Does your business connect?
Social media is big enough to rival or even eclipse the search engines. This form of advertising has quickly emerged as one of the most effective and popular ways to generate business, and the results can be immediate. Taking advantage of social media isn’t a one-time process – it requires constant maintenance and participation. Business blogs are important tools in a social media advertising campaign, as they are necessary to manage an identity and positively influence, inform and entice potential customers.
What is Social Media?
Social media consists of both social networking websites and social bookmarking websites. There are significant differences between the two, but both have characteristics of each other and operate in similar ways. Examples of social networking websites are MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and any other network centered on user connections, meaning the social aspect forms the basis for the website. Social bookmarking websites are different in that they are based on user content, like blog posts, articles, videos and similar; These sites, like Digg, Reddit, StumbleUpon and del.icio.us., function as a way to bookmark and share this content with other users.
Videos that explain social media in familiar terms: Social Networking
Video that shows statistics and trends in Social Media: Social Media Revolution
Social Media & business blogs
To run an effective social media advertising campaign, a business needs fresh, informative content supplied from a business blog. This will attract and engage users and enable the business to participate in the social community. Traffic generated from these sites is extremely targeted, but is in the learning stage of the buying process. For this reason, it’s necessary to tread lightly in these networks. Instead of pushing a product or service, it’s more important to inform and teach, so the audience relates to the business on their level and considers them a source of information rather than a marketer. Once the audience does convert, the results can make a business.
“Blogs are good for business, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates has said.” Read Article
“How do new customers find you? These four tried and true tactics will help you increase your Google ranking and in turn increase traffic to your site.” Read Article
“With the right approach, a company can take advantage of Web 2.0’s incredible reach and the opportunity it affords to connect with customers in an entirely new way.” Read Article
“Given the changes barreling down upon us, blogs are not a business elective. They’re a prerequisite.”
“Savvy Web marketers realize that consumers turn to the Web to shop and to learn about companies, which is forcing them to market beyond just the company website.” Read Article
“Millions of people have become familiar with these tools through sites like Facebook and Second Life, or by writing their own blogs.” Read Article