Stephanie Ward
As a business owner you know there are new tools available to help you market your business. I’m talking about what is called social media, mainly Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and blogging.
You want to participate but sometimes your technical questions get in the way. Or, you’re not sure how you can use these tools in the most optimal way.
Here are ten tips that you can use now to improve your social media marketing effectiveness:
1. If you have a cool resource or idea to share with someone, post it on their Facebook profile (or Fan) page instead of sending an e-mail. Because if it’s something cool, other people would probably like to know about it as well. And, this gives you exposure as well as positioning you as a resourceful person.
2. When you create a Facebook Fan Page (now called an official page) you get a really long url that you can change to one that’s easy to remember and share. This short video will show you how. (If you don’t have a Facebook Fan Page, you need to create one, more on that here).
3. Comment on other people’s blogs. And when you do, write something specific that is insightful (don’t comment, ‘great post’). And be sure that your posts include a photo of you (not a blank box) so that when you do post people can see who you are. This video will show you how.
4. If you write articles or blogs, add a ‘ReTweet’ button to every article or post. This way when someone finds it valuable they can easily share it with their followers. Here’s how to add the button (if html sounds like Chinese to you, then ask your web person to make it happen).
5. When you’re sharing links on social media use Bit.ly to turn a long url into a short url. What’s so cool about bit.ly is that in addition to creating a short url, it also tracks how many clicks your link gets so you know how much exposure it generates.
6. Change your LinkedIn profile url from something long and unmemorable to something branded (your name or company name). This makes it easier for people to find you and it will improve your Google ranking. Here’s how to do it.
7. When you connect with someone on LinkedIn, be sure to check to see if he/she is on Twitter and Facebook and connect there as well. Same idea, if you’re connected with someone on Facebook, check for him/her on Twitter and LinkedIn. You get the idea.
8. Put your social media links to Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn on your business card and/or e-mail signature.
9. When someone signs up for your ezine they are usually directed to a ‘Thank You’ page and/or receive a ‘Thank You’ e-mail from you. These are two great places to add your social media links.
10. Ask questions and request comments on your Facebook posts. You want to create a platform for interaction, not just a one way stream of communication.
These may seem like minor details but often small tweaks can make a huge difference in the amount of people you reach. They’re like levers that can move heavy objects with minimal effort. So get started now and improve the effect your social media marketing is having on your business.
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