Happy Holidays everyone. With the holidays being so busy I haven't had a chance to update the blog in a while. But I am back with some great SEO and Social Media Marketing tips.
Many small businesses are not getting the most out of their marketing budget. Having a well managed social network page can go a long ways in terms of web presence and achieving a higher rank on Google and other search engines.
I have come up with a list of actions a small business should do to get a start with Social Media Marketing.
1. First is to decide on 3 or more social networks that you will commit your time to updating. I suggest LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. However, the networks that you choose to pursue first depend on what type of business you are running. A resort hotel may want to pursue a YouTube site because it gives the customer more of a visual of what the resort offers. LinkedIn isn't the ideal place for a children's clothing store because the audience is older. You should start with 3 and then try to eventually use as many as you can.
2. Update, Update, Update. A facebook fan page, twitter account or a blog will be almost useless if the content isn't updated as frequently as possible.
3. Create useful content directed to your target market. What are they searching for? If you own pizza place you want to write about pizza (duh!) but not just about why your pizza is the best. Write about pizza in general. How it is made, different ingredients, and recent news about the pizza industry. Someone may be hungry and want to know how pizza is made, read your article and decide to buy from you instead!
4. Don't forget to post pictures, videos and links on your social network page. This is a great way to interact with your customers. It makes everything feel more personal and you can begin to build relationships with your customers.
5. Updating these sites often can be difficult for a small business owner so if you find you don't have that much time you should look into hiring a online marketing company. Make sure that you sit down with the company and make sure they know your business and marketing strategy before you hire them.
It is absolutely essential for a business, small, medium or large to capitalize on social media and building their online presence. However, marketing on social networks must be approached in the right way or it could hurt your brand reputation.
*I encourage anyone to comment on my blog entries if they have any questions or general comments.
Many small businesses are not getting the most out of their marketing budget. Having a well managed social network page can go a long ways in terms of web presence and achieving a higher rank on Google and other search engines.
I have come up with a list of actions a small business should do to get a start with Social Media Marketing.
1. First is to decide on 3 or more social networks that you will commit your time to updating. I suggest LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. However, the networks that you choose to pursue first depend on what type of business you are running. A resort hotel may want to pursue a YouTube site because it gives the customer more of a visual of what the resort offers. LinkedIn isn't the ideal place for a children's clothing store because the audience is older. You should start with 3 and then try to eventually use as many as you can.
2. Update, Update, Update. A facebook fan page, twitter account or a blog will be almost useless if the content isn't updated as frequently as possible.
3. Create useful content directed to your target market. What are they searching for? If you own pizza place you want to write about pizza (duh!) but not just about why your pizza is the best. Write about pizza in general. How it is made, different ingredients, and recent news about the pizza industry. Someone may be hungry and want to know how pizza is made, read your article and decide to buy from you instead!
4. Don't forget to post pictures, videos and links on your social network page. This is a great way to interact with your customers. It makes everything feel more personal and you can begin to build relationships with your customers.
5. Updating these sites often can be difficult for a small business owner so if you find you don't have that much time you should look into hiring a online marketing company. Make sure that you sit down with the company and make sure they know your business and marketing strategy before you hire them.
It is absolutely essential for a business, small, medium or large to capitalize on social media and building their online presence. However, marketing on social networks must be approached in the right way or it could hurt your brand reputation.
*I encourage anyone to comment on my blog entries if they have any questions or general comments.