Social networking platforms build buzz, boost business and serve small businesses as low-cost/no-cost marketing tools. Small business owners need to understand how these tools strategically serve and support small business first so they best implement social media strategies to sell products and/or services.

Social Media, simply put, serves users and organizations in marketing in three ways:

1. Communication

Marketing is all about building relationships — relationships start with communication. New web tools like blogging, micro-blogging (Twitter), social networking (Facebook, LinkedIn, Ning), podcasting (BlogTalkRadio), video distribution (YouTube), event coordination tools (Meetup), wikis (Wikipedia) photo sharing (Flickr, Photobucket), and product review sites (epinions.com) allow small businesses to communicate, educate and share information directly with their current and prospective customers.

Content in the form of blog posts, audio, video, comparison/review sites, tweets and social network messages help share information in a less-formal way that builds the know, like and trust factors that influence decision making. Content is no longer just text. Small businesses can use audio or visual content for a “show me” and “tell me” to make communications a pack more interactive punch.

Social media’s direct communication distinction serves and supports small business as it brings the people you want to attract directly to you and makes direct communication possible. Social Media makes communication a conversation so small business owners can share, receive feedback and connect on equal ground with their target markets.

2. Collaboration

When small businesses empower their target consumers, they feel powerful. When your target market feels powerful, it trusts you, buys from you, and stays with you. Social networking collaboration transforms consumers into “prosumers”. In an era of social media prosumers, it’s people (not companies) who make, shape, or break purchase patterns.

Small businesses can ignite collaboration for marketing by creating their own communities and/or joining communities. By doing so, they can listen and connect to their target customers and build a free forum to bring their market together. Collaboration = Marketing Acceleration.

Social networking collaboration tools like review sites, video sharing sites, blogs, wikis and more allow users to self-serve, collaborate, and potentially serve as an endorser for your small business. Social media works as a marketing tool because people are more likely to trust peers rather than companies.

The power of mass collaboration serves and supports small business owners in a distinct way. Tapping/creating valuable collaborative options can bring people together to share ideas, exchange information, and help each other — and support relationship growth. Removing the “company/client” disconnect can break down elitism and boost marketing mind power.

3. Entertainment

The most important reason that social networking works as a marketing tool is simple — because it’s fun. People want to go where they feel they belong, have a voice, are listened to, and enjoy themselves. Small business owners need to be where their target markets are — and these days, the masses are on Facebook, Ning, Twitter, Linkedin, Photobucket, YouTube and more because it has entertainment value.

Remember the Will It Blend? campaigns by Blendtec? They were a perfect example of social media marketing in brilliant action. Videos were relevant as they showed the product, were entertaining (they blended an iPhone!), and they were viral! People could easily share the fun with friends due to the ease of social media sharing widgets.

You can’t put a dollar amount on free promotion. The way social media stores data as an “Interactive Rolodex” also has an entertainment factor. Sites like Facebook and LinkedIn are becoming the “new databases” because they are fast, easy, and fun. People are more likely to update their Facebook and LinkedIn information than a sterile address book because it is fun.

Small business owners use social media’s entertainment factor to build their online database of contacts and connections, be visible to prospective customers, and get the word out in creative ways like YouTube videos, blog posts, images, podcasts to make people smile and spread the word.

How Social Networking Helps Small Businesses Sell

Social Media Marketing helps most small businesses boost sales indirectly by increasing relationships. Understanding that social media marketing serves users for communication, collaboration, and entertainment is the first step to considering how to strategically implement the multitude of social media marketing tools and choose the ones that work best for your unique organization.

The key thing that small businesses need to remember when using social media to help sell is that efforts must have value. There has to be value to your content, community, and execution to get people to engage with you or your organization. Social media doesn’t sell things — people sell things. Engaging in social media marketing starts the relationship-building process. Start small and snowball. Social media takes understanding, passion, effort, and commitment to make it work. Give your small business an authentic voice with social media and commit to providing value and you will be off to a smart start.

Article Source:

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lorrie_Thomas

I get lots of questions from different people on “How can all this social media stuff like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, StumbleUpon, Squidoo, Digg, YouTube, Blogs help me?”

So lets first define Social Media, with Wikipedia’s Definition: Social Media is a form of internet marketing which seeks to achieve branding and marketing communication goals through the participation in various social media including writing content that is remarkable, unique, and newsworthy. Lastly Social Media utilizes social networking and user-generated content platforms to promote a product, service or content.

Now that being said…necessary tools for Social Media are bookmarks, blogs, forums, podcasts, networks, communities, wikis. Important and versatile sites are places like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Myspace, Digg, Stumbleupon and Squidoo.

The number one point to remember is this

..Due to Social media marketing being so easy to implement and it being so affordable, it is of significant importance to small businesses.

So where do I start?

By a long shot, Twitter, blogs, LinkedIn and Facebook were the top four social media tools used by marketers, with Twitter leading the pack. All the other social media tools paled in comparison to these top four. Download Social Media Marketing Industry report.

How do I measure the effectiveness of social media?

A significant 81% of all marketers indicated that their social media efforts have generated exposure for their businesses. Check out Social Media Marketing Report. Improving traffic and growing lists was the second major benefit, followed by building new partnerships. A rise in search engine rankings is also an evident increase, as well as a reduction in your overall marketing expenses. Now that is some GOOD news…if your not involved in Social Media Marketing…then it’s TIME!

StartupNation does make a valid point when it says that many small businesses have failed to embrace the opportunities in social media marketing.

If that’s you, then speak with an Internet marketing consultant or do your own research of how social media marketing can help you. It would be beneficial for you and your company.

Last year in February, an article came out on “Social Media Will Change Your business“

It’s a good read with some great links for blog writing. One of the paragraph talks about “grabbing you by the collar, and shaking you into action” and that was written LAST YEAR! All in all there is some important information for newbies and veterans alike. The story of the google employee that got fired is one of them…because it shows how fast social media can work.

Another way Social Media can help your business is the customer relationship.

As a business you would be interested in creating a dialog, direct and immediate feedback benefits, and to learn directly from your customers on what has been successful and what areas need focus and enhancement. Sharing content is the real power and the advantage of using social media. Businesses can keep their online community up to date with news, events and what the business has to offer.

Ezine @rticles has some great thoughts on Blogging, Relationship Marketing, Customer Voice and Social Marketing. Customer Voice is a huge one this year which is where Twitter or blogs have been the most efficient.

Customers want voice in your business…give you feedback.

Relationship Marketing

Is also top in 2009 as a tool to build loyalty, along with a timely response, or you can have a blog and a Twitter account as these all have interaction with the customer. These also allow you to create a personality for your business as well as develop an image as a forward-thinking company that is responsive. Responses include Tweeting back on Twitter, a FaceBook response, sending a personable card, thank-you card and a quick thinking of you card. A top of the line online card system that is extremely affordable and saves you time and effort is SendoutCards. The fastest, most affordable Relationship Marketing tool online with over 13,000 cards available along with gifts and gift cards. You write it, they print it, stuff it, stamp it and mail it for you. Can’t beat that deal!

Facebook for Business!..

Yes you read that correctly…Facebook for business is very real…read this artlcle: Facebook’s Latest Design Update Helps Businesses part of it reads “With the latest evolution, Facebook makes its service more valuable to businesses.”

Here’s another good one to check out: 30+ Apps for Doing Business on Facebook great read from Mashable The Social Media Guide.

What is LinkedIn? and why should I be a part of that?

If you’re running a small Internet business or have a regular brick-and-mortar business, “knowing” the right people and being able to ask and answer questions significant to your business will help you build your network with contacts. Someone you know in your line of business is already on LinkedIn. You just need to set up a profile, start introducing yourself around, join groups and discussions, start discussions with any questions, or answer discussions with your expertise in your area. What a wonderful way to reach beyond the limits of time and travel to someone else who is like minded and able to discuss important things, answer questions all in a few lines.

Never heard of a Squidoo lens before?

A Squidoo lens is a free web page that states what you are interested in…it could be as simple as a recipe if your a restaurant, to as complex as how to take the perfect picture. Along with links to anyplace you want, you can join groups, be a lens master, create as many pages as you want and get the word out!..

StumbleUpon…great name…what does it do?

Here’s how it works. Install the toolbar, identify some categories you like on the web, then hit the Stumble button. The service takes you to a web page that is popular with people who share your interests. You’ve got the option to give that page a thumbs up, a thumbs down or just leave it by hitting the Stumble button again. Over time the service learns what you like and integrates that into the decisions it makes in sending you someplace new when you hit the button. If you’re a small business with very good content, submit that content to stumbleupon. When these people finally will shop they will shop in their local area and an most of them will use Google to do it. Yes you will stand out with a Stumbler in this sea of 10. Try it…you’ll be surprised!

What has Social Media done for me?

I really enjoy meeting new people, creating new relationships, networking along side people with like interests, and using the tools available to generate opportunities and provide insight to help others. As a business owner, I have enjoyed the benefits of Social Media, it’s simple approach with countless of avenues. I also enjoy presenting this knowledge for others to use as it would benefit them by building relationships with other like-minded businesses and entrepreneurs along with keeping their customer base informed of products, generate better customer relations and service.

Social Media has opened a whole new door for businesses and individuals alike.

Social Media is the solution for your business…have you gotten on board yet?

Article Source:

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Corinne_Burkhert

In the internet world of abundance, internet entrepreneurs attempt to stimulate demand for their products and services. The internet marketplace is flooded with numerous products and product variations, services providers, and ‘how to’ ideas of thousand of internet experts. This has led to individuals having a wide choice regarding which particular product or service among many he will purchase or subscribe to respectively, to satisfy his wants.

Since most online buyers and prospects are faced with this problem of choice each time they want to make an online purchase, they tend to favor the product or service that, within their individual limited experience, has yielded the greatest amount of satisfaction in the past. In order to compete with these online buyer loyalties toward products, services, or ideas already established in the internet marketplace, online business owners, services providers, and information marketers must distribute information about their offerings though various internet marketing and advertising media vehicles.

Do a little research online on companies and individuals offering internet marketing, or web sites designing services and you will discover that there are a lot of them. So fully established, some partially, while others, not at all. Now what is the fate of new individual or firm trying to join the internet marketplace and offering any of those services? Most of them usually gain converts slowly, if at all, because the major providers of such services have spent thousands of dollars in persuading customers and prospects to subscribe and use their services. These marketing and promotional expenditures have been justified, as evidenced by the continual rising of internet marketing budget, as compared to offline media vehicles such as television, radio, and newspapers.

Web business owners and internet entrepreneurs can try to overcome online customers’ resistance toward market offerings by learning as much as they can about internet marketing or hire a company that specializes in internet marketing to help them market their web businesses.

Internet marketing tools and media vehicles web business owners can learn how to use include banner ads, forums, blogs, social networking sites, RSS distribution, text-link ads, e-mail, autoresponders, PPC ads, search engines, article marketing, web directories, and social bookmarking sites.

Marketing your web business is very important if you really want to be successful selling your products, services, or ideas on the internet, so it is very advisable to learn as much as you can about internet marketing, or hire a company that specializes in internet marketing and advertising to partner with you in marketing your business online.

Article Source:

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jerry_Ihejirika

The Internet has impacted all of the arts, but no sector has been hit quite as hard as the music industry. With CD sales fading and radio play shrinking, recording artists are finding less opportunities to get their music heard. To survive, many musicians are becoming brands in the service of brands. The industry is in such a free fall that advertising avenues are filling the shoes that music labels once did. During most of rock’s history melding music in the service of a product was anathema. But this is a very different world; in the past musicians and record labels could make a good living off of selling records and CDs. An artist didn’t have to sell his or her music to an advertiser or TV show to turn a profit. But with the advent of Napster and subsequent sites, the days of platinum and double platinum record sales are quickly fading.

Now most bands make their money off of touring, merchandising and yes, melding their music with products. Lady GaGa’s Bad Romance is a product placement wet dream come true. The video is filled with brands galore. But she’s not the only one going down that road; everyone from Iggy Pop to Velvet Revolver to Depeche Mode has cut deals with products and brands. Although Steve Jobs helped to put some life back into music with iTunes as a way to generate revenue, it’s a far cry from where things stood in the ’60s, ’70s, or ’80s. As the industry shifts, artists have to rethink their approach and their career paths.

The downside is that labels are no longer there with the famed A&R reps grabbing bands off the streets and turning them into stars (not that it was ever that common an occurrence to begin with). The upside is that there is now more of a level playing field. Via the same Internet that broke the old music model, singers, bands and musicians are discovering new models and approaches. The traditional opportunities of the record label’s star building machine aren’t as great as they were when Cream, the Stones, Madonna or the Chile Peppers initially made their marks. The music world is shifting, but as one door closes others open. To those artists who are willing to embrace change, new and exciting avenues and business models are appearing. Via the net, more artists have an opportunity to get known and develop a career. But, it has become more of a do- it-yourself world. Musicians who learn social media, blogging, and traditional PR will continue to build a buzz, establish a presence and create a fan base. Those artists who embrace change will still find ways to succeed, make an impact and build lasting careers.

Article Source:

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anthony_Mora

Geo-Marketing (or Geographic Marketing) is a new method of marketing a business and its website through web searches, mobile searches and social media. As you can see, the geo-marketing tools being used are digital and through the Internet or Mobile devices.

While geo-marketing’s definition is the association of data and maps in the traditional sense, the added convergence of local business listings, mobile marketing, and social media makes this method of marketing more powerful than ever before. This marketing tool is no longer just a large business marketing tool, but is available to small and medium size businesses too.

We should define what we mean by local business. A local business is any sized business dependent on the local consumer for its revenue. This means you could be a national company like Home Depot, U-Haul, or Best Buy or you could be a local florist or independent store only known to your local geography.

From a technical standpoint an Internet user’s IP address is tied to GPS data, like longitudes and latitudes, which are mapped with technology to geographies around the world down to the city and street level. While all this data may seem overwhelming, the good news is that most businesses do not need to concern themselves with this part of geo-marketing. Many of the tools already have all of this information built into their software or hardware technology so we can stay focused on how we will use geo-marketing tools.

The difficulty with any new marketing tool is a business’s inability to adopt the methodology early. When it comes to technologies and the Internet, in the past, by the time most businesses are ready to adopt a marketing tool, the industry has already moved on to something new. Being an early or at least an earlier adopter of marketing methods on the Internet and through digital devices can only benefit the business.

We have seen many signs over the past two years regarding the evolution of geographic marketing. When companies like Google, Apple, and the investment community of Wall Street start to put $100 million and more behind a technology it will become part of our daily lives whether a business wants it or not. Consumers have and will be using more of these geo-marketing tools to find businesses, services or products near them.

Let’s take a look at the three main tools that consumers are using to find businesses, products or services close to their geography.

1. Web searches are the first and most obvious, however, these are web searches in which a map displays with targets the businesses that match the search criteria. Unlike the traditional yellow pages, these geo-listings (a.k.a. Local Business Listings) can be claimed and updated with your business marketing information in order to meet these search criteria.

While this may sound relatively easy, geo-listings also include: consumer reviews that need to be managed; the clean-up of duplicate listings; coupons; offers; discounts; videos; photos; citations; QR bar codes; and, hyper local websites. Understanding what to start with and how to strategically use these components can be done by a professional marketing firm that specializes in this area. You can read more about these components in one of our previous articles on our blog.

2. Mobile Marketing is the next most significant geo-marketing tool in which SMS Texting, Mobile Applications, Mobile version of your website, and Mobile advertising are your key components. The starting point in this process will be with SMS Texting to get your alerts out to customers that subscribe to your short bursts of information. The reason why this is your starting point is that it will take time to build your list of subscribers.

3. Social Media Marketing continues to evolve and is, also, geographic in its targeting ability. Consumers are using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Wiki sites, Four Square, Instant Messaging and other social community tools on their mobile devices. While they use it mostly to find businesses, products and services, in the social communities they are seeking recommendations from their friends (near and far). They are, also, using these social communities to post their experiences with a business, product or service. For this reason you have to monitor the social communities in order to embrace any potential problem situations and work with them.

These three geo-marketing components are important to any business size – large or small – and each have their own sub-components that need to be well understood in order to succeed. Understanding the strategy amongst them; the acceptance and embracing them early; and, finally planning on a 3-year return will put you on the right path of geo-marketing.

Certainly your time resources are limited and Geo-Marketing Services are provided by SmartFinds Internet Marketing. You will find this to be of great benefit to your time resources and the low cost service may eliminate your yellow page ad costs. Let the experts of over 16 years Internet marketing experience help you use this local business marketing tool properly and prevent brand security issues from occurring.

Article Source:

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Melih_Oztalay