Understanding Internet Marketing

Social media orange county - Whether you’re a social media newbie or you've been using social media for your business for a while now, frustration has a way of being a major, yet unwanted, component. You hear about great results other businesses are having with social media; how it doubled their business and brought in endless new customers. You hear you have to have it, and yet you have no idea if your own social media is working or not.Beyond just measuring how many new followers, fans, likes you have; and beyond measuring how much traffic your site gets from social networking sites, what else can you do to ensure you’re using social media correctly, for your business?

There are almost endless social media platforms, but you may only know about the biggest ones like Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, You Tube. You don’t necessarily need to be on ever social site, the key is to be where your customers are. If your customers love Foursquare, you may want to consider having a presence on Foursquare. If your customers and prospects aren't on a particular network then maybe one that you can ignore for now. Ask your customers, do surveys and find out what social networks they enjoy, what social networks do they wish you were on?

For example, in Facebook, you can have a "Page," a "Group," or a "Personal Profile." Each variation has its own set of tools, purposes, and capabilities. With YouTube, you may want to use your YouTube channel to publish videos on how to perform certain exercises, or video classes you offer, while using Facebook to build a sense of community through candid photos, listings of hours, available classes, and upcoming events. Take the time to explore each the options of the social networks you use. There's plenty of information online and some books in the "Dummy" series such as Facebook for Dummies. Those are great books and guides.

Don't go crazy setting up profiles everywhere and having an abandoned presence online that could cause you a spam problem and a reputation management problem. You need to remember that whatever you take on has to be maintained and updated regularly. Remember that consistency is key. If you do not think you will be able to maintain various platforms (or you have already started and stopped using a platform) be sure to delete those accounts. Otherwise, you stand the risk of eroding your brand value when a customer (current or potential) stumbles across your forgotten account. Instead, make sure that what you have is the best it can be and do away with anything that you are not actively using. This is why it's imperative you keep track of accounts you open such as Gowalla, Foursquare, Twitter etc…. you don't want to have multiple accounts on the same platform, and you don't want abandoned ones hanging out online. Keep track of the account, the username and password and delete any social networking accounts that are inactive. Please note, if you hire a company to handle your social media or set it up, be sure you own the account!

When they make a post, do you respond? Do you stay on top of when your company is mentioned on other sites, blogs, social media, etc.Do you make relevant comments and responses (interaction)? Remember that social media is not to simply broadcast. Be sure to give your audience a voice. Ask open-ended questions, run surveys and polls, include them in new product decisions. The more things like this you do, the more valued your audience will feel. Remember that interaction is a large part of a successful social media campaign!

 Ask yourself what it is that your audience would want to read, not what you want to tell them. Providing discounts or having giveaways can be useful, but you have to have more substance than that. Think of the tidbits of information you encounter every day that make you stop and say, "Hmmmm?" Examples include fun facts about how long you have been in business, what happens "behind the scenes", why your business operates as it does (e.g., why you do not serve semisweet bagels, why you buy local) etc. Don't talk about yourself too much, talk as yourself and be personable even if you're a brand!

Social Media can be a key part of growing your business and brand awareness. It can help you attract new consumers and deepen the loyalty of current customers.Internet Marketing and having a web presence isn't just about having a website, it includes being findable in multiple places when local consumers are looking for your product or service and having a decent reputation, so the potential customer can feel comfortable about your business,

Social media marketing often appears to be easy, but there are countless nuances that affect its level of success for each business. Just because you've had a Facebook profile for five years, this doesn't mean you're good at Facebook marketing, nor does it mean you "know Facebook." Tons of books wouldn't have been written on it if it were that simple. It's okay if you feel lost when it comes to evaluating your social media marketing efforts, it takes a steep learning curve to master it. A Local Internet Marketing Consultant can help you determine the best route for your social media marketing and your online marketing plan. No need to feel you have to go it alone!