Social Marketinig - Avoid Doing This...

Taigh Smyth, Internet Marketing Expert, provided this insight when marketing using social networking sites.

If you are thinking of using Social Marketing sites to build your business this is an important article for you to read to avoid making the fatal mistakes that most online marketers are committing right now, and wondering why their business is not growing.

Social marketing sites have changed the internet and the way we communicate with others. A couple examples of social marketing sites are Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. This is usually a place where friends connect and people meet one another. This is very important to understand for when people don't play by the rules, they will be rejected by others in the group.

So how are marketers abusing these social marketing sites? Many marketers who see the mass number of people on these sites feel that it's a good idea to get their noise in and advertise to these people. This is probably the worst thing you can do. Here is why.

Let's take the example of going to a party, that's basically what social marketing sites are like, a place where people are meeting other people. Now would you walk into a party and introduce yourself as the "God of Online Marketing" and can help them with all of their problems? Of course not - I hope. But people are doing it every day online. They have corny profiles such as, "MakeMillions" and go around asking if they can help you.

There are a few things wrong with this strategy. First I immediately question to myself, "If this person is so successful then why is he going around begging others to be friends and wanting to help me?” Second and this is even more important, is that they are just annoying everybody at the party (the social marketing site). Immediately you remind them of an annoying network marketer who just will not stop calling them to 'join their business'. So instead of building the business and annoying people face-to-face, people are now going on to social marketing sites to market with the same 'failure proven' techniques.

Social marketing sites are a place where people can meet one another and build new relationships. It is not a new medium for advertising and recruiting. Be respectful of the people you meet and get to know one another. At some point they may ask you what you do and if it seems like a good fit, you can put on your marketing hat and take the next step.

Social marketing sites have made it easier than ever to connect with people all over the world, so learn the unspoken rules, build relationships, and prosper with one another.

What's the Most Effective Marketing Technique?

Marketing experts are constantly weighing in on the best way to promote a business online, and e-mail comes out on top time and time again! Take Michele Fontanelli from Meta Media, for instance. She writes on DMNews.com that “e-mail marketing is one of the most effective retention marketing techniques available,” and reminds readers that any business can – and should - make the most of this avenue.

“Whatever business you’re in – whether you’re a local hairdresser trying to increase return traffic to your salon or a multi-million dollar e-commerce site with more than 1,000 products to sell – e-mail marketing should be one of the highest priorities within your online marketing strategy.”

Fontanelli offers some valuable tips for e-mail marketing. Take advantage of these ideas with your current clients or use them to build value in your business while talking to prospects!

Bring customers back.

Fontanelli suggests that businesses use e-mail to offer incentives for customers to visit your site or business after long periods of inactivity. With MA WebCenter's all-inclusive Web solution, any small- or mid-sized business can easily identify which of their contacts hasn’t shopped with them in a while and send an e-mail directly targeted to that group!

Provide Recommendations.

You can also use the e-mail campaign tools in our Web solution to send product or service recommendations. If you’ve got customers who prefer a particular product, they can launch a personalized e-mail campaign with recommendations for similar products that those customers might also enjoy! Site visitors will appreciate the recommendations, and you can boost your profitability when customers purchase the suggested products!

Keep customers updated.

Fontanelli writes that “new product or service e-mails are the perfect excuse to e-mail your customer base. You are not only getting your name in front of your customers once again, but you are giving them a whole new reason to be interested in what you have to offer.”

But you don’t have to wait until you introduce a new product or service to send an e-mail like the one Fontanelli’s talking about. When you send regular e-newsletters to your opt-in site visitors, you can include news about in-store events or a link to a recent write-up in the local newspaper. These techniques will also keep your business fresh in the customer’s mind!

No matter how you use our Web solution’s e-mail campaign features, the key is to urge customers to purchase a product on your site or take advantage of a service at your brick-and-mortar location. As Fontanelli writes, a call to action should “always be your number one consideration.”

To find out more on how our Web solution can benefit your business, contact us today!