Are You Using Social Media Correctly??

Are You Using Social Media Correctly?

 by Maya Pillai

 

 

inShare29

Social media channels are a wonderful platform for networking, exposure, branding and to attracting traffic to your website. A well planned social media campaign will give an edge over your competitors. Are small businesses or online businesses using social media correctly? We have put together a few useful tips to help small business owners use social media effectively to reap success.

Effective ways to Use Social Media

• Put together a social media marketing strategy – If you wish to make social media work for your business, keep aside a certain amount of time to plan social media marketing. Many SMBs dive into social media with little or no strategy at all. What usually happens here is that they tend to spam their users and don’t know how to create brand awareness. When they end up getting no response, they lose interest and finally conclude it was a failure. The success of using social media is determined by a strong marketing strategy to engage your visitors in the content you have published.

• Be where your target audience are – Spend some time finding out the sites where your target audience spend their time. This will give you firsthand knowledge about where you should post your blogs and make regular updates. Creating awareness is a way of brand building and lead generation.

Continue reading: http://runapptivo.apptivo.com/are-you-using-social-media-correctly-9235.html

How Twitter Changed My Life

Great article!!

How Twitter Changed My Life
by Melanie F. Emerson

I came to Twitter in the fall of 2008 after finishing my first book, “Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months.” When I tried to set up a Twitter account, I discovered that my name was taken. My book publicist, Cathy Larkin, suggested that I develop a name that would instantly convey what I stood for. We kicked around a few ideas and then she suggested @SmallBizLady, which I loved. And the name just stuck.

My Twitter activities have helped me make money online and offline, develop lifelong friendships and find some of the best staff members anywhere. It’s all about understanding the Twitter rules of the road. You must listen first, add value to the conversation, and then build your community — all before you can create commerce. As a matter of fact, if you do the first three really well, you will not need to sell at all. Your target customer will beat a path to purchase your product, book, services, workshops or whatever you sell. It’s all about engaging in conversations that add value for your target customers or cause.


to read the rest, go to: http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/08/how-twitter-changed-my-life/?src=tp