Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Short and sweet 

Creative, punchy copy is what will garner attention. Can you keep your pitch to 140 characters or less? That is what you will have to do if you want to gain a large Twitter following. Shortened attention spans, an exponential increase to information and constant exposure to that information makes it harder and harder for your message to be heard. Keep it short and sweet, and to the point. 

Decide on your target audience 

A social media marketing strategy must target one section of the general public - choose either to market to people who have never heard of your brand, those who have heard of you but are not yet customers, or those who are advocates of your company. Each section of your target audience requires a different marketing strategy, so don't mix them up. 

Start a conversation

It can be easy to simply tweet consistently, update a blog page or upload graphics on your Facebook page, but social media affords you the chance for real interaction. Start a conversation with your followers, or ask for your users opinions. It is a quick, fuss-free way of gaining constructive feedback while making your customers feel valued. 

Build hype and increase curiosity 

Social media is all about engagement with users. Any social media marketing strategy rings hollow without compelling content, exclusive discounts, and exciting promotions. Keep it diverse. Weekly product discounts can only get you so far. Rely on word of mouth and offer promotions based on word of mouth advertising to current consumers to enlarge your customer base. Build hype and curiosity around your brand to encourage more people to check in, whether via Twitter, Digg, Foursquare, Facebook or LinkedIn.

Measure 

Set up analytics. How many people come to your website? How many hits are converted into sales? How many new followers a month, what avenues of social media work e.g. Twitter as opposed to Facebook? How much of your target audience actually uses social media? Choose your metrics carefully and measure them as you progress in your social media marketing strategy. 

Who is the face of your brand? 

Big companies struggle with engagement on a human scale. It is important to choose spokespersons carefully. Do they embody the core values of your brand? Do others connect to them, are they approachable? Choose your representatives for social media carefully - they are the personal face of your brand. 

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Global buy sell B2B trade marketplace

I'm finding that people just want to like and share photos on Facebook.  It really gets them engaged.   Of course they like to answer questions, but they like the visual aspect.

I suppose that's why pinterest is so popular right now.

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I agree with all parts of your post. Quality content needs to go into social media, because people have short attention spans and are hard to please. Posting on a frequent basis is not something that should be taken lightly. Brian-storming and planning go into an efficient social media strategy.

I also agree with directing your efforts towards a target market, that way all of your interactions appeal to the same type of person and thinking. Too many people post anything they can find and don't spend time on creative content.

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Raise brand awareness by hosting an online game or contest.

When trendy women's shoe designer Naughty Monkey approached my consulting company Wpromote, there was already a positive buzz surrounding the brand.  Their shoes peppered fashion magazines.  However, Naughty Monkey had only a limited reach, so capitalizing on the existing buzz by building a social media presence made perfect sense.

2. Drive valuable traffic to your social network with a free giveaway.

If designing and executing an online game or contest seems daunting, you can always go back to basics and appeal to a universal human truth: People love free stuff.

 

3. Grow consumer loyalty by giving consumers a stake in your brand.

When Vitamin Water decided to launch a new flavor, it ditched the focus groups and branding experts and turned to social networks.  Throughout the summer of 2009, Vitamin Water engaged and grew its Facebook fan base by soliciting ideas from users regarding the name and packaging for the new flavor.

4. Build brand equity by aligning with a higher purpose.

It feels good to do good, and if you can inspire others to follow suit, even better. Toms Shoes has made it its mission to give a pair of shoes to a child in a developing nation for every pair sold. To maximize its contribution, Toms.com prompts users who buy shoes online to share news of their purchase on Facebook when the sale is complete.

 

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Great post. I love your insight in social media strategies. 

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Lizzielou

Very informative post. Social media marketing can only be effective once you do things in a social networking way. Just because you are representing a business doesn't directly follow that you should do stuffs in a very formal way. You just have to be business oriented while using social media.

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Awesome tips, thank you all!

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Transpanish - Spanish Translations and TransPortuguese - Portuguese Translations.

More than one in six marriages over the past three years were the result of relationships begun online, a recent study on social media and dating behavior found. When so many people are turning to the Internet to find soul mates, you can rest assured they are looking online for everything else – from their next pair of Oakleys to a new optometrist – and if you are a business seeking customers, you are well-advised to look online, too. You've heard it before: Social media is no longer an option; it's a necessity. 

 

Nielsen recently published a study stating that 79 percent of large corporations are leveraging social media to engage their audience, and they are using innovative ways to build buzz, establish relationships, foster communication, improve products, and cultivate long-term brand awareness and consumer trust.

 

Hi I quit my job 12 years ago and I began to study marketing and simple software for small business.

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You can also build a social media marketing strategy by using the following points-:

 

1. Determine Your Goals and Objectives
2. Research, Research, and Research Some More
3. Create a Digital Rolodex of Contacts and Content
4. Join the Conversation to Develop Relationships
5. Strengthen Relationships
6. Measure Results
7. Analyze, Adapt, and Improve

Selling a business