Getting Your Business Hooked into Social Media Marketing
If you haven't yet succumbed to the reality that you'll need social media marketing from here forward, well, I hope you've got a Plan B for your online survival. The truth is that social media is now pervasive in nearly every facet of online marketing, and while the opportunity is great, so is the challenge.
With so many people gathering on the various social networks, it is important to go where the people are if you want to flourish in this social business environment. These days people look to their social media channels for affirmation and recommendation, and if you aren't playing, you're not in the game.
Learn which social media channels you need
There are a handful of major players that you simply need to be on, and few others that might make a lot of sense given your market. The top five social media networks at this writing are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and YouTube. The next most important are sites like Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram, Vine and Snapchat. This seconds tier is a lot more visually oriented, but drives a lot of traffic that is very interested in buying.
Understanding each site's demographic will help you decide how much emphasis you need to place on each, as well as your particular market.
Using social media sites for business
Cultivating audiences for your business through social media can be achieved far easier and faster than through traditional marketing if you are up to speed on how to make your reach exceed your current influence. This means understanding how to get involved, engaged and shared as widely and quickly as you can.
Your business can experience exponential growth if your social media is managed well and allowed to grow. There are a myriad of techniques for doing this, and as you might expect change is a constant.
To help with that here is a great collection of social media resources that will provide you with a great foundation and knowledge going forward. One of our favorites on this list is the blog Social Media Examiner.
Once you decide which direction you wish to take with your business, dive in with excitement and determination. It will be rewarded!
