Effective Social Media for Business Results

It's time to grow your brand by using social media.

To grow your business today through brand awareness and loyalty, Social Media and Content are the foundation for achieving success. A successful Social Media marketing campaign can bear fruit in the form of revenue, but only after creating a social community with engaged and motivated consumers.

Our social media consultants start by gaining a complete understanding of your business goals and current social media efforts.  Next, we  listen to the existing ‘chatter’ dealing specifically with your brand, product or service that is already happening in social media. This allows us to gather qualitative data, in the form of customer feedback, and quantitative data, in the form of measured traffic on the primary social media platforms to guide your competitive strategy.

Armed with this insight, your social media Marketing Game Plan is created and Social Media Strategies and Content Marketing are developed. This involves selecting the appropriate platforms for participation, approving messaging and creating a targeted timeline to publish relevant and engaging content.

SEO Tips: 10 Search Engine Optimization Tips for Pinterest

Pinterest is the newest social media addiction- but many don’t know how it can also be used for your business.  Since Pinterest allows search engines to crawl their site and the huge amount of data users have pinned there, boards can show up in Google search results. By simply using the right SEO on your company profile, you can make sure your Pinterest page gets the attention it needs from your consumers.

Here are 10 tips to get you rocking:

1. Share your own content: Uploading your own images provides more value than solely re-pinning other’s images. To be most effective, you should do a healthy mixture of both.

2. Keyword target file names: Be sure to approach file naming from a search engine optimization prospective. “keyword-phrase.jpg” will rank better than “March2012_00011.jpg”.

3. Diversify your pinning: Pinning from a variety of different sources will make your Pinterest boards more compelling and re-pinning, liking, and commenting will definitely affect where your images appear.

4. Add a link: For every image you upload, be certain to edit the pin to add a link. The added link is “nofollow” and, therefore, shouldn’t be given weight according to standard nofollow rules, but this link allows the Pinterest user to click your image for the source. Conversely, links in the description are currently followed, so be sure to add your link to the description as well so Google can follow it and give the URL weight.

5. Description, description, description: Pinterest allots 500 characters for descriptions, and SEOs all over would be remissed if you were not taking advantage and using all 500 characters to give a keyword-dense description, commentary, or explanation of your pinned image. Note that you can edit descriptions of both images you have pinned or re-pinned.

6. Follow the leader: Take time exploring Pinterest to see what types of images catch your eye and what types of content effectively persuade you to engage with them, and then upload similar types of images and content. The more your images are shared and engaged with, the better it will be for your search engine optimization goals.

7. Don’t fall into the advertising trap: Remember that Pinterest is a social media platform. You’ve got to be involved in the conversation. Comment, like, and re-pin other user’s images to help increase your followers, because it’s likely that search algorithms will incorporate how engaging your social media platforms are in the near future.

8. Keyword target board names: This SEO tip is on the same line as keyword target file naming. Create an array of boards with keyword focused names. “Charleston beaches” will serve you better than “Places I love”.

9. Add the website buttons: Give the people what they want when they want it. Add the “Follow” and “Pin It” buttons to your website now. If the buzz around Pinterest fades and people stop using it, you can easily remove the links then instead of waiting to see if Pinterest is here to stay and missing the current opportunity.

10. Be yourself: Pin what you like and be kind to others.

Using Tumblr for Generating Organic SEO

 

[caption id="attachment_579" align="aligncenter" width="665"] Using Tumblr for SEO[/caption]

Tumblr is a social networking and reblogging site with over 50 million users and 20 billion posts. Tumblr is basically the middle child of the social networking universe—it doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves. In addition to having many SEO-friendly features, Tumblr can also round out a thorough content marketing plan by helping you promote your content and bulk up your backlinks.

What Is Tumblr?

Tumblr is a micro-blogging site that contains many of the characteristics of social networking sites. Tumblr allows users to add content in a variety of forms such as text & html, images, videos, links, and quotes, and then makes the content easy to share through “post tags” and “reblog capability”.

Why Should I Have A Tumblr Account?

While Tumblr was originally mostly popular among younger internet users and photographers because of it’s “photo-focused” content, it’s platform is rapidly becoming one of the most widespread networking sites.

Why?

Tumblr Is Pretty SEO-Friendly And Promotion Friendly By Default

Tumblr takes a little bit of code hacking to create custom meta tags, so as far as ranking youractual Tumblr account, you don’t have as much control, by default, as you do of your own website. But what Tumblr IS great for, by default, is using it as a complimentary blog that sends optimized links back to your main site, and expands your business’s reach into new traffic.

Tumblr SEO Features:

1. You can customize your account URL.


2. You have the option of posting in actual custom HTML.


3. You can define your individual post URLs.


4. Links in your Tumblr posts are DOFOLLOW.


5. You can optimize ‘Alt Attributes’ and ‘Title Attributes’ of your post content.


6. You can add ‘Keyword Tags’ to all of your posts.

Tumblr Promotion Features:

1. Each post has a ‘Reblog Option’ that encourages others to share your content on Tumblr.


2. The ‘Keyword Tags’ you can add to each post are how other Tumblr users find you. ‘Keyword Tags’ are what people use to search Tumblr’s content, and the tags you add to each post put your posts into the search mix by keyword or keyword phrase.


3. You have the ability to ‘Like’ other people’s content – which puts a note with a link to your account on their post.

How To Use Tumblr For SEO

First remember one main rule… don’t just spam. Don’t just fill your Tumblr account full of “Visit My Website!!” links. Create legitimate content posts, and use your post content to appropriately refer people to your main site.

Optimizing Your Tumblr Account And Posts:

1. Customize your account URL.


2. Add a solid description of your business in the ‘About Section’. Then in that ‘About Section Content’ add an optimized link(with keywords in the anchor text), back to your website.


3. Create custom HTML posts with optimized links(with keywords in the anchor text) back to your main site content.


4. Optimize the ‘Alt Attributes’ of your images, and the ‘Title Attributes’ of your links in all of your posts.


5. Customize each ‘Post Url’.


6. Add relevant ‘Keyword Tags’ to every post.

Promoting And Bringing Exposure To Your Tumblr Account:

1. Follow other Tumblr Accounts.


2. When other Tumblr accounts follow you, follow them back.


3. ‘Reblog’ the content of others.


4. ‘Like’ the content of others.


5. Add relevant ‘Keyword Tags’ to every post.


6. Have variety in your posts. Don’t just post promotional content about your business or website. To generate traffic to your Tumblr, you need to mix in posts of interesting content with widespread appeal. If you want people to ‘Reblog’ your content and follow you, post exciting photos, inspirational quotes, your favorite music, and fun videos.

So open your Tumblr Account and get busy promoting!

Using LinkedIn Effectively and Growing Your Professional Network

[caption id="attachment_573" align="aligncenter" width="512"] Unlocking LinkedIn[/caption]

You've likely heard of LinkedIn, the business-oriented social networking website that many people use for keeping in touch with business associates, clients, and former colleagues.

But is this LinkedIn's only use? Or can you use it in other ways to grow yourself professionally and help your organization to network more effectively?

In this article, let's explore how to use LinkedIn for personal, professional, and organizational development, including how you can use it for networking and recruitment, and for keeping up with trends and news in your industry.

What is LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is a business-focused social networking site that launched in 2003. Its main purpose is to help people network professionally. The basic service is free.

The site lets you find other business associates, clients, and colleagues whom you already know. You "connect" with them through the site, and they then become part of your network.

Once you've connected with a person, you will then have access to their list of connections – this is called your "extended network." You can request an introduction to people in your extended network through your mutual contact.

LinkedIn also provides other features including the ability to set up and join groups, and a jobs section where members can advertise open positions or apply for jobs.

LinkedIn Definitions

Here are a few useful terms you should know when using LinkedIn:

• Connections – Connections are other registered users who you know personally on LinkedIn. Although you can invite anyone to be a connection, they will need to set up an account to use the site.


• Second-degree connections – These are the connections that your connections have. For example, you're friends with Bill, who is directly connected with his boss. Bill's boss is a second-degree connection for you.


• Third-degree connection – Any connections from your second-degree connects are third-degree connections. So, Bill's boss's connections would be your third-degree connections.


• Profile page – This is your personal page on LinkedIn. All registered users with LinkedIn can view it (unless you set it to be a private page). Your profile page can list your education, past work history, current and past projects, groups and associations, and more. Users can also forward your profile page to contacts on their lists. You can also make your profile page "public" so that anyone (even people not on LinkedIn) can view it.


• Recommendations – Your connections can write recommendations, or testimonials, for your profile. These can be a powerful testament to your business and professional skills.


• Introductions – Introductions are when a third party introduces two people who weren't currently connected. For instance, your colleague Sue and your client Dan don't know each other. You think Sue could help solve a problem that Dan is having with one of his projects, so you introduce Sue and Dan through LinkedIn. Introductions are simply a way to bring people together on the site.

Professional Use

There are several ways to use LinkedIn to help you grow professionally:

• Networking – LinkedIn allows you to network with people and professional organizations in your industry. This helps you stay up-to-date with industry trends and share information with others who do similar work to you.


• In addition to networking with people in your LinkedIn extended network, you can also set up and join specific groups to discuss ideas and share industry news. This is a great way to build your professional network further.


• Asking and answering questions – Many people use a service on the site called LinkedIn Answers as a kind of think tank or open brainstorming session. By offering your expertise to those in your network, you establish trust and improve your reputation as an expert.


• You can also use your profile's status update to ask questions to people in your network, or share news or insight. (Your status feed on LinkedIn works in a similar way to a Twitter timeline.)


• Research – You can use LinkedIn to find out more about the people and organizations that you do business with.


• For example, imagine that you're about to meet with an important potential client. You do a quick search on LinkedIn and discover that the person went to the same university as you. In fact, you know several of the same people. You now have a valuable conversation starter that will help you build rapport with the client.

Tip 1:
Remember that your boss, and others at your organization, will be able to see your LinkedIn profile. If you update it extensively, you might want to let them know in advance. People new to the site may confuse your profile with an online resume, so you don't want them to think that you're looking for a new job!

Tip 2:
It's an obvious point, but it's one that people forget: don't get carried away while sharing information. Make sure that you respect confidentiality, and don't give away information that could harm your organization.

Organizational Use

You can also use LinkedIn in the following ways to help your organization grow:

• Increase visibility – LinkedIn gives your organization increased visibility for its brand, products, and corporate goals. Potential customers, clients, and suppliers can research your company on LinkedIn to see if they're interested in doing business with you. This is especially useful if your organization sells services or products to other businesses.


• Conduct research on other organizations – LinkedIn also works the other way. You can use the site to research your competition, potential partners, or new suppliers.


• Tell your company story – This company story, if told in the right way, can inspire customers and potential employees, and create an emotional connection with people. Special applications, like video, allow you to create a multimedia experience with other users. (Setting up a profile for your organization will be useful here.)

Tip:
Make sure that organizational use of LinkedIn is aligned with your organization's overall strategy, and its other communications.

Recruitment

You can also use LinkedIn for recruitment and job-hunting.

For example, if you're looking for a new team member with a particular set of skills, or prior experience in a certain industry or company, you can post jobs on LinkedIn, or search for specific people who have the skills and experience that you're looking for. (Check people's profiles first to make sure that they're happy to be approached with new job opportunities.)

You may find this more effective than more traditional recruitment methods, depending on the position you're looking to fill, and your industry.

Many potential recruits also use LinkedIn as a research tool. For instance, suppose a person had two good job offers. Which organization will be a better match for them? What will their new boss or colleagues be like? What is the corporate culture like? LinkedIn can help them to find out.

So, as well as keeping your organization's profile up-to-date, also make sure that you own personal profile reflects yourself and your organization positively.

LinkedIn Etiquette

Remember these guidelines when using LinkedIn:

• Use introductions carefully – Success on LinkedIn relies heavily on reputation. Be careful when you ask for, or make, an introduction, and do so only if you truly think everyone can benefit.


• Always tell the truth – When discussing where you've worked and what you've accomplished, be honest, and don't oversell yourself.


• Don't gossip – Don't spread any company or personal gossip through LinkedIn. You never know who's going to read it, or where it will end up.


• Be professional – LinkedIn is used mainly for professional networking. So, stay professional at all times. Use other sites like Facebook for personal posts.

Tip:
If your organization approves, add your LinkedIn profile page address to your email signature. When you email colleagues, clients, and suppliers, they'll see your link – and if they're on LinkedIn, they may connect with you. This will further expand your network and exposure.

Key Points

LinkedIn is primarily a professional networking website. Although some people use the site for job searches and recruitment, it mainly helps you to get in touch with past colleagues and potential clients, and expand your professional network.

With tools like LinkedIn Answers and groups, you can establish trust with those in your network and improve your reputation, while keeping up-to-date with industry news and trends.

LinkedIn can also help your organization increase visibility for its products and brand, and can provide information on other organizations such as potential partners, customers, and competitors.

The 10 HUGE mistakes people make on LinkedIn

[caption id="attachment_523" align="aligncenter" width="576"] LinkedIn Mistakes NOT to make...[/caption]

LinkedIn is a great way to make business connections, but the truth is that most freelancers are using it completely wrong. Some of the mistakes are made and by simply switching up your approach to Linkedin, you’ll be able to get much more out of it. Today I am going to outline 10 mistakes people make on Linkedin. I hope that by reading these mistakes, you’ll be able to fix any mistakes you’re currently making and build a better Linkedin profile.

Auto updating with your Twitter statuses

One of the biggest mistakes I see people making is having their Twitter statuses auto insert into their Linkedin accounts “update” section. This is a big no-no because it shows a couple things right away. First, you’re showing that you don’t care enough about Linkedin to go and update it yourself (even using TweetDeck or another app allows you to update it properly). Second, it is streaming your constant flow of ReTweets and info you might not want to share with potential business connections on Linkedin.

Not linking to your business websites

This seems like a no-brainer, right? When you set up your profile, you’d think that most people would add their business URL in, blog URL, etc. However, I’ve noticed that a lot of people miss out on this opportunity to share other links with their Linkedin profile viewers. When you leave a blog comment, you generally add your URL in, right? Well, it’s the same way here – make sure you’re utilizing Linkedin and getting all of the links in you possibly can.

Leaving your profile information blank

So, you started your profile but never found the time to get around to it? Well, what do you think that’s going to show potential connections when they view your profile. If you can’t take 5-10 minutes to properly set up your profile, how do you expect the viewer of your profile to take you serious enough to hire you?

Not uploading your resume

Here’s one that I am personally not following but I know I need to be. Adding a resume to your Linkedin profile should be one of the first things you do because it gives people the opportunity to download it and have it on file at ease. They don’t need to contact you to request it – it’s right there.

Your recommendations section is blank

Here’s one that you can look at as a way to showcase testimonials for your business. Do you know clients who are on Linkedin? Why not ask them to give you a recommendation? This way, potential clients viewing your page will see it and it will give you a much better light to shine in, in their eyes.

Set it and forget it

Putting your Linkedin profile together and not utilizing it on a regular basis is counter productive. If your page looks like you are never there, people will assume that you’re not around on a regular basis in your business as well. Be there, be present and be active. You don’t have to spend 10 hours a day on the site, but add a couple status updates throughout the day and it’ll keep you “active” in peoples eyes.

Only connecting with people in your industry

I’ve said this a lot of times before but I think it needs to be said again. Connecting with people who do the same job as you is great for building relationships in your industry with people who might be able to help promote you or give you advice on specific things, but if you’re trying to build a business, you need to connect with people who will HIRE you. If you design blogs, connect with bloggers more than other blog designers, etc.

Connecting with EVERYONE at once

With everything, Linkedin needs to be cultivated properly. Going in and massively adding 100-200 people isn’t the way to go about it. Organically build and grow, adding those who you truly talk to. It’s not Twitter, you don’t need to follow everyone just because they’re in the same niche as you. Connect with people you know and build those relationships further.

Not branding your sub headline

Not sure what your sub headline is? It’s the spot under your name, which usually displays your position and company information (ie: Decisive Marketing Executive Who Drives Company Growth Through Creative & Innovative Marketing Strategies.@tommylandz). However, this is the first thing people see after your name so you need to make sure it pops and brands you properly. You can edit it by going to “EDIT PROFILE” and clicking “EDIT” next to your name, which will allow you to change the line under your name.

Not connecting with me on Linkedin

Just like the other articles in this series, we need to connect  I love everyone who reads and enjoys this blog and want to connect with you in any way possible, including our Linkedin profiles. You can view my LinkedIn profile at http://www.linkedin.com/in/tommylandz. Go ahead and connect with me or you can leave a comment here with your linkedin profile URL and we can all connect with each other 

A Guide On How to Create A Facebook Business Page

I write about a lot of Facebook marketing tactics on this blog. My #1 goal here is to make you a better Facebook marketer — which in turn makes you a better user of Post Planner. But today I want to go back to the beginning & make sure we’re all on an equal playing field. Maybe you’ve created a Facebook page before — or maybe you haven’t — or maybe you created one in haste and aren’t sure you did everything right. Today I want to walk you through the process of setting up a Facebook page the right way. In addition, if you need help or want me to design your Facebook business page, just contact me on this site or visit my company website.

So let’s get to it!

How to Create a Facebook Business Page

Step 1 : Go to “Create Page” Link

There are lots of ways to get to this page, but I’ll make it easy for you. Just click here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/create/

You should see something like this:

Step 2 : Choose a Page Type

Choose one of the following:

• Local Business or Place


• Company, Organization or Institution


• Brand or Product


• Artist, Band or Public Figure


• Entertainment


• Cause or Community

You’ll need to decide which page type is best for you as each type has different benefits & drawbacks.

For our example I’ll choose “Local Business or Place”

Step 3: Choose a Category

If you choose a page type other than Cause or Community then you’ll need to choose a category for your page.

You’re category is VERY important with Graph Search – so choose wisely so people can find you easier.

Just click the dropdown and you’ll be given plenty of choices.



For our example I’ll choose “Restaurant/Cafe”.

Step 4 : Choose a Business Name

Pretty simple — yet SUPER important. Enter your exact business name here.

Keep in mind people need to be able to find your business in Graph Search — so choose the name people know you by. Some “experts” recommend that you add keywords to you business name.

I think this is a mistake.

If your business is “Post Planner Burgers” then name your page that, not “Burger, Fries & Sodas in Texas”.

Plus if your page name is too generic, Facebook could take it over as a “Community” page — which limits the page features.



In the example above you’ll notice I’ve entered an address & phone number. This is only necessary if you select “Local Business or Place” — all other page types require only the Category & Business name.

Step 5: Agree to Facebook Pages Terms

To proceed further in creating your page you must agree to Facebook’s terms.

It’s a good idea to read over these terms every few months, as Facebook is constantly tweaking them.

Inside the Facebook Pages Terms you’ll find out information regarding:

• Page Administration


• Content


• Page Management


• Page Names


• Collection of Data


• Page Features


• Advertising on Pages


• Cover Photos


• Apps on Pages


• Offers


• Promotion Guidelines

As a page owner, this is info you should definitely stay familiar with.

Step 6: Click “Get Started”

Now that you’ve followed the first 5 steps it’s time to “Get Started”. So click the blue button.

Step 7: Set Up Page

Here’s where the fun starts!



You can choose to fill out this info or you can skip it. The best thing to do is fill it out now.

The info will show up on your “About” page and in the “About” section on your page’s Timeline.

You’ll need to enter the following:

• Category — No dropdown here, just type in the category you want to associate with (important in Graph Search)


• Add a description — This will show on your Timeline as the “About Section” — unless you’ve chosen a Local Business


• Website — Let people know how to find you online outside of Facebook

Facebook then asks you “Is XYZ business a real establishment, business or venue”? Kind of a dumb question, but check Yes anyway.

Once you select Yes, Facebook will ask you “Will XYZ business be the authorized and official representation of this establishment, business or venue on Facebook?”.

Again seems like a dumb question, but check Yes — unless you’re setting up a fan page for a TV show or celebrity and aren’t the official brand representative.

Once you’re finished with the above info, you’ll see something like this:



Notice how I selected multiple categories and Facebook gives me more to choose from.

Select the ones that apply & click the “Save Info” button.

 Step 8: Add Profile Picture

Here you need to upload an image from your computer or import from a website:



Your image needs to be at least 180 pixels wide in order for Facebook to accept it.

Upload your image & click “Next”.

Step 9: Like Your Page

Facebook will now walk you through a few steps.

The first one directs you to Like your page:



If you aren’t ready for people to see your page it’s probably best to hold off on Liking it just yet.

I clicked “Skip”.

Step 10: Invite Your Email Contacts

This is a great way to get your initial burst of Likes.

But as mentioned above, if your page isn’t 100% ready for primetime I’d hold off on inviting people just yet.

Step 11: Share Something

At this point Facebook considers your page ready to go & encourages you to share a status update to your Timeline.

But if you don’t have any Likes yet, no one will see it — unless they come to your Timeline later.

You might consider posting a “Welcome” image or greeting. But posting any sort of important link or other update might be a waste — seeing as you have no fans yet!

Step 12: Add a Cover

Facebook doesn’t prompt you to upload a cover photo like it does all of the other setup features. But you should definitely add a cover to your page — otherwise it looks like it’s not ready for business.



Your cover needs to be 851 pixels wide, 315 pixels tall & less than 100 kb to get the best load time.

Also, it can’t contain more than 20% text. You can test your cover photo here to see if it breaks the rules.

Your Page is Created!

Congrats! You’ve officially created a Facebook fan page! Hopefully this step-by-step guide was helpful to you.

- See more at: http://www.postplanner.com/how-to-create-a-facebook-business-page/#sthash.aKiBEEvJ.dpuf

20 Data-Backed Ways to Upgrade Your Social Media Marketing

There was a time when you may have had to contract a marketing or public relations firm to help expand your reach, but with the remarkable boom in social media, even the smallest businesses now have access to the same platform blue-chip corporations use to market themselves. Social media offers a cost-effective, user-friendly way to build your brand, expand your Internet presence, and ultimately increase business. You just have to know how to make the most of it. Follow these 20 tips below to help you out.

1) Tell Us Why We Should Follow You

Twitter accounts that used words like "founder," "speaker," "expert," "guru," and "author" in their bios had more followers than the average account. Tweet This

2) Use Contra-Competitive Timing

Posts made to Facebook timelines on Saturdays and Sundays tend to get more Likes than posts made during the business week. Tweet This

3) Use Tall Images on Pinterest

As image height in pixels increased for images posted to Pinterest, so did the average number of times they were repinned. Tweet This

4) Put Links 25% of the Way Through Tweets

Links placed just before the halfway point (in characters) of tweets tended to have higher clickthrough rates than links placed elsewhere. Tweet This

5) Use Questions on Facebook

Simple yes/no questions like "should" and "would," as well as multiple choice questions like "which" tend to get more comments than average Facebook posts. Tweet This

6) Use Links to Get Retweets

While fewer than 25% of all tweets contain a link, more than half of retweets contain a URL.Tweet This

7) Stop Talking About Yourself

As the amount of self-referential content posted by Twitter accounts increases, follower numbers decrease. Tweet This

8) Say Something New

Retweeted tweets tend to contain fewer commonly used words than a random selection of non-retweeted tweets. Tweet This

9) Stay Positive

As the amount of negativity posted by Twitter accounts increases, follower numbers decrease. Tweet This

10) Use Calls-to-Action on Facebook

Facebook posts that included the word "like" tended to get more Likes than the average post. Tweet This

11) Stay Away From Buzzwords

Facebook Pages that used industry buzzwords tended to have fewer Likes than pages that did not. Tweet This

12) Share Links to Interesting Content

Accounts in which between 60% and 80% of tweets contain links tend to get more retweets than accounts that tweet fewer links. Tweet This

13) Use Photos on Facebook

Facebook posts that use photos tend to get more Likes than text, video, or link-based posts.Tweet This

14) Use Hashtags on Instagram

Photos that included hashtags in their descriptions on Instagram tend to get more Likes than photos that do not. Tweet This

15) Talk About Food on Facebook

Facebook Pages that mention food tend to have more Likes than the average Facebook Page. Tweet This

16) Tweet Around 4 p.m.

Tweets posted around 4 p.m. Eastern time tend to get more retweets than those posted at other times. Tweet This

17) Don't Be Neutral on Facebook

Posts with positive sentiment get more Likes than posts with negative sentiment, but both positive and negative perform better than neutral. Tweet This

18) Write Longer Tweets for More Clicks

Clickthrough rate of links in tweets increases as the overall length of those tweets also increases. Tweet This

19) Go Short or Long on Facebook

Posts that either contained very little text (such as photos) or upwards of 700 characters tend to get the most Likes. Tweet This

20) Ask for the Retweet

Tweets that contain the call-to-action (CTA) "please retweet" are four times more likely to get retweeted at least once, compared to those that do not include the CTA. Tweet This

Have you tried any of these social media marketing tactics? Does your own data support their effectiveness?

Powerful Tips for Marketing on Facebook

Finding a good place to showcase your products, services and websites for free in the online world is a dream for everyone – Facebook has made this a reality. With half a billion Facebook users and thousands of online communities to choose from, Facebook has brought potential customers much closer to you.

It’s no big secret that Facebook can help you in online marketing. However, I know there are many of you who believe that just registering on Facebook is enough… it’s not. Your Facebook success story ends before it even begins!

There is much more to marketing on Facebook than just creating a profile.  Keeping your fans engaged is the key. Don’t be a brand, but be a community they love being a part of. In this article, I’m going to tell you how you can use the medium of Facebook to increase your customer base as well as retain the ones you have!

CREATE YOUR PRESENCE ON FACEBOOK

1.   Facebook Profile: By creating a profile for yourself or your business, you are establishing your identity. This will take you a long way in developing relationships with fellow users and in positioning your business. You profile lets you interact with people on a personal note, more so if it’s a local business. Here are some aspects of a profile page:

o    Profile Picture: Always put your best foot forward, which means use the most flattering picture as your profile picture.  No matter what they say, a book is judged by its cover. I came across M.A.C makeup’s profile and thought it was really catchy with the colors used on the face. Hundreds of indifferent people with little time to spare are going to decide whether to add you based on your picture. So, make sure you get this one right!

o    Add Friends: After creating a profile, don’t wait for things to happen. Add new friends every day and the word will spread that you’re on Facebook. Before you know it, you’ll be starting your day by accepting friend requests! However, make sure you don’t add more than 25 – 30 people a day as excessive adding can get your profile removed from Facebook.

o    Wall: This is your main platform to interact with Facebook users. Post messages on your wall and also comment on members’ activities, though, only when relevant. A cafe once commented on my status when it was something about food. And there! A personal connection was built in a second! I knew that I was going to visit this place more often. However, make sure you don’t spam people every other day or they may remove you from their friend list.

o    Photo Albums and Videos: Photos and videos are a great way to showcase the latest collection of your product. I know many people who love to see what goes on behind the scene during a photo shoot or while a baker does his magic in the kitchen. Moreover, the first thing most Facebook users check are photo updates. So take that camera and start shooting!

2.   Fan Pages: Facebook Pages, known as Fan Pages, are designed for businesses, brands, companies, products and celebrities. It enables public figures, organizations and other entities to create an authentic and public presence on Facebook. You can encourage users to become fans of your page and share information with them by uploading pictures, videos, status updates, hosting discussions and displaying wall posts. Unlike Facebook Profiles, Pages are visible to everyone on the internet and are generally better for long-term relationships with your fans, readers or customers.

3.   Groups: Facebook Groups allow people to come together around a common cause or activity to express their views. One of the best features of groups is the ability to send messages directly to members’ Facebook inboxes.  It’s a great way to form a community and help your brand image.
Nowadays, it’s almost a necessity for movies to establish their presence on Facebook during its post-release period as Facebook users look for movies here. The good thing here is that you can send bulk invites to your friends, while it is manually done on Pages.  Groups are generally better for hosting quick active discussions and attracting attention.

4.   Events: Simply put, Facebook Events can help you connect with your target audience and invite them for your events, even if they aren’t on your friend list or one of your fans. Events can be created individually or even from Profiles, Pages. What I like is that Facebook gives you a choice between making the event Public and Private.
Let me explain the difference. I got an invite from Alanis Morissette Unplugged Acoustic Performance for a show next month, though I’m not a ‘friend’ or a ‘fan’. This is an open invitation for a public event where anyone can access the page and RSVP to it. However, if you want to maintain an exclusive guest list, choose the ‘Private’ option and the event page won’t be visible to anyone except those you choose. If you’re planning a launch or celebrating a landmark event, the ‘Private’ option lets you selectively invite people and give details on a page that can’t be accessed by anyone else.