Top 20 marketing tips for social media

Can you believe how quickly social media has utterly transformed our lives? The way we shop, find love and do business. Particularly as it was only four years ago that Twitter was launched and just seven years since Facebook first began.

 

As social media has transformed the way we communicate, it’s only natural that the shape of marketing has followed suit and changed. No longer are we engaged in a one-way conversation with our customers. Thanks to the Internet, everything is now social and interactive.

 

And from a business point of view, it’s something we should all be embracing. Using social media for marketing is not only cost-effective, it helps you to grow your customer base by taking part in two-way dialogue with your customers. You are now able to shape your products and services based on real-time customer feedback and you can drastically improve your customer service by responding quickly and easily to any queries, questions or concerns people might have.

 

But for many freelancers and companies out there, it’s difficult to determine how to best utilise social media for marketing. Here are my top 20 tips on how to use social media as part of your marketing strategy:

Do your research

If you’re struggling to get to grips with social media and you’re confused by the different types out there, read up about the subject first. There’s no point in adding social media to your marketing plan if you have no clue as to what it is.

Set some goals

Don’t just jump into social media head first. It’s good to have a thorough plan, so you can measure your success and adapt your social media marketing accordingly.

Consider your target market and use the right social media for your audience.

For example, if your business sells consumer products, Facebook might be the best platform for you. Or if you’re an accountancy firm, perhaps Twitter would be more suitable.

Be on your best behaviour

Everything you say and do online gets recorded, so it becomes permanent. It goes without saying, think before you type.

Be interesting

It’s an obvious tip but if you’re boring, people won’t want to follow you. Try to add some lively and interesting tweets or updates to your social media accounts. It will keep people coming back for more.

Don’t broadcast

Social media is all about engaging, two-way conversation, so don’t just bombard your followers or fans with your own company news and updates. Communicate and interact!

Join everything up

Hook up your website as much as possible. How do you do this? Integrate your own blog to your website and use it as an effective marketing tool.

Don’t be negative

Never slander any other business or person through social media. It will come back to haunt you.

Keep it regular

Keep your social media profiles current and updated. If you leave them to fester, they'll become stagnant and therefore risk making you look unprofessional.

Get the SEO right

Consider SEO or Social Media Optimisation (SMO) when choosing a username. Try to add some keywords to your profile name.

Consider tools

Make life easier and use tools to automatically hook up your blog to your Twitter or Facebook accounts. Try Hootsuite.com or Twitterfeed.com.

Give a personal touch

Personalise your profile pages and adapt to company branding. Ensure you have filled out all the necessary information.

Use your face

If at all possible, put a face to your brand. People prefer to follow humans instead of logos.

Keep updated

Keep your eyes peeled for social media updates or newcomers. It’s no good using social media if you haven’t a clue what’s going on. Mashable is an excellent online news site regarding social media.

Quality not quantity

Only sign up to a couple of the top social media sites. You don’t need to go mad. And make sure you don't spam everyone's feeds with your own tweets or updates all the time. It will just turn people off and they're likely to stop following you.

Get your privacy controls right

Make sure your privacy settings are correct. Double check them at all times.

Link and link again

Add links to your social media accounts on your company website and vice versa.

Check the legal side

Be aware that some social media sites won’t allow you to run competitions without prior consent. With Facebook, for example, you need written permission before running any giveaways on any of its pages.

Advertise

Make best use of advertising on your social media network. Opportunities are increasingly available. It’s certainly something to consider as part of your marketing plan.

It's not me, me, me

Finally, don’t be selfish. Share, help and encourage other people and businesses online. It’s great karma and will make you seem transparent, open and friendly – the type of business people want to be associated with.

 

for the full article : http://bit.ly/gPL5Ln

 

Cool tools for #realtors : Point, Shoot, and Fax

Point, Shoot, and Fax

 

Transform your iPhone or iPad into a mobile fax machine. The eFax Mobile app lets you send faxes using the iPhone’s built-in camera. Simply take a photo of a document and the app will enhance the image, combine multiple images, and fax them through your phone. You can create customized cover sheets and add search tags so you can easily find them later. Or send documents as an e-mail attachment. Downloading the app is free, but to use it you need an eFax account; monthly plans start at $16.95. j2 Global Communications; Los Angeles; 800-958-2983; www.efax.com.

 

 

Show Them the Money

 

Gain credibility with investors and help them make smart decisions by presenting key profitability data. RealYields is cloud-based real estate software that simplifies financial calculators, formulas, and spreadsheets into easy-to-read charts and graphs. Quickly analyze property performance metrics and create visuals for listing presentations. Run various purchase, financing, and rental scenarios for clients. Publish results to the Web or share them via e-mail, Twitter, or Facebook. Plans for real estate professionals start at $17 per month for up to 10 properties. RealYields; Austin, Texas; 347-850-7325; www.realyields.com.

 

for the full article :  http://bit.ly/hmWPxz

 

How to Maintain Sales Motivation in an Uncertain Economy

Maintaining sales motivation in an uncertain economy is tough when we become a product of that environment. As the world is discussing the downturn in the economy more and more, we are also attracting a downturn in our behaviors. We spend less, do less and wait it out. That is the wrong thing to do!

 

Wake up! Refuse to be part of any negative environment or uncertain economy. It will only bring you down. It will change your beliefs, your attitude, the way you feel, the actions you take and the results you get. You need to maintain your sales motivation and sales results.

 

You are a professional and have to maintain professionalism in all that you do. That means, to keep doing what you have always done, and when the going gets tough, the tough get going and do more. That is sales motivation.

 

This is not the time to slow down, or to waste time discussing the economy. It is time to step up and do more! This is the time of opportunity. It is not the economy that will or will not give you the results you are looking for.

 

It is your attitude towards the economy and the behavior! That you demonstrate on a daily basis. Your attitude and your behavior is your motivation towards sales results.

 

You attitude stems from your beliefs. What do you believe about today’s economy? How long do you think it will last? How do you think customers will react to your products and services during this downturn? And most importantly, how will you react?

 

Your answers to these questions above will determine your level of sales professional motivation. If you believe that this is the time of opportunity – opportunity to sell more, as your competition downsizes, opportunity to hire highly skilled labor, as they are being let go, or opportunity to expand as prices fall, you will gain positive results. However, the opposite is also true.

 

Be aware of your beliefs as they will affect your attitude and behaviors. If you maintain a positive attitude, your actions will be demonstrated in your behaviors and will attract positive results. Sales motivation starts with your beliefs and ends with your reactions to those beliefs.

 

Believe in who you are, and what you do. Believe in your organization, it’s products and services, team members and the market your sell into. Believe there is opportunity out there and you will find it.  Be disciplined, continue to do what you have to do, even when you do not want to do it and you will maintain sales motivation, in certain and uncertain economies.

 

To find the full article : http://bit.ly/enarsT