We have been telling you about the many opportunities that now exist with social networking tools like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. When used as part of your overall marketing strategy, these tools can help identify potential new customers to grow your business.
Getting started is easy! Follow these steps to launch a successful social networking marketing campaign.
- You need to develop a high level social networking marketing plan
- What is your objective? Awareness? Product sales? Recognition?
- Identify content worthy of posting
- News / Events
- Events attended – Workshops, presentations, business after business
- Job openings
- New services / products
- Accolades / Awards
- Define how often you intend to post information to each of the networks. Our suggestions are as follows:
- Setup accounts with LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Go to each site’s home page and you’ll find easy instructions for setting up your account and getting started. Determine if anyone else from your organization should be administrators for your company pages and groups and set them up also.
- Build your networks. This is critical right now. Get familiar with the sites and the tools available.
- Participate in communications and group discussions.
- Evaluate every opportunity to post information to your social network. Things that used to be trivial are no longer in this world of micro-blogging we live in.
Things to keep in mind
- Social networking centers around short, timely bits of information
- Be sensitive to the information you publish. Your competitors are likely watching. You should do the same…
- Don’t give up. Social networking marketing dividends are not immediate. It will take time for you to see a return.