Tuesday, April 28, 2009

How Social Media Marketing Can Help You Build Your Business

What streamyx combo deal streamyx promotion 2008 media marketing? What can it do for me Streamyx my business? streamyx service thought it was just Streamyx streamyx mail setting method of chatting with your friends...that's what I used streamyx malaysia say. The truth of it all surprised me. Follow me on a journey of learning.

First, let's address the question of what streamyx bill social media marketing. It boils down to this: it's the art of connecting with your target audience through social networking channels on the internet. Online social networks have only been around for about streamyx goes mobile years. Since then online social networking has grown at the speed of light. Reports show more than 2 million unique visitors to social networking sites in 2008. Folks, this is where your potential customers and clients are. If you're not there, you are missing out on a Lion's share of potential business.

According to an article in pcworld.com, "Last year Comcast started utilizing Twitter to quickly respond to customer complaints, and the company has received significant media attention for this strategy. As a result, Comcast has saved numerous customers on the verge of dropping their service." This is just one example of what social network media marketing can do for a business. In this example, Comcast got a very bad rap because of a video that was posted on YouTube of one of their technician's asleep on a customer's sofa. Comcast quickly got on the social media band wagon to save their reputation, and it worked. Quite simply, social media marketing is an excellent means of getting your message out to the people who matter, that being your target audience.

Next, let's talk about what social media marketing can do for you and your business. For starters, it's an effective means of finding out what your competitors are doing to increase traffic to their websites; what's working for them. It's also a good venue for finding your target audience and connecting and interacting with them. It's an avenue to build your reputation as an expert in your field. You can utilize the social media channels to build brand awareness, increase traffic to your website, and for link building. And then you can track statistics to see which channels or methods are working for you, and which aren't working so well. Does any of this sound intriguing? If so, read on.

Social networking isn't just for teenagers anymore. There are social network sites that were developed specifically for business owners. There are others that are designed for a people in a specific field of interest. And, there are new ones popping up every day. It takes some research to find out which ones might be best for you and your business. The thing to remember is that many business are growing and thriving due to their interaction in the social networking realm.

If it all seems daunting, believe me, I understand. At one time (not too long ago) I wouldn't even go near a social network site. I shunned the whole concept as shallow and meaningless. Not to mention I didn't have a clue as to how to get started, even if I had been inclined to do so. Since I own my own virtual assistant business, I thought it high time I learned. After all, I might need to know about it for a client at some point. So I embarked on a training program, and was very surprised by what I learned. I'm now a believer in the power of social networking in a business environment. I acquired my certification as Social Media Marketing Specialist through The VA Classroom.

There's another fact, and I don't need an expert to tell me this; social marketing is a growing industry. It's not going to go away. On the contrary, it is the new way to connect socially, as well as professionally. The "People" now have control, and they (we) are not about to relinquish it. It started only a few years ago as a means for the younger set to socialize, but has rapidly grown to encompass business as well, and it caters to people of all ages and walks of life. Don't you miss out on it!

So, where do you begin? You'll have the greatest success if you take time to do an assessment of your business objectives; what exactly do you want to accomplish with social marketing? Then, it's time for a brainstorming session; compile a list of thoughts, available options, and so on. Next, develop an action plan and put it to work. Lastly, it's important to track your results, or you won't know if your plan is working.

Bill Gates once said "The Internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow." I say, tomorrow is here now, and there's no time to waste, because it's moving very fast. Get on board now!

Charly Alexander is the owner of The VA Pro, a virtual assistant business. She is a Certified Internet Marketing Assistant, specializing in Social Media Marketing.

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