Social media is fundamentally changing the way businesses interact with potential customers. Everything from customer interactions to personal engagement of organizations is shifting daily. This potentially makes social media one of the biggest changes in business communication since the introduction of mass media. Social media is a new way for businesses to interact with their current and future customers via online blogs, online publishers, social networks and applications. By interacting with their customers businesses provide that personal connection between their product/brand and their followers. Prior to social media, the primary way for businesses to communicate with their users was simply one-way. There was no way to gauge the performance of campaigns. Social media has changed this and will continue to grow providing businesses with a cheaper and more effective way of reaching millions more using highly targeted methods. Did you know that since Feb 2005 social media use by adults has grown from 5% of internet users to over 46% in April of 2009? While social media is still not viewed as a business requirement by some, the numbers speak for themselves.
Since the implementation of social media it has provided a platform to bring people and communities with similar interests and goals together. Social media allows people to discuss and communicate with each other about different things without interference. Social media marketing makes use of these platforms to increase a business’s exposure through a highly targeted group of consumers. The networking platform allows us to build personal relationships with these customers much quicker than traditional methods. There are many platforms and choices available to a company interested in social media. Simply opening a Facebook page for your company is a great start but not as effective as it could be without complimenting it using the ever-changing methods of acquiring targeted audiences. Social media marketing and networking change on a daily basis. It is imperative that you as a company take part in the new tools developed to stay on top.
We have defined social media and I am sure some are interested in exactly what it is. Well, an example would be Twitter. Twitter is one of the better known. It allows a company to build a group of dedicated followers interested in what they have to say. The key point is “interested in what they have to say”. These core loyal consumers have agreed to become part of YOUR network and are waiting to hear what you have to say. Think of the possibilities. You advertise a sale or coupon to a HIGHLY targeted audience. Do you think the results would be better than sending 20,000 postcards to homes? Twitter may not be right for some businesses though. It is only a tool in the social media marketing campaign. A word of caution, be wary of those building your Twitter follower list without targeting audiences. If the audience isn’t willing to listen to what you have to say, then they aren’t targeted! Another popular example would be Facebook. Within Facebook, a company can create fan pages and groups bringing their customers together. Within these groups customers could share their experiences. Now these experiences could also be moderated by someone within your company, which brings in Internet Reputation Management (a definite requirement when developing a social media campaign). These Facebook pages are similar in creating a following, but allow the customers to be engaged on a more personal level. These are only two examples of Social Media. A successful campaign will also utilize blogs, articles, press releases, applications and numerous other networking sites.
Social media can be a bit overwhelming for the new business entering into the internet world. A company will quickly learn that they can’t be everyone’s answer. Customer involved interactions will assist the company in further targeting their social media marketing campaign. From polls to surveys, a business can further determine the consumer that is the best fit for their company. The information received from these polls and surveys is then utilized to better refine a social media marketing campaign.
A bit overwhelming, I understand. Your focus needs to be on running your company. There are marketing companies specializing in the development and implementation of social media campaigns. These internet marketing companies bring together highly skilled and qualified personnel that can assist you in the development of your personal campaign. A social media campaign, on average, requires at least 1-2 people to manage for a small to medium company. In lieu of hiring additional personnel within your company, you can simply outsource this to a company that is already experienced and knowledgeable in social media. The result, you get expert knowledge at a significant cost reduction.
Don’t Let Just Anyone Handle Your Internet Marketing Campaign. Our Team Of Professionals Can Bring Your Business Into The Internet World. Contact Us Today For A No Obligation Evaluation.
The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook: A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and BetrayalNATIONAL BESTSELLER
“The Social Network, the much anticipated movie…adapted from Ben Mezrich’s book The Accidental Billionaires.” —The New York Times
Best friends Eduardo Saverin and Mark Zuckerberg had spent many lonely nights looking for a way to stand out among Harvard University’s elite, comptetitive, and accomplished student body. Then, in 2003, Zuckerberg hacked into Harvard’s computers, crashed the campus network, almost got himself expelled, and was inspired to create Facebook, the social networking site that has since revolutionized communication around the world.
With Saverin’s funding their tiny start-up went from dorm room to Silicon Valley. But conflicting ideas about Facebook’s future transformed the friends into enemies. Soon, the undergraduate exuberance that marked their collaboration turned into out-and-out warfare as it fell prey to the adult world of venture capitalists, big money, lawyers.
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