you ask of your social media fan base, the more they will give back. Post thought provoking material. Ask for opinions. Even get a bit controversial. Be a character. Make your posts fun or funny. Just get people talking. The more they talk on your page, the more they will talk about you to others who will in turn come to see what they fuss is all about.

There is no doubt about it; social media is here to stay. It is more important than ever that you get with the times and make sure you have your social media strategy in place and working for you.

 

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Tweeting Your Way to the Top

By Amanda Bala

Twitter.  We all have heard of it and many people are out there tweeting on a daily basis.  Are you?  Have you been thinking about getting on Twitter, but do not know where to begin.  Are you already signed up, but do not know what to do?  Here are a few helpful hints to get tweeting!

Many people think that Twitter is just a silly, gossip site that will not help them at all in their business.  This could not be further from the truth.  Twitter can help you to get your name out there in the simplest way; by talking to people.  Twitter has the ability to engage in instant conversation with people all over the country.  It helps build relationships with people and gets them interested in who you are and what you do.

The first step to making your tweeting work is to be personable.  On Twitter, people are not interested in hearing a sales pitch.  They want conversation.  They want friendship.  Don’t talk business.  Be true and tweet interesting information.  Be engaging and show them that you are invested in what they have to say.  This helps you to build relationships with your target audience.

The next thing you want to do when Tweeting is to give people something to talk about.  Make your tweets fun or funny.  Pose thought provoking questions or even be controversial.  These are the types of things that make people interested in what it is you have to say.  These are the kinds of tweets that will get people talking to you and also about you.

When using Twitter, you need to update a lot.  This may seem tedious, but it does not need to be.  You can use quotes as your tweets.  You can link to blogs or interesting articles.  Or when lost for an original tweet, you can always retweet something that someone else has put on Twitter.  The idea is, the more tweets you add, the more people will see you and start to listen to what you are saying.

Finally, use the tools Twitter offers to you.  Link your website to your Twitter page.  You have the option of adding buttons, badges and widgets to sections of your other sites.  This gives your visitors the opportunity to tweet your content.  You can link your articles, blogs, etc. to a button that allows anyone to send out an update linking back to your page.  You can also use the @reply feature that Twitter offers.  This is a great way to see who is discussing you and your brand.  The Twitter search function is another good tool to find out who is talking about you.  Be sure to take advantage of what is being offered on the site.

By using the wonderful world of Twitter, you are creating a personal, one on one relationship with people who can be potential clients.  You can use this to gain interest in who you are, thus generating traffic to your website and converting that traffic to leads and sales.  This is your chance to share your expertise and show people how good you are at what you do!

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