| al Media sites have you stumped? In all actuality, they | | | | most likely going to recommend your product or |
| can be really easy to figure out once you've started | | | | business to their friends and family. If you use tools |
| messing around with them. Most business owners | | | | to generate a huge number of followers and fans, |
| gather the wrong impression about social media and | | | | you are less likely to gain personable popularity. You |
| how to efficiently use social media sites to their | | | | will most likely get other people trying to sell you |
| advantage. | | | | things or even get a few spam accounts. If you can |
| Like most things in life, the longer you wait to get | | | | wait it out, have patience, and build a fan base by |
| started, the more complicated it can get. The sooner | | | | targeting specific consumers, you are much better |
| you try social media networking, the more ahead of | | | | off. Don’t just use generating tools to add |
| the ballgame you'll be. | | | | and keep adding people who would have no interest |
| Here are five reasons why you might have steered | | | | in your business. |
| away from creating a social media account, but have | | | | 4. You need to be everywhere on the web. Most |
| no fear, I'm here to clarify! | | | | likely you've heard or read that you need to have an |
| 1. Blogging is a "tool." Well, not exactly. Blogging is | | | | online presence with every social media account, one |
| more of a business strategy. A blog can help a | | | | on Facebook, one on Youtube, one on Twitter, etc. |
| business merge all aspects of their online presence | | | | Not necessarily. You need to determine where your |
| and business strategies, such as including links to | | | | customers are located? What are they doing and |
| social media sites like Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, | | | | what is popular for them to use? More than likely you |
| and YouTube. All of these aspects are part of your | | | | don't need accounts everywhere and can use just a |
| marketing strategy and when linked together, it helps | | | | few social media account. Pick a couple and work |
| everything grow together. | | | | diligently with those and gain the targeted traffic you |
| 2. Social Media Sites are all about numbers. A lot of | | | | need. |
| the time when seeking information about Facebook | | | | 5. Not gaining any ROI. If you feel you are not |
| or Twitter, you will see people who are utterly happy | | | | gaining any ROI, then you may be under estimating |
| with their 20,000 followers or 50,000 fans. However, | | | | or just doing something incorrectly. The computer |
| those numbers don’t mean a thing if those | | | | company Dell has made over $6.5 million on Twitter. |
| people aren't interacting with you or your business. | | | | However, even small companies have had great |
| The main reason to have an account on these sites | | | | results by using social media sites. To market your |
| is to build relationships and influence your consumers. | | | | business through social media, you have to |
| It may help to spread the word about your business | | | | communicate your intentions appropriately to your |
| by having that many followers or fans, but to really | | | | fans or followers, otherwise it won't work. |
| build a business; you need one-on-one interaction with | | | | You should always let your customers know what's |
| each person, or at least a small amount to begin with. | | | | going on and what you are all about. Also, ROI isn't all |
| It is best to try to follow people with the same | | | | about money and profits, if you are aiming at |
| interests in order to gain popularity for your business | | | | increasing your newsletter subscriptions or sales |
| or products. | | | | leads, this should also be calculated into your ROI. |
| 3. Automation means having to use tools. Wrong. To | | | | Those leads can eventually be converted into your |
| successfully use automation means that with the | | | | ROI as sales. |
| followers or fans you've already received, they are | | | | |