Leveraging Social Network Marketing for Your Business
Build vital connections with global online communities.
As advertisers scrutinize every marketing dollar in this economy, the emergence of social network marketing couldn’t have better timing. This budget friendly tactic can leverage your business’ marketability to a new level, but only if used strategically. Be an effective social network marketer by getting familiar with this type of communication and following a few do’s and don’ts.
Understanding social network marketing
Social network marketing is applying marketing activities and communications within an online community. Facebook and MySpace are the largest and most well-know online communities, but micro online communities also exist with members meeting at various “watering holes” to share information and discuss common interests. Some social networks, such as MeetUp.com, are global online communities that specialize in connecting locals who share specific interests in person, from new moms to sci-fi buffs. Targeting and tapping into these online special interest groups can help connect you to an ever-expanding group of potential customers, but there are many more benefits to getting involved in social networks:
• Extend your brand personality beyond conventional marketing materials.
• Find out what’s being said about your industry and take the opportunity to contribute to the conversation to educate or influence. This is niche marketing at its finest.
• Get an up-to-the-minute reality check on your business, competitors or industry by reading comments from real people. Use this information to improve your business, capitalize on opportunities and further define your target audience.
• Connect with social network members to gain referrals and leads, and source professional support and advice.
• Build relationships with potential employees and peers that can evolve into real face-to-face relationships and transactions.
Target your social networks through searching Google and big communities like Facebook, Google Groups, Yahoo! Groups and Ning.com. For business-to-business social networks, check out LinkedIn.com. Don’t forget “mainstream” online media – many major news and magazine website site have an online community or discussion board where you can speak up.
Let’s talk Twitter
Twitter is an online community that allows you to send messages, or “tweets”, to “followers” – Twitter subscribers who sign up to receive updates from specific members. Tweets are a shorter and faster way to communicate than writing a blog, and while it may seem overly simple or confusing, don’t let the lack for instructions hold you back from using this tool. If you’re familiar with Facebook, think of tweeting as the equivalent to status updates on a more frequent basis. Tweeting can help you quickly connect with your followers with new developments, your opinions on industry issues or links to articles. If you have a blog or website, Twitter can be used to occasionally promote your website in your tweets to drive traffic and keep your brand top-of-mind with your audience.
You’ll need to set up an account to start your profile on Twitter. Begin to follow other tweeters who are a part of your target audience or influential in your industry, such as the media. Once you follow someone, they’ll usually reciprocate, building your follower network. If some tweeters don’t reciprocate, don’t take it personally – move on to following other tweeters.
Twitter’s charm is in its simplicity, but to maximize success, take advantage of Twitter-related tools. You can search for your target audience followers on websites sites including:
- geofollow.com
- mytweetfollowers.com
- ca.loadedweb.com
- wefollow.com
- justtweetit.com
- twellow.com
- MrTweet.com
You can also download “TweetDeck”, a popular tool allowing you to identify and keep track of segment categories of your followers so that you can focus on those most likely to be your customers. TweetDeck’s key word search function helps you to see what tweeters are saying about specific topics. And, this tool can show you when you’ve been “retweeted”. If you manage more than one Twitter account, use “HootSuite” if you’d like to pre-schedule tweets that are recurring or aren’t time sensitive.
Be “tweet” worthy
Using Twitter for your personal life in addition to business matters helps make you “real” to followers by enhancing your approachability and likeability. Tweet both personal and business knowledge, achievements, ideas and developments. By veering away from business matters from time-to-time, you increase your value to followers as they won’t feel like you’re constantly trying to sell to them. If you focus only on promoting your business, you risk losing followers.
You can also leverage your tweets by using them to gradually build a story. Providing snippets of information on how you’re creating a new product or changing your company culture can help differentiate you from your competitors and keep interest in your business.
Increase your Twitter success
Following a few do’s and don’t can help you reach your full Twitter potential:
Twitter Do’s
• Be real and have some personality, but keep it clean.
• Tweet often, even everyday, to become and remain visible and relevant.
• Set-up a brand-consistent, professional looking background and appropriate profile. If you’re the face of your business, use your own photo.
• Send personalized thank you messages when important people start following you.
• Become a follower of your followers, if they’re relevant to you.
• Increase your Twitter karma by retweeting other tweeters’ messages if you enjoyed them and they help to reinforce your point-of-view.
• Write your tweets to be resourceful and informative, rather than a hard sell message.
• Think of Twitter as a lead generator, not a direct selling vehicle.
• Occasionally offer exclusive discounts or products to Twitter followers to reward them.
Twitter Don’ts
• Don’t tweet something that you don’t want everyone to read or could potentially offend. Tweets show in Google searches so be careful what you say.
• Don’t retweet yourself over and over again. If you’re repeating the same message, space it out and change the wording.
• Don’t always link your website site to a tweet – your message will be considered SPAM.
• Don’t set-up an auto reply to thank people for following you. Auto replies are impersonal and meaningless.
• Don’t over tweet by sending out multiple tweets in one session to make up for lost time.
• Don’t send your tweets to LinkedIn or Facebook. Twitter updates are too frequent and become annoying in other platforms.
• Don’t “reply” to a tweet unless you want everyone to read it. Private replies can be sent using the “direct message” feature.
• Don’t tweet for the sake of tweeting. Every tweet must have a purpose. Followers will drop you for wasting their Twitter time.
• Don’t mix business and personal. Create separate accounts for business and personal networking if you plan to use Twitter to also keep in touch with family and friends. Both groups will appreciate it.
Use your social networking time well
Social networking is fun and the more time you put into it, the bigger the payoff. However, it can be time consuming – even addictive – so apply these tips to use your social network time wisely:
• Schedule time in your calendar and use a time tracking program or a kitchen timer to keep use quick.
• Keep a list of your activities that you can reference on your social networking sites so that you stay on track during your sessions.
• Visit your top networks most often and maintain others with less frequent visits.
• Look for advertising, sponsorship and contest give-away opportunities within social network sites like Facebook. Your ad or promotion keeps working while you carry on with other activities.
• If you’re time strapped or not a natural social networker, hire a professional to set-up, monitor and contribute to your networks, with your approval on messages.
• For Twitter, limit your time by incorporating a tool into your blog (if you have one) that automatically “tweets” new blog posts to Twitter, driving traffic to your site in between e-newsletters. As well, change your settings so that you only receive direct messages via e-mail, eliminating e-mail notifications every time you gain a follower or a follower sends a tweet.
Get connected
Social network marketing can allow you to effectively target your audience, is cost and time effective, easy, and provides measurable results. For all of these reasons, social network marketing needs to be a part of your comprehensive marketing plan, in harmony with your other marketing activities. Find out more on what networks are out there and how to get started and make the most of social networks by visiting glowmarketing.ca for additional tips and resources.
By Sharole Lawrence, article published in MOMprenuer Magazine, July/August 2009 Issue
Sharole is President of Glow Marketing, Canada’s leading boutique marketing consultancy specializing in marketing to Moms.
August 7th, 2009
