Social networking has become a vital internet marketing resource. With the number of social networking sites continuing to grow, it will continue to be a critical factor in marketing online.
Some of the largest corporations in the world are now devoting a large portion of their advertising budgets to social networking. You’d be hard pressed to find a corporation that takes its marketing serious not on Facebook or Twitter. With competition so stiff, it is critical that internet marketers have a sound social networking strategy.
Although no social networking strategy can be considered full-proof, there are some very basic tips that can be used to maximize results:
- Create a profile complete with picture and bio. Like the old saying goes, “you never get a 2nd chance to make a 1st impression.” Fair or unfair, people form an immediate opinion of you or your business as a result of your profile. Incomplete profiles without pictures don’t get nearly the response of those with a picture and bio. Remember you’re on a social networking site, so people want to see who you are and what you’re about. With that in mind, avoid using logos or celebrity pictures on your profile. Use a real picture of yourself (preferably smiling or doing something you love). Letting people see the real you projects trust and genuineness.
- Join groups that pertain to your online niche or business. This is an area a lot of internet marketers neglect when joining social networking sites. Social networking sites often have very large communities of people who share common interests. Joining a group of like-minded people who share your passions is a great way to network and get noticed.
- Don’t spam friends and/or groups. This is easily the biggest mistake internet marketers make when joining a social network. Some online marketers have barely been a member a few minutes before they are sending mass messages to all who have accepted their friend requests. Nothing turns off a fellow social networker more than getting spam from an overzealous internet marketer every few hours. Taking the time to build a relationship with friends on a social network is much more affective than immediately going at them with a sales pitch.
- Avoid commentary on social issues. When you’re active on a social network, it may be hard to avoid joining in on discussions about politics, race, religion, sex, etc., but it should be avoided at all costs. As an internet marketer your goal is growing your online business and building online wealth, not expressing your opinion on hot-button topics. Check out any large company’s social network profile on Facebook or Twitter and you won’t find any commentary on politics, religion or other highly charged subjects. They don’t want to offend any group and they want everyone to feel as if they are welcome, and so should you.
- Be sincere. Social networking for business purposes is all about building and gaining trust. Being dishonest or misleading people can have dire consequences. The last thing an online marketer needs is an unfavorable reputation amongst a large community of internet savvy people. The Internet is a powerful vehicle and can be used to not only build credibility, but also to destroy it.
Social networking is an outstanding source of free web traffic, but it must be used responsibly by internet marketers. It can be a tricky form of online promotion, but keeping the above tips in mind should help avoid some of the major pitfalls of social network marketing.
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