Always test and tweak your content before you make it accessible to the general public. Even after your official profile is live, it is recommended that you test new media and techniques elsewhere, before using them with your live profile. This type of foresight helps you to avoid consumer backlash that could be caused by publishing offensive or incendiary content.
Take advantage of YouTube to advertise your blog. Don’t forget when you are posting on YouTube that you should start each video description with a link to your website or blog. Include keywords based on your niche market within your description. If possible, use keywords in all your tags and URLs as well.
Try giving away some samples through social media. I can’t think of a single person I know who wouldn’t love to get something for free, so it’s a great technique for drawing in new followers. All you need to do is figure out what you would like to give away, and post links on some of the many popular profiles that feature freebies.
You can learn a lot by interacting with various social media site communities. Do not view social media users as money-making tools, but rather as valuable sources of information. Study the ways they communicate and make connections, and get a sense of their likes, dislikes, and habits.
Do not underestimate the power of conversation. What a lot of companies don’t realize is that after a customer is done giving feedback, they are actually trying to communicate. Be the one whom takes the time to learn why a customer left negative feedback and what you can do to change it. Learn what they want, what they dislike, and how you can change your strategies to keep them happy and purchasing from you.
Facebook users with smartphones can “check in” through Facebook Places when they visit a properly set up business. Make a Facebook page for your store, and get customers to check in from your store by offering a discount to anyone who shows their status to a cashier. Foursquare is an app which offers this service as well, and is another avenue you can pursue.
There is data suggesting that people tend to read marketing messages on social media sites during business hours on weekdays. There are tools that can automatically update your social media sites so that they are posted during the time frames where they will receive the most views and you can write them whenever you have the free time.
Offer exclusive coupons and discounts to those who follow you on social media sites. This will help your followers to feel like they belong to a special club, and it will give them incentive to purchase more of your products as well.
Represent your company yourself on social media, don’t take shortcuts. This is especially true for home-based business owners or other small businesses. When you use an auto responder, it can actually backfire, you want to add a personal feel that your customers can appreciate. Your followers will perceive messages from autoresponders as spam, and they will promptly stop following you.
If you’re familiar with all the various kinds of ads on most social media sites, they usually have eye catching images. They do the job of attracting potential customers in a very clever way. A curious person will be much more likely to visit your business page and make a purchase.
If someone follows your business on Twitter, return the favor by following them. Your customers should feel that your business is a partner, not an elite. Your customers and friends want to feel like you are paying attention to them and that you care. It only takes a second of your time to follow back on Twitter, but the pay off both to you and your customer is much greater.
If you don’t feel comfortable writing articles or essays, consider creating lists of information for your social media accounts. That way, all your information can be concisely presented in order of importance. Social media users are typically from the younger generation, and they like to consume information quickly and easily.
If you know how to use each social media site, you’ll be ready to market effectively. One example of this is clicking a tweet’s time stamp to go to a permalink for that tweet. Use this technique to create a linkage web that promotes a single relevant post, rather than to send people back to the same generic profile or page.
Make a survey about social networking habits and ask customers to take it. Tracking social media use of more than one hour per day can be a strong indication that you need to set up your social media presence right away. If your target audience does not care about social networks, perhaps you should focus your efforts on something else.
Interact with your customers, and potential customers, as much as you can. Comment on their blogs, send messages, and communicate via forums. Do anything you can as long as it is appropriate. Stay out of personal conversations and stick to replying to comments about your brand or products.
When it comes to social media marketing, you don’t have to focus on the cost of your efforts. You should now know how to provide content, such as pictures and videos, to get a good audience. By taking advantage of the many social media sites that are now available, you should be able to expand your customer base and grow your business.