If you’re trying to expand your online business operations and increase presence on the web, there are many tools within reach. Internet Marketing is getting more and more complex each day, thanks to innovative people and technology. Just look at how quickly You Tube turned from being worth $0 to being worth billions of dollars, all thanks to the power of marketing through videos. Regardless of the marketing medium, however, as a web marketer, you have one goal- to increase customer awareness of you and your products or services and how you are positioned as a leader in the industry.
Being known by many, to the point where word-of-mouth becomes your sole source of advertisement, is the key to becoming ultra successful with your online business. Simple text PPC ads and magazine print ads are effective, but they run and work for you only if keep paying the bills. Social Network Marketing (expert utilization of user-based communities such as MySpace.com and FaceBook.com), on the other hand, allows businesses to promote themselves in a long term cost-effective manner- practically free of monetary cost.
Social Networking Sites are Among the Most Popular in the World
Social networking sites such as MySpace.com and FaceBook.com are one of the best ways for online businesses to “spread the word.” Why? Because there is a healthy plethora of users/visitors on a daily basis. According to Alexa, the premier Web Information Statistics Company that ranks web sites in terms of daily traffic, MySpace.com, FaceBook.com, and Hi5.com are consistently ranked among the top 20 most popular sites in the world- this means that there are literally millions of visitors each day. With each of these social networking sites, network marketing can easily be achieved through specialty networks and groups- those that range from car lovers to gardeners and cell phone fanatics to clubs such as “I Text Message People While Driving and I Haven’t Crashed Yet!” The options are limitless- whether you sell a product or a service, establishing and/or joining a group that is associated with your niche market is free and can draw you qualified traffic without paying a dime.
Having Fun: Social Network Marketing and Not Hard Selling
If you’ve been surfing on the internet for some time now, you’ll notice yourself glancing over ads more and more quickly every day. That’s because many of us suffer from “time crunch.” Even when we’re trying to have fun, playing games and exchanging casually mocking remarks with our friends, we don’t want to be “sold” or tricked into product offers we don’t care about.
Thus, it’s important to remember that the whole reason for social networking sites is to share experiences and to have fun with like-minded individuals, whether they be friends or strangers. In terms of business, sharing useful information about your products through the use of promotional coupons or contests is a great way to attract interest, but it should be done tactfully. If done carefully and in a “soft” manner, you can build trust with an army of friends who will promote your business through word-of-mouth- your ultimate goal.
If your business can use the help of frequent coupons or similar promotions, a simple way to exploit these sites is to join groups or networks of people who love to shop for products in your niche market. If you own a new online store that sells next generation Guitar Picks, for example, you can setup a guitar fan page or group (or join one) and add friends who are fellow guitar lovers. With a well built niche group of loyal visitors, offering things like seasonal promotions, contests through bulletins, or even leaving messages or comments on your friends’ pages are simple and cost-effective ways to “sell” both your web site and your Guitar Picks without paying for any advertising costs.
In day to day offline interactions, it’s often true that one can share a secret with ten others, and each of those ten will do the same with ten more. The power of this multiplication is enhanced with social networking- with well established groups and networks in your niche market, your lead generation comprises more- members who are prone to share your information (either linking to your site) or just mentioning it in their daily blogs, visitors on your “Friend’s List,” checking in on your daily rants, new members just surfing around, etc. In the real world, there are impulse shoppers, grabbing small item after another while lining up at the cash registers. On the internet, especially with social networking sites, people are just as curious, and practice impulse “clicking” just as often. This can be huge.
If you decide to add social network marketing in your arsenal of marketing tools, remember to think big, but start small. If you’re considering adding friends, make sure you don’t try and socialize with thousands of people per day. Target your friends to those who are more prone to purchasing products that you sell. A good number of friends to add, at the beginning, would be around 20 to 35 each day.
Using MySpace as an example, start by browsing niche groups via the “Group Tab.” When making posts about your offers, make sure that you’re not selling hard- make all of your posts personable and convey your interests and opinions in an honest and friendly manner; don’t portray yourself as a salesperson (even though you really are one).
And of course, one of the best ways to do this is to place your offers casually or subtly, in the signature area of your posts. This lowers guard and prevents others from thinking that you’re simply advertising and that nothing in your post is really worth reading. Also, leaving comments is another great way to advertise your products or services. Making an attractive banner and leaving small remarks about your offers is subtle enough for others to trust you for your expertise (in your main post) and for your product or service recommendations (in your signature area).
If you’re just starting out, do this with one social networking site first as a test and monitor the results. Get used to the environment and make as many targeted friends as possible. Post offers frequently and leave comments on others’ posts. But remember that even though the cost of social network marketing is next to nothing, you’ll only get results if you target well and target tactfully- patience is key. Experiment with all of the features of each site and start reaping the rewards from free advertising that works in the long term.
For more information on Social Network Marketing or to obtain the services of Beautiful Planning Marketing Group for all of your search engine optimization needs please visit us online at http://www.beautifulplanning.com or call 877-841-7244 . Beautiful Planning Marketing Group has worked within the online marketing industry for over seven years assisting many small to big name companies in gaining top tier ranking in popular search engines and increase business with various unique marketing techniques. Are you ready to see in an increase in revenue?
