Easy social media strategies to grow your small business
Your Maryland business, like all businesses should have a solid Search Engine Optimization plan, as well as an organized website that’s both easy to navigate and well structured for Google spiders. If your business had Maryland Search Engine Optimization experience, it may be time to shift your focus to a few very simple and effective social media strategies. This article discusses practical (and easy) ways your business can use Social Media along with traditional Internet Marketing MD efforts, without wasting valuable time.
You’ve had some success with your Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing efforts.Here are some very hands on, very practical ways you can create a Social Media presence for your company—and why you should take the time to do it
“Social Media” can refer to resources, blogs, twitter, audio, video, slides, photos, music, Facebook, and much more. Your social media focus should be all about cultivating relationships, sharing resources, and helping people.
Why is social media important for businesses? Consider the following statistics:
2006 = 39%*
2007 = 40%*
2008 = 42%*
2009 = 59%*
* Percent of U.S. Internet users who created a social profile.
According to new data from Forrester Research, more than half of these "conversationalists" are female, and 70% are 30 years old or older. This data also shows that since the year 2009, 59% of all U.S. Internet users now use social networks and that 70% regularly browse content on social media and social networking sites.
Why should you be using social media? You can’t afford not to be. Here are a few examples of how you can begin using social media:
Blogging: Useful for Search Engine Optimization keyword targeting as well, blogging can also serve as the core of your Social Media strategy. Create content to demonstrate your expertise, and then share that content with your audience. “How To” and “solution oriented” articles are very popular.You can then use these articles and transform them into a variety of mediums, podcasts, videos.This strategy of recycling and repost all content to makes it easier for yourself. Tweet about your blog posts.Link them to Facebook.Spread your content over a variety of social media.
It’s also a great idea to outfit your blog with a subscription mechanism, and offer a free E-Book or other fabulous online goodie in trade for email addresses.
Twitter: Twitter is a weird little micro blogging platform used to share resources, events, and invite others to drop by your website or view article you’ve written.
After creating an account, tweet hometown local events.Use a profile picture of yourself or an actual person, not the logo of your company for a distinctly personal touch. We recommend automating your tweets to save time, but humanizing the automization. Twaitter.com and Socialoomph.com are two useful websites. Pre-loading a week’s worth of tweets and then automating the posting is a great way to work Twitter into your schedule. These tweets can be about anything—articles, news, quotes, and links, whatever you’d like.(Remember, 10% of your tweets should be non-business related, to make you seem like a dimensional human being). 10 minutes of twitter a day is all you need to cultivate a relationship with your relevant online community, encourage authenticity, and drive traffic to your website. Ensure that you thank people on Twitter who’ve mentioned you or appreciate your business.
Twitter FAQ:
How many times is it OK to re-tweet? We recommend only 4 or 5, anything more then that becomes spammy.
When time during the day should I tweet? When are the best times to tweet? Most users logon to Twitter Wednesday-Friday, at the hours of 5 AM, 9 AM, 1 PM, 3 PM, 6 PM, and 11 PM, all Eastern Standard Time. Tweeting during those hours guarantees the most traffic and ensures your tweets are seen.
Linked In:“Google For People”
Create a linked in profile for your Maryland business, and use a fabulous picture of yourself, preferably one that conveys the professional image you’d like everyone to view. Take the time to optimize the professional headline, as this follows you everywhere. When filling out your Linked In information, use keyword rich job descriptions (as you’ve done for Search Engine Optimization), and join groups and relevant discussions. If a relevant group doesn’t exist, create one and invite people in. Or, demonstrate your value by hosting a Q and A feature.
For endorsements, follow the 5% rule: For every 100 followers you have, make sure you’ve got 5 endorsements. This demonstrates the validity of your profile.
Facebook:
The easiest way to optimize your Facebook is to use a vanity URL. You have the option to choose the URL of your page, and use SEO keywords if possible.
Optimized Facebook Vanity URL: www.facebook.com/maryland-internet-marketing-group
Find your target market on Facebook (your prospects), friend them, join groups and discussions when appropriate. Stay active! 5-7 Facebook updates per week is enough to cultivate relationships. Make use of Facebook ads that target a specific demographic or individuals with specific interests, and create a fan page for your organization.
Content and conversation contribute to conversion. Maryland businesses, market your company via social media and think of the process as a valuable long-term asset, along with Search Engine Optimization and Maryland Internet Marketing as well.
Learn more about Maryland Search Engine Optimization and Maryland Internet Marketing.Social Media is a worthwhile investment—start small weekly and expand your efforts in time.
Erica Ronchetti is a freelance writer for Maryland Internet Marketing, Social Media and Website Content Writing Company. We have years of experience in marketing, writing, sales, Web site design, e-commerce, content management systems, flash animation, and information architecture. Learn more about Maryland Search Engine Optimization and SEO Maryland by visiting our website.
Article Source: Messaggiamo.Com
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