Facebook Marketing – A “How to Social Network Marketing” Guide

“How to social network marketing” is probably one of the newer and hotter topics in internet marketing recently. This form of marketing is indeed quite a new animal, different from the more traditional forms of internet marketing such as PPC, SEO, blogging, e-zines, and so on. These networks are also popularly known as Web 2.0, which sort of represents the new trend of online marketing which takes into account the social nature of human beings. It is this social nature within all of us that has spurred the development of social networks, of which Facebook is still the most prominent and successful social network to date. Besides seeking information online, it has been determined that humans seek to network socially online via emails, chats, as well as the many avenues of sharing made possible in a network such as Facebook, ranging from games, apps, photos, comments, and the list keeps growing everyday.

Therefore, an effective strategy using Facebook has to take full advantage of how we can market effectively on a network such as Facebook, which is different from marketing on a search engine. As mentioned, the focus of people on Facebook is to network socially, as compared to seeking information on Google. How to market on Facebook likely begins with one’s profile. This has to represent either the individual or business in an attractive or attention-grabbing manner. One should also make good use of fan pages, which allows businesses, brands, celebrities, and products to have a page of news, photos, and information where interested people can add themselves as fans to be kept updated.

Facebook has many other social features such as groups, events, and tagging, which allows people to quickly connect with each other by taking full advantage of the power of Facebook as a marketing solution. Basically, groups and events allow like-minded people to invite their friends and network among each other based on a topic or event of common interest. The true power of social networking becomes evident as friends of friends can also see what updates are taking place to a person’s profile, and hence word-of-mouth advertising is indeed very automated and powerful in a social network like Facebook. For businesses large and small Facebook marketing is undoubtedly a necessity in this the age of the internet. Businesses who are not taking advantage of Facebook marketing are in danger of lagging behind their competitors.

Social Media Marketing – Get Involved

To grow business owners must combine traditional marketing with online marketing, Social Media Marketing (SMM) is one of the most effective marketing tools available.

Social Media Marketing Defined

SMM is businesses becoming active within virtual communities to communicate and interact with consumers professionally or socially.

The Marketing Mix

Developing a suitable marketing mix for your business is the key success. No businesses are the same and will not necessarily benefit from belonging to the same Social Networks. Determining the Network that works for your business and the best methods of interacting with the community is not necessarily clear and a Social Marketing Consultant provides the expertise to guide you through the process of developing a Social Strategy for your business.

Develop Your Social Interaction Strategy

Social Media is a time consuming. When you have developed a Social Strategy, develop your networks and consumer interactions. To succeed in Social Networks you must be helpful and genuine.

Social Network Types

There are numerous types of Social avenues open which are effective for business.

Micro Blogging

If you have ever heard the term Gorilla Marketing, well Micro Blogging definitely meets the criteria for Gorilla Marketing. You have: 140 characters to deliver a marketing message to the audience, a minimal amount of text is all you have, when you get to 140 it’s over.

Blogging Networks

Blogs effectively get in-depth information to consumers. Numerous web sites offer hosted Blogs. These web enable you to begin blogging with little or no experience. For SEO it’s recommended to self host your blog to leverage inbound links and web site traffic.

Professional Networks

Professional Social Communites are ideal to interact with business owners, obtain new business contacts and to understand public perception of your business’s brand.

To benefit form Professional Networks interaction is necessary, but do not openly solicit business.

Video Sharing Networks

Informative and professional video becoming increasingly popular and is a rich media format to spread the word of your business. Quirky and interesting videos have the potential to go viral on the Internet effectively spreading your business’s message.

Social Bookmarking

Social bookmarking provides potential for your business by encouraging visitors to bookmark your web site to increases website traffic and identifies your web site’s popularity not to mention the benefits of inbound links.

Social Marketing Campaigns – The Benefits

o    Understanding of public brand perception

o    Develop new Business

o    Improve web conversions

o    Increase back links

o    Higher Search Engine visibility

The Summary – Social Marketing Campaigns

Social Marketing is the time intensive however, there is limited financial expenditure required. Get involved and take part Social Media Marketing is powerful tool which benefits business owners.