Social Networking:
What Is It And Why Your Business Needs It
by
Michele Pariza Wacek
Social networking. Social marketing. Web 2.0.
You may have heard these terms bandied about and wondered what exactly they
are and (more importantly) what they mean for your business.
So let's dig right in and get some answers. First, some definitions.
Social networking is actually a pretty broad term. It basically means any type
of relationship-building amongst a group of people with a common interest
(business or personal). However, that term has taken on a whole new dimension
online, where social networking sites (MySpace, Linked In, Facebook) are popping
up faster than you can say "Will you be my friend?"
These web sites are designed around helping people network and build
relationships via online, instead of the more traditional face-to-face
networking meetings.
Which leads us to Web 2.0. No, it's not a technical upgrade of the Web (I can
hear all the sighs of relief as people everywhere realize they don't need to be
downloading or learning new software). Rather, it's a new way to use the
technical aspects of the Web to build better relationships with people. So it
includes blogging, podcasts, social networking sites, video, webinars, etc.
Actually, what it really is is a shift in mindset. Rather than using these
tools because they're cool new tech gadgets, we're using them to bring a more
human element to the Web.
Now social marketing is used interchangeably as social networking, but that's
actually a misnomer (according to Wikipedia). Social marketing is an old term,
which refers to marketing for the good of society or for social causes and has
nothing to do with any of this.
So, back to social networking. This is wonderful news for business owners out
there because it fits right in with how customers buy. Namely, people buy from
people they know, like and trust. So building relationships using Web 2.0
techniques is a fabulous marketing strategy.
And many Web 2.0 techniques are either free or very low cost. All the social
networking sites have free accounts (some have paid upgrades, but it's still
low). Podcasting can be free (or you can pay a very low fee to do the recording
via the phone). Blogging can be free. You get the picture.
Now there is a downside. The downside is it does take time. So if you're
already feeling overwhelmed and frazzled, yes this could feel like another huge
to-do on your list.
Which is why I'm going to tell you right now not to go there. There is help.
Virtual assistants (also known as VAs) can assist you with these social
networking tasks. Also, some marketing professionals offer social networking
packages to do it all for you, so you don't have to manage it or even learn much
about it. In other words, you don't have to go at it alone!
And you also don't have to spend hours and hours on these tasks either. Pick
ONE thing to do, then spend 1-2 hours a week on it. Once that's mastered, than
add a second task. (Or get it into a system so you can outsource it and then
bring on a second task.)
Obviously the more time you (or someone on your team) can devote to social
networking, the faster you'll see results. But I don't want you to beat yourself
up if you don't have a lot of time to do it or money to outsource. Do what you
can and let the rest go.
The other thing to keep in mind is it also takes time to start seeing
results. None of these techniques is for immediate results or a quick infusion
of cash. These techniques are long-term strategies. They're very effective, but
they'll take some time.
As for what to start on first, that's up to you and what appeals to you (and
what you think will appeal to your target market) but I'll give you a quick
summary of a couple of the major ones along with pros and cons:
1. Blogging.
Pros -- This is a terrific way to build traffic to your site. My blog
gets a tremendous amount of traffic and much of that spills over to the rest of
my site. Plus, I have a Wordpress blog, so it's built into my Web site and it
comes with RSS and pinging and everything else a good blog should. (Did I
mention it was free?)
Cons -- You need to do some writing. And it does take time. (Either
yours or someone on your team.) You should plan to post at least a couple of
times a month -- more is better.
2. Podcasting. Podcasting is like having your own little radio show,
except the audio is downloaded into an iPod rather than broadcasted.
Pros -- This is a terrific way to add credibility and build trust with
your customers. Audio, especially when listened to on a podcast, is very
intimate. You end up building a tighter bond with your customers than through
reading alone. Adding audio to Web sites has been shown to increase conversion
rates. (I.e. more people will buy when there's audio involved.)
Cons -- Time (you got to make time to do your podcast, and once you
start, you need to do it regularly). This is also a bit more technical than
blogging -- you need to upload it to your site, to podcast directories, etc.
Unless technology comes really easy for you, I would suggest finding someone to
help you out (at least to get you started). And if you have a really dreadful
voice I would think twice about doing a podcast.
3. Video.
Pros -- Like audio, adding video to your site is great for increasing
conversion rates. It adds a level of intimacy and helps your customers feel like
they really know you.
Cons -- Technical and time. For audio, all you need is a phone. Video
you need a camera, a video editor, etc. Of course, once it's done, you can use
it in a lot of places, but getting it done may feel overwhelming.
4. Social networking sites. This is fast becoming a great way to find
customers, form relationships and drive traffic to your site. However, before
you dive into this, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, there are
some 200 social networking sites out there and I'm sure that number continues to
grow. But, MySpace enjoys a whopping 80 percent of that traffic. So it only
makes sense that 80 percent of the time you're devoting to social networking
sites should be devoted to MySpace. And don't think MySpace is just for kids!
I've only been playing around with it for a couple of weeks and I've already
made some pretty good connections, plus I've noticed a spike in my traffic and
sign-ups for my newsletter. My friend Nancy has as great primer on how to use
MySpace for business purposes.
The other two social networking sites I'm on are LinkedIn.com and Ryze.com.
What I like about those two is they're more focused on business, plus they don't
take a lot of time (so they fit nicely in the 20 percent of my time for the
other sites). MySpace can be a time sucker, so just be aware of that.
Pros -- Great for building relationships and appears to be good at
driving Web traffic.
Cons -- Takes time (Sensing a pattern here?) Also it's very easy to
waste a lot of time on MySpace as well.
My suggestion is to pick one of these techniques to start with, do it for
awhile and see what happens. If you start seeing leads and results, stick with
it and maybe add another one. If it looks like it's not worth it (takes too much
time and you're seeing too few results) try another.
Michele Pariza Wacek is the author of "Got Ideas?
Unleash Your Creativity and Make More Money." She offers two free e-zines
that help subscribers combine their creativity with hard-hitting marketing
and copywriting principles to become more successful at attracting new
clients, selling products and services and boosting business. She can be
reached at
http://www.TheArtistSoul.com.
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