How to Market Your Business Using Social Networking
Recently, I read several complaints by marketers who had tried using sites like My Space and other social networking sites to market their businesses.
They complained that these sites didn't really bring them any real traffic, and they really weren't making sales by using these sites.
In essence, these sites were a waste of time to market on because they didn't produce any immediate marketing results.
As someone who uses My Space, as well as several other networking sites to market my business, I believe that these marketers missed the point.
Blatant marketing on these sites won't work. Your approach has to be far more subtle. Your goal should be something different: increase your presence on the internet, build backlinks from a major traffic site, and build your brand so that potential customers find you.
1. Increasing your presence on the internet
This is especially important if you are new to marketing your products and services on the internet. You have to build a presence, and a big one, if you want to be found by your market.
"Build it and they will come" is the mantra of those who are so overcome by their egos they think their sites will be found without any marketing effort at all.
Successful marketers know this isn't true. You have to get out there and promote yourself if you want to sell your products and services.
Because social networking sites are high traffic, you have a better chance of being found if you get out there and build a presence.
2. Building backlinks
The search engines are constantly spidering these sites. Want to get your site spidered? Then building a profile on these sites will help the search engines find you and then ultimately, your customers can find you.
Remember, though, don't blatantly sell on these sites. Create a profile that tells everyone about you and your products or services. Include links to your website, or if you have more than one site, all of your sites.
Make your profile keyword rich with keywords from your topic.
3. Branding yourself
Whether you are a writer, or you are simply selling your own products and services, you will need to resort to shameless promotion if you want to make the sale.
When you brand yourself, you are attaching yourself to a specific topic. You become an expert on the topic.
Writing articles and posting them on your blog on these social networking sites can help others become aware of your products and services.
This builds value, and by contributing to these sites, you are not only building value for them, you are building value for you.
What's key is to use a soft sell approach. Establish your credibility and expertise. Get others to trust you and believe in your products. Then you will make the sale.
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Comments (28)
Susanna O'Brien8
Translator/Attraction Marketing
Very well written Article!
Neville Dinning10
Independent Consultant
This is timeless and timely information.
Much of it has been said before, and it still needs to be stated as a reminder of how to act in a social network.
Gilberto Cintron7
Viral, Local, Social & Mobile Marketing Expert
So true. Social network sites are made for "socializing". When marketing on them one must use soft sales approaches. The direct, hard sale approach will not work.
Fred Mugone15
Affiliate marketing
You are very right Mario. You did indeed hit the jackpot with this article. It is excellent articles like this one that strike a chord with anyone who is GENUINELY and ETHICALLY interested in using social networking to market their business on the web and that's the reason the response to it has been very robust. In addition to this, such articles add real value to Apsense and make it a better place to be.
Mario Djivanovic7
marketer
I see that I hit the jackpot with this article. All comments are great and I see that people read this.
Sherry Emma Simpson9
Smart Entrepreneur
Good advice and thanks for creating awareness how to use social networking effectively for business.
Salim Benhouhou10
IT Support
very useful tips thank you
Michael V.13
Cryptocurrency Investor & Trader
Very Good article,informative and factual
Akila Wedasinghe6
Professional
great mario.wonderful work.keep it up.
Cory Crabb8
Success Is Already Yours!!!!
yes this is why people in social networks don't get what they are looking for because they didn't take the time to actually learn the formula to social network marketing.
Toshiba Burton7
Social Media Consultant
Wow Mario awesome post instead of complaining learn to build realtionships, trust & provide value.
Trond Hov11
Business developer
Exelent - You have grasp it !
Regards
Trond Hov
Executive
CarbonCentral Network
trond.hov@gmail.com
Hector Herrera8
Internet Marketing Ideas and Resources
You hit it right
R. Weatherly16
Business Professional
Very Good article, well written
Allen Daniels4
Very nice article. You are right, it is usually just a matter of smart exposure on the net.
Allen Daniels
Chuck Bartok10
Veteran Entrepreneur now Sharing
You summed up the facts nicely. Social media, used properly,is generating thousands of dollars weekly for my clients.
They track the sales through tracking systems showing the orders were generated through social media connection.
If anyone would like more info on these simple systems, let me know
Pat Carr8
Music Recording and Publishing, Network Marketing
Excellent advice, Mario. You have to use social networks to build trust and relationships.
Velli M.7
Blog Developer, Publisher, Affiliate
great articles
Mario Djivanovic7
marketer
I agree with you @Fred , branding yourself is the first thing to do I posted few articles that are saying how to brand yourself because I want for all newbies to know what to do first. You wont get far in this biz if you are not respected by others.
Fred Mugone15
Affiliate marketing
Excellent article. Focus on branding yourself first, you will then connect with others and others will connect with you - and along the way you will eventually get to sell your products and/or offers. One of the key things that this article stresses is that social networking is not a "sprint like event". Approach it the way you would approach a marathon and in time you will achieve the results you aim for.