Tuesday 31 July 2012

Ways To Attract Customers To Your Online Business

Online Business
Some new business owners use a great deal of time and energy choosing the perfect product to sell and getting it up online, and then think that they are finished. Although it may be tempting to sit back, relax, and wait for the money to start pouring into your bank account, unfortunately business usually doesn't work that way.

You'll need to start marketing yourself online to attract new customers and retain them. By turning first-time buyers into repeat clients, you'll grow your business and start making real money. There are three main steps to take that will help you start building a stronger online presence.


Let The World Know Who You Are

Don't be afraid to show your personality. It's important to remember that even if you sell the most obscure niche product available, you'll still have stiff competition. For every website that sells fondue pots there will be a dozen more, so you want to make your website more enjoyable to visit than the others. You can think of your business as a brick and mortar shop, simply run from an ecommerce platform. To this end, you can hold contests, promotional events, and special sales to draw in customers.

Using the best ecommerce software will help you manage your content more easily, so that you can keep a blog and let your customers know who you are. This can also draw attention to your products while sparking conversations with visitors. Make your website a place where people will want to virtually hang out.


Use Social Media Tools Wisely

Most business guides and online articles urge small business owners to promote their services using social media. This can certainly be a good way to reach out to customers and retain them, but it's important to avoid spamming your customer base and risk alienating them. For example, consumers are turned off when they receive friend requests from business profiles that they don't recognize. By sticking to current contacts at first, you can focus on providing fun and engaging content and let customers come to you. When using Twitter, be sure to broadcast links to interesting information rather than dry facts about services. In general, if you are using your creativity and having fun with social media, your customers will have fun too.


Simplicity Is Key

Rather than trying every marketing strategy that you can think of all at once, it's best to choose a few and stick to them. Every strategy takes some time to work, so it's better to give your bid for new customers a focused, sensible approach. Don't forget to pay attention to your ecommerce website. Smooth navigation is important, to ensure that your customers can find what they are looking for and buy it without fuss. Online shopping is all about simplicity and convenience.

By approaching online marketing with a thoughtful approach, you can roll out your plan in stages rather than blitzing customers with everything all at once. Remember that it takes time for any new business to grow, and the most important factor is stay consistent with your brand.


Did you find this article helpful? Please let me know by leaving your valued comments below.

Related articles:
Legal Issues For Setting Up A Business
Do You Love Your Business?
Top 25 Small Business Tips


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to +1 or share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day), on Facebook and Google+ or by subscribing to our blog feed at:
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Until my next post, have a fabulous week...enjoy the London 2012 Olympic Games. :)



Friday 27 July 2012

SEO Tips After Google Panda Update

Google Panda
SEO industry has changed drastically since the onset of 2012; the Google has penalized low quality links and has taken a strong stand against spam. The tricks of the trade that were once popular to help increase page rank has changed dramatically.

Many blogs have been adversely affected by the algorithm change. Many bloggers who were dependent on online revenue as they had constant traffic have seen a loss of almost 90%. Google has changed its algorithm and the impacts are seen almost immediately in the results that they show. Low quality optimization links and article marketing are soon losing their charm and to stay up in the competitive market, we have to follow the Google new standards.

The new rules have changed and one has to learn the new ways to rank well in the search engines. Websites that offer valuable information to the readers and have quality content only will sustain the blow. The websites whose rankings dropped were mainly those which had bad HTML, poor SEO and broken links.

Optimize the site accordingly is the first step; follow the norm that you have high quality links that index to the home page.

  1. High quality website content: After the Panda update, many website with high rankings, found that the rankings had dropped like a stone. It seems Google is trying to reward websites which are high in quality over the countless junk sites. Good quality content will please visitors and have spin-off benefits. The older method of just writing articles, to index your site will no longer work; concentrate on the core ingredient data. When a visitor attends the site he should be glued by the content and not distracted, have related videos, pictures and related high quality information.

  2. Use natural on-page SEO: The link building strategy also has to be reworked; the one that is within the original content should be natural. In the eyes of Google, the content should be of quality and no way spam in nature. Having content was always important, now it is important that you have good SEO. When you are building a link, contained within the original content, then it should be to a related topic to seem natural. This way Google will not treat it as spam. Even today, it is relevant to have your content with good SEO. Panda and the later SEO has forced the website owner to rethink his ways and creating quality content which matches the SEO, then you will not face any problem with your ranking.

  3. Avoid exact-match anchor text links: This has been advised by the Google forums time and again, as the same link leading to the home page for more than 60% have seen a severe drop in rankings. It is your prerogative as a writer to offer content that offers value to the visitor. Write what you would like to read, from a SEO perspective it will only help increase PR. It is strongly recommended by the experts that varying the anchor text with your links to include the business or domain name. You should also include a number of long-tail variations of the keywords.

Times change and people who transform to the changing times are always successful. As webmasters a little hard work will help you in the long run. Every new change does cause panic, nevertheless the right ways of building the site will benefit in increasing traffic and sales.


About The Author: Mary Smith has been freelancing as the guest writer for a few years. "I like to share my opinions and connect with like minded individuals online about various topics." Mary is passionate about finance, real estate, writing and home and garden.

Do you like this article by Mary Smith? Was your website/blog effected by the Google Panda update? Please let Mary and myself know by leaving us your valued comments below.

Related articles:
How Often Should You Do SEO Rank Checker On Your Site
You Don't Have To Be An SEO Whizz To Improve Your Search Engine Rankings!
10 Easy Steps To Boost Your SEO
Top SEO Do's And Don'ts
How To Improve Your SEO With Backlinks
The Seven Deadly SEO Sins
The 10 Week SEO Diet


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to +1 or share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day), on Facebook and Google+ or by subscribing to our blog feed at:
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Until my next post on Tuesday, have a fabulous weekend!


1st page google ranking

Wednesday 25 July 2012

Social Media Day Meet-ups: How Can They Work For You

Social Media
The growth of social media has been relentless during the last 18 months, both in terms of its ever expanding user base and the range of applications that is has within the commercial world. Despite this, however, there are genuine concerns that social media have reached saturation point within the business market, so that by the close of 2013 it will no longer be expanding into new and diverse territory.

With this in mind, now is a good time for commercial organizations to consider evolving their social networking activities, and bring their virtual collection of contacts into a real and physical environment. This fusion of traditional and digital networking methods is certainly emerging as common place among forward thinking organizations, and suggests that there is already a drive to build upon social platforms to create a more tangible business practice.


The Social Meet Up: Their Benefits To Your Business

For these innovative companies, the Social Media Day Meet-up is the new networking method of choice, as this transfers an established professional network into a real world environment. Essentially, it is a physical event that is organized and planned through the medium of social media, after which those who have been invited meet in an agreed location to interact in real time and share an evenings experience. The event itself is open to creative thinking and innovation, and incorporate any number of individual activities and challenges to add to the overall experience.

So how can these events benefit you or your business? Well there main advantage is that they allow your venture to gain a critical edge in your market place, and this can be invaluable in any sector that is driven and competitive. Should you organize a hugely successful social Meet-up, then your business may also become recognized as a market leader within its industry, and also as an innovative organization that is at the forefront of breaking trends and developments. In a struggling economy, this can be a decisive factor in achieving long term success.


How Do You Create A Successful Social Meet-Up?

With the benefits clear, the question that remains is how to create a successful social meet-up? Well, the key lies in defining its purpose, as the invitations and organization largely takes care of itself. You need to take the time to understand exactly why you want to organize a Meet-up in the first instance, as this ambition will help to determine the nature of the event and how it should unfold. Similarly, you need to visualize how the Meet-up could benefit the industry in which your business performs, as offering mutual benefits for your guests is key to rewarding their attendance.

Similarly, it is important to craft a succinct and clear statement that conveys your Meet-up's purpose and sells this to people within your industry. This is the way in which you will market the event through the social media medium, using language wisely to share the key benefits of the experience that attendees can expect to offer. This is why it is so important to consider your event in detail before you bring it to fruition, as this helps you to conceive the message of your Meet-up as clearly as you possibly can.

If you wish to benefit from some professionals assistance in developing your event and Social Media Day Meet-up, then consider consulting industry experts Chillisauce.


Did you find this article helpful? Does your business utilize social meet-up's as part of your networking activities? Please let me know by leaving your valued comments below.

Related articles:
5 Do's And 5 Don'ts In Social Media
Building Your Business With Social Media
The 10 Basic Rules Of Social Media Marketing
Top 14 Benefits Of Social Media Marketing
How To Use Facebook For Your Small Business
9 Tips For More Effective Facebook Marketing


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to +1 or share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day), on Facebook and Google+ or by subscribing to our blog feed at:
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Until my next post, enjoy the rest of the week!



Monday 23 July 2012

Understanding Multi Channel Funnels In Google Analytics

Google Analytics
Multi Channel Funnels (MCFs) was a feature in Google Analytics launched in August 2011, so it has been around for a while. Despite this, many internet marketers have not got round to checking out this great feature. This is a shame, since MCFs offer a great opportunity for mining for useful data and for improving your site's conversion rate.

So how does MCFs work? Well, the main benefit of MCFs is that they allow you to see how effective each of your marketing channels is on creating conversions for your site. They allow you to see the big picture; how your marketing works together to get your visitors to do whatever you want them to do on your site. To access the MCF reports, you must have a Google Analytics account with conversion tracking installed, and be using the new version of Google Analytics.

An analogy would explain the principle behind MCFs well: think of marketing channels like players on a football team. We can say that organic search could be, say, a central midfielder, email marketing a right-back, direct visitors is a centre-back, and paid search is a striker. Normally the channel that was the customer's last contact with the site gets the credit for the conversion. So if a visitor comes to your website from a Google ad (without visiting your site before), then fills out your contact form, then PPC would be the channel that would take the credit for providing the conversion (so-called "last click attribution"). But in reality, it takes many players, or even a whole team, to produce a goal (conversion). So MCF allows you to measure the impact of all the channels involved in producing a conversion. So in our football team analogy, a conversion path made by a user visiting the site by typing in the URL (direct - centre back) then passing to organic search (midfield) who passes to the striker (paid search) shows how each element makes up the conversion path. Now you can see the principle behind "multi-click attribution".


There are five main MCF reports currently:

1. Overview - This is the first report you see when you go into the MCF section in Google Analytics, located at the bottom of the left hand menu, under conversions. This report shows the aggregate number of conversions (number of times somebody completed a task you wanted them to complete e.g. a purchase or filling out a campaign form) as well as the number of assisted conversions (the number of conversions that have involved the user interacting with other marketing channels (organic search, paid search, display ad etc...) before finally converting).

The overview report also has a handy feature called the Multi-Channel Conversion Visualizer, which shows the percentage of conversion paths that include different channel combinations.

2. Assisted Conversions - This is the next report in the MCF tab; it shows how many sales and conversions each channel initiated, assisted, and completed as well as the value of those sales and conversions. The pound/dollar value amount is calculated from the value assigned by the Google Analytics user to each conversion. Basically, this is the amount that a lead is worth to your business.

3. Top Conversion Paths Report - This report shows the channel paths that customers made before completing conversions. An example conversion path made by a user might be "organic search>direct>direct>direct" or perhaps just "paid search>direct". This report also displays the conversion value for each path, enabling you to see which path is the most profitable.

4. Time Lag Report - This report shows you how long the conversion paths are taking from first contact to conversion. The report gives the time lag in days.

5. Path Length - This report shows the conversion path length in terms of interactions. So if 70% of your conversions were made up by visitors who had just one interaction with your site, then that will show in the path length graph.

To summarize, MCFs offer a great opportunity for internet marketers to gather that much needed data. If you're not using this feature in Google Analytics, I suggest you do so to further improve your site's conversion rate.


About The Author: Searchpath are the experts for SEO Swindon. Visit us for help and advice with the whole SEO process.

Did you find this article helpful? Please let me know by leaving your valued comments below.


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to +1 or share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day), on Facebook and Google+ or by subscribing to our blog feed at:
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Until my next post, have a fabulous week!



Friday 20 July 2012

5 Must-Have WordPress Plugins

WordPress Plugins
Guest post by Wes Burns: I try not to rely too heavily on WordPress plugins, but there are five plugins that I install by default every time I start a new website. These plugins helps me run websites effectively without having to master the technical skill of coding. If I had to pick exactly five plugins to use for the rest of my career, these would be my choices.


1. Redirection

Redirection is a plugin that allows you to easily redirect links from within the WordPress backend. This comes in handy in two different ways. First, it makes it easy to move pages to new URLs. If you need to move an existing page to a new address, you can open Redirection's settings, add the old URL and add the new URL. Hit the "ok" button and visitors to the old address will be redirected to the new URL.

Second, Redirection comes in handy for affiliate websites. It allows you to clean up those ugly affiliate links and replace them with something that looks nice. For example, let's say your affiliate programs uses links that look like this:

Commission.affiliates-product-3282.htm=affID388229

Visitors tend to be distrustful of links that look like this. With Redirection, you can create a redirection and use links that look like this:

www.website.com/visit/productname

When visitors click on your clean affiliate link, they are automatically redirected to your affiliate link. Thus, you get clean looking links and still receive credit for sending sales to your affiliate program.

You can get the plugin at:
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/redirection/


2. Google Analytics for WordPress

The name pretty much says it all. The Google Analytics plugin makes it easy to get site statistics on your WordPress blog. All you have to do is install the plugin, click a button to authenticate your Google analytics account and it's good to go.

After you have Analytics installed, you'll be able to see how many visitors you are getting, which pages are being visited, which search terms people use to find your site and more. I consider Google analytics a must-have for any website.

You can get the plugin at:
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/google-analytics-for-wordpress/


3. GetSocial

GetSocial is my favorite social sharing plugin for WordPress. It adds a floating bar with social sharing options to the side of every page or post on your website. The bar includes a Twitter function, Digg button, Facebook button, Reddit button and more. The whole point of this plugin is to make it easier for visitors to share your content with other people.

GetSocial looks nice and it's easy to set up. I am not a technical person at all but I had no problems customizing the bar and getting it placed exactly where I want on my blog. This plugin is useful for you and your visitors.

You can get the plugin at:
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/getsocial/


4. Image Zoom

Image Zoom is a purely cosmetic WordPress plugin but I love it. It lets you place pictures in your blog that zoom nicely when visitors click. All you do is insert pictures, leave the direct link in place (found in the picture settings when you add pictures) and Image Zoom will take care of the rest.

When visitors click on your pictures, they get one of those pretty flash boxes instead of going directly to the image URL.

You can get the plugin at:
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/image-zoom/


5. WordPress SEO by Yoast

WordPress SEO by Yoast is the ultimate search engine optimization tool for WordPress. It allows you to customize title tags, URLs, meta keywords and much more. It can be complicated setting it up the first time around, but there are plenty of guides online that will get you up and going.

One of the things I like most about this particular SEO plugin is that it includes a simple tool that analyzes the SEO of each page. When you add a new page (or post), it will scan the content, description and title to make sure you have your SEO keywords in place.

You can get the plugin at:
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wordpress-seo/

One of the greatest advantages of WordPress is the wide array of free plugins that can be used to add functionality to any website. This post lists and describes five awesome plugins that I use on every website.


About The Author: Wes Burns runs numerous websites in the tech niche. His latest project is a file storage website that provides news, reviews and tips related to cloud data management.

Do you like this article by Wes Burns? What's your favourite WordPress plugin? Please let Wes and myself know by leaving us your valued comments below.


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to +1 or share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day), on Facebook and Google+ or by subscribing to our blog feed at:
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Until my next post on Monday, have a fabulous weekend!



Thursday 19 July 2012

Legal Issues For Setting Up A Business

Small Business
If you have decided to take the plunge and make your dream of starting your own business a reality, then there may be legal issues that you have overlooked and will need advice on. This post from Pannone Solicitors in London will hopefully steer you in the right direction to make sure that your business is legally ready for a great start.


First things first

Are you setting up this business on your own or with someone else? If you are going it alone then you will probably want to start as a sole trader until the business expands, you may then wish to become a limited company, this is something you should discuss with your solicitor as they will be able to give you personal advice based on your circumstances.

If you are setting up with someone else a partnership agreement will have to be drawn up to safeguard against disagreements in the future or if one of you decides to leave the company you will know in advance what your legal position is.


Let's talk shop

If you have found premises to hold your new business venture in then you need to be aware of any legal issues that may surround a change of use for example. This could require planning consent from your local authority, so be sure to check this out. If you are setting up your business from home then you may not need permission if it will not change the primary purpose of the building from a residential property. This is something you should enquire about to your local planning department; your solicitor should be able to give you advice on this too. They will also be able to look over a tenancy agreement if you go into rented premises.


Expanding

At the stage when you are ready to employ people there are so many employment laws that need to be adhered to that it is worth going over your service contracts for your employees with a solicitor. Many employment disputes arise from poorly constructed contracts so it is vital to seek legal advice on this. When you take on employees it is important to acquire the relevant insurance to protect you from a costly accident at work claim.


What next?

There are many more issues that need to be thought about when setting up a business, it would be a very lengthy article to fit them all in. There are licenses that need to be acquired for the sale of certain goods for example and if you are producing a unique product you need to make sure that your competitors cannot steal your design. These are all points that your solicitor will be able to guide you through.

For the best chance of success be sure to get legal advice from the start so that your business is prepared for a healthy and professional start.


Did you find this article helpful? Please let me know by leaving your valued comments below.


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to +1 or share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day), on Facebook and Google+ or by subscribing to our blog feed at:
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Until my next post tomorrow, enjoy your day!



Thursday 12 July 2012

Blog Posts Suspended Until Next Week

Blog News
I'm currently in the process of changing my broadband and phone provider which unfortunately, will result in the suspension of blog posts until later next week due to limited Internet access.

My current provider will be switching off my broadband service this Friday (13th July) with the new provider's service due to go live sometime next Wednesday (18th July). Although I will have mobile access to the Internet during this transition period, I will not be able to publish any blog posts due to limitations and current data restrictions imposed by my mobile provider. There are of course WiFi hotspots and Internet café's where I could work from but these require travelling a fair distance each day just to access them. I think you'll agree that it is much easier to suspend blog posts for a few days rather than to travel each day to blog.

Over the next couple of days and during the transition period, I will be doing everything possible to ensure that all emails are answered in a timely manner and that all new guest posts received in the past week are compiled and ready to be published as soon as the transition is complete. If everything goes to plan (which I hope it does), it will be business as usual with a new post being published on the blog next Thursday (19th July). I will of course let you know by updating this post if there are any delays.

It's going to be a long few days without my normal broadband service but it will be worth it with faster speeds and more importantly, no data limits. As always, I want to thank you for your support and for your patience and understanding during this transition period and until next Thursday when normal blogging will resume, enjoy the rest of the week and have a wonderful weekend!


As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day), on Facebook and Google+ or by subscribing to our blog feed at:
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You can also follow me on Twitter @djones1509, Google+ and on Facebook at:
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Thank you once again for your patience and understanding.



Friday 6 July 2012

Incorporating Twitter Into Your Marketing Campaign

Twitter
Facebook is the golden child in online marketing nowadays. It's all you hear about; how to increase likes, how to engage followers, and how to turn likes into dollar signs for your business. But what happened to Twitter? Though it's not getting the hype it was 4 years ago, this unique micro-blogging site is still a viable marketing tool for any business looking to increase customers and brand awareness.

Check out these quick tips for using Twitter in your company's marketing campaign:


Engage your customers and increase brand loyalty

Use your Twitter account to interact with your customers. That's the beauty of social media; it breaks down the typical walls of business v. customer. On Twitter, you're on the same level with your customers; converse with them, interact with them, and make them feel a part of their brand. This is what will keep them coming back to your company and what will inspire them to recommend you to their friends and family.


Use keywords

You might have an SEO strategy for your website, but do you have one for your social media accounts? Work your SEO keywords naturally into tweets. Search engines put a lot of weight on social content, so in doing this, you're helping improve your search engine rankings for those coveted keywords.


Monitor your brand

Thanks to Twitter's handy dandy search functions, you can easily search for tweets containing your brand, company, names of employees, and more. This allows you to monitor customer comments and company related news. It also, if necessary, allows you to respond to complaints and issues in a more personal, direct way.


Use it as a customer service tool

As stated before, Twitter breaks down the age-old walls that used to stand between businesses and their customers. Now, customers can send a comment or complaint to a company representative with just the click of a mouse. It's imperative you take advantage of this; respond to customers quickly and in a friendly manner, and make sure you have the staffing available to truly manage your account. Nothing is more frustrating for a customer than being ignored or not getting a timely response from a company with which they have spent their hard-earned dollars.


Make it shareable

One of the best parts of social media is the ease with which it allows sharing. With just the click of a button, something your company posts on Twitter can be re-tweeted by a customer, allowing all their friends and followers to see your information as well. Boiled down, it's essentially just word-of-mouth marketing online. Keep this in mind when creating your tweets; make them interesting, relevant, and something people will want to share with their friends. This not only keeps them coming back for more, but it helps to increase your exposure if they share it.


Use it to announce deals, specials and sales

Most people use Twitter for personal use. They talk to friends, family and colleagues via it, and they only on occasion interact with business and companies on the site. When they do, they want something out of it. They're not just going to follow you to get the latest news about your company's CEO or the latest product; they want to an actual, tangible benefit. Use your Twitter to offer exclusive deals and specials, this will not only satisfy your current followers, but will encourage new ones to join in.

Twitter can be a valuable marketing tool in today's digitally savvy world. With the right effort and dedication, it can bring in new customers, help increase brand loyalty, aid in customer service and allow you to better monitor your company's performance.


About The Author: Eric Stauffer is a small business owner who frequently uses social media to engage his customers for his credit card processing review site. He has found success in both Facebook and Twitter, with a growing following in Google Plus.

Do you like this article by Eric Stauffer? Please let Eric and myself know by leaving us your valued comments below.

Related articles:
5 Essential Twitter Tools For Small Business
The 10 Basic Rules Of Social Media Marketing
Tips & Tools On How To Grow Your Twitter Following
How To Use Twitter For Business: 5 Tips For Twitter Newcomers
What Is Twitter & What Does It Do For Businesses?


If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to +1 or share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.

As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day), on Facebook and Google+ or by subscribing to our blog feed at:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/DereksHomeAndBusinessBlog

You can also follow me on Twitter @djones1509, Google+ and on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/djones1509
https://plus.google.com/104849975941505117776

Until my next post, have a fabulous weekend!



Tuesday 3 July 2012

5 Do's And 5 Don'ts In Social Media

Social Media
An article on social media etiquette by James SP: Engaging in social media for the first time can be daunting, especially if you are trying to promote a certain brand or company. It can be difficult to get the tone as well as content right and there's no guarantee as to how other social media users will respond to your output.

I found this out the hard way when I was running a social media account for a Southern California car title loans company. At first the account got a lot of flack, with many users reinforcing the negative stereotypes about car title loans, payday loans and other similar short-term loan types.

Fortunately though, I was able to save the account from an untimely death by researching social media etiquette and by figuring out how best to respond in these tricky situations. I discovered that social media is no easy affair, but rather something that requires a great deal of skill and tact.

Based on my research and professional experience, here are 5 do's and 5 don'ts essential for success in social media:


Do Interact

Interaction is one of the most important elements of succeeding in social media. Interact as much as possible and don't let users' questions or queries go unanswered. Users will appreciate your feedback and feel more personally connected with your brand and with the message you are promoting.


Do Integrate Multimedia

Make your content interesting by integrating as much multimedia as possible. Experiment with sound bites and post links to videos or even create your own videos. Incorporating multimedia into your page will give your brand or business page a competitive edge, and help it stand out from the crowd.


Do Stay Calm in a Crisis

It may feel terrifying if you suddenly lose a huge number of social media followers or receive a bad reaction to something you posted, but all is rarely lost. Expect some unforeseen bumps in the road and be ready to deal with them in a calm and professional manner. Virtually all social media accounts receive some level of unwanted attention or negative feedback, but this doesn't have to stop it being a success in the long run.


Do Update Your Content Regularly

A social media account that isn't updated on a regular basis will often result in a loss of followers and a general lack of interest and engagement from its remaining members. Try to update your account several times a week or ideally on a daily basis. This allows you to see what works and what doesn't, and what tactics get the biggest response.


Do Be Concise

Keep your content as concise as possible. Don't hide the message you are trying to promote deep within your content, most will fail to see it. Use direct, concise language that immediately gets to the heart of what you are trying to convey. If you are unsure how to do this, look to sites and books that teach you which words and phrases work best in marketing and online.


Don't Post Personal Information

Feel free to post contact details for the company or brand you are promoting, but don't post your individual contact details. This isn't just dangerous, but will likely look a bit weird. Try and keep the contact information you post as professional as possible.


Don't Be Dishonest

Just like with online dating sites, it can be all too easy to get lost in cyber-world and publish social media content that is over exaggerated or even completely made up. However, social media users tend to be pretty savvy, and will easily pick up on your fibs. Of course you can write about your product or business in a positive way, but always be honest and avoid fabrication at all costs.


Don't Have Easily Guessable Passwords

Don't underestimate the power of social media hackers. Getting your social media account hacked or even deleted by these hackers isn't unusual, so make sure you have a password that isn't easily guessed. Also make sure you change your password regularly and don't send password/login details to other colleagues via unsecure networks.


Don't Let Just Anyone Write Your Content

A surprising amount of people have yet to realize the importance of good social media copy, and are all too happy to hand over posting duties to the intern with little supervision. Failure to effectively manage social media accounts is never a good idea, and neither is passing on its responsibilities to someone that is under-qualified. If you can't fit in writing the content yourself, put someone in charge that has experience writing high quality, professional copy.


Don't Publish Anything Iffy

If you want to publish something but you're not sure how it will go over with other social media users, check with your coworkers before publishing. The last thing you want to do is be blamed for publishing something controversial, so get a general consensus before you post anything that could be an issue.

As you can clearly see, managing and engaging in social media isn't as simple as it looks. Time, patience and a resilient attitude is required to make social media work. Take all of the above suggestions into consideration and social media will likely do wonders for your product or company.


Do you like this article? Do you have any social media tips to share? Please let me know by leaving your valued comments below.

Related articles:
Building Your Business With Social Media
The 10 Basic Rules Of Social Media Marketing
Top 14 Benefits Of Social Media Marketing
How To Use Facebook For Your Small Business
9 Tips For More Effective Facebook Marketing


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