Getting the profit out of Social Media for Small Businesses, Part 2: Fine Tuning with tools
Posted by Rebecca Blackwell on May 28, 2009
This guest post is Part 2 in a two-part series by Patrice Barber, President Taylor Made Small Biz.
In the last post we discussed how to get profitable on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Start with the end in mind. Now we move on to the nuts and bolts of Communities and Tools:
So how do we get rewards from our investment of time on Twitter, LinkedIN, and Facebook?
Twitter (a micro blog of 140 characters ) is good for :
- Launching- creating a buzz to launch your new product or announce your new group or talk about anything important that is going to happen and continue the conversation right as it is happening through to the 2 -5days after it has happened.
- Linking- Providing occasional links to other peoples posts and products as well as some of your own.
- Connections- Enabling you to find others who will be in a city at an event you may be attending to hook up with them. There is nothing so powerful as walking into a room of 100 and having 3-4 people walk up to you with a big grin and hearty welcome. They are as glad to network with you as you are with them.
- Branding- when you are seen in multiple places with a consistent image and talk, you will build brand, credibility and expert status…. Naturally
The tools- You do have to find and use tools to make Twitter useful. Get organized on twitter with tweetdeck.com to see what is going on and use mr.tweet.com to set up automation. Check this link for serious Twitter tools.
EX :If I want to find out who is searching for help on “Starting a small business” ; viola I go to search.Twitter.com, type it and get the results. AMAZING results. It shows what people are saying, ties to their blogs and shows you who is responding to what , so you can join in where you have expert information to share.
Once you use the tools you will be able to see how to tweet , retweet and raise yourself up in the eyes of those who would be followers.
Check this link for top 10 mistakes on LinkedIN
LinkedIN is good for:
- Job hunting ( its original purpose)
- Marketing and sales - using the search and advanced search functions to find your prospects
- Connecting- to other professionals in a related group or groups with those needing your service. Join groups now.
- Expert status- by setting yourself to answer questions you become an expert
- Building your own group – this is a very fast way to gather a following as long as you provide a serious benefit to them. Be passionate or be dead.
- Best feature is that everytime you do a simple update, LinkedIn posts it out to all your 1st tier without you having to send a “toot your horn” message. Work it weekly and it will provide a LOT of links back to your website.
- More formal and slower paced than twitter
Facebook is good for:
- Rekindling prior relations
- Setting up new relationships for more personal and local use.
- Sharing your information from the frequent tweets to the less frequent Facebook details via Friendfeed.com
- Excellent for launching a new group or new product – your new group can be seen by 1000’s in as short as a week just by 20 people commenting and thus sharing with 50 of their friends.
- Less formal than twitter
I cannot over emphasize the need to have your website set up to CONVERT people who land there. Relevant action drives conversion and is critical from every page that you link back to. Tools are great, but what are you going to do with them?
About the Author
Patrice Barber is the Small Biz Tactical Guide. She gives small business owners who are wandering in the wilderness; the map to success, the tools for the journey, and guides them to their oasis. As a serial entrepreneur she has founded six small businesses of her own, a 501©3 foundation to support charter schools and helped 4-6 business owners per year (and doubling each year) since 2003. All of them are thriving in their oasis! Find out more at www.tmsmallbiz.com
Getting the profit out of Social Media for Small Businesses
Posted by Rebecca Blackwell on Apr 30, 2009
This guest post is Part 1 in a two-part series by Patrice Barber, President Taylor Made Small Biz.
Laying the Foundation
To get profitable on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook: Start with the end in mind. Once you have a great following, what exactly do you want people to do? Since most of you are concerned with the business use of attracting prospects, converting them to paying clients, and getting great referrals, my focus will be on just that.
Most frustrated business owners are stuck without a purpose and social media doesn’t make sense until you get past it. For those of you who know me, you know I am all about having a plan, tracking to the plan and correcting the course. With social media, I tend to skip the plan, jump in, see what is there and define the plan as I go.
Yes I still have to have a plan.
Who’s your audience: You must know your target market ( many a business owner does not). Click here for details about defining your target market.
What do they want to hear: Do your research online using keywords and searching as if you are one of your ideal clients. When you are ready, start your monthly newsletter and then a weekly blog. This assumes that your target market will be online reading tips and tricks, or hints. Once that habit is formed, it is time to branch out to find other venues.
It is important to have something to say that is not being said by everyone else or not in the same details or with the same perspective. Avoid the “me too” approach of repeating what others said or posting their posts with no added value. Make your content original. Be a master of your topic.
How to find them: You are looking for 2 different venues 1) where like-minded people are sharing information you can use and 2) those that are looking for information you can give and benefits them.
The BLOG and Newsletter are now the “backend” tools that will fuel your marketing machine.
The front end tool becomes your involvement in your new community. Just as in a live community, start by listening or reading first and then contribute as you become aware of the needs of the community. Look for the FAQ page for Newbies. These have a variety of rules that you don’t want to violate at the risk of being booted out.
The rules for your marketing machine: 1) HAVE something to SAY. 2) HAVE something for the reader to DO. 3) Build the relationship (preferably in an automated method)
What to tell /show them: On all 3 of the recommended business related sites of LinkedIN, Facebook, Twitter, you will have the chance to create your profile.
1) pick either your own name if you are branding you in your company or consider using your company name. 2) Put in your picture not the avatar 3) put in your web links 4) Include some personal aspects.
Take the time to put enough detail into your profile that will help you be clearly different.
While you can update your profile, and you should, you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.
Get started by being real, honest, caring, supportive of others, a contributor. This takes time. Newbies generally start at once per week. To grow your following you will accelerate to 3 times per week and to be quoted by others (getting natural referrals) you will be online once per day.
Find out what others are saying using Backtype .com and start commenting on the blogs that relate to your master area of expertise. Provide additional inks back to your stuff that further clarifies your message and creates in bound links.
About the Author
Patrice Barber is the Small Biz Tactical Guide. She gives small business owners who are wandering in the wilderness; the map to success, the tools for the journey, and guides them to their oasis. As a serial entrepreneur she has founded six small businesses of her own, a 501©3 foundation to support charter schools and helped 4-6 business owners per year (and doubling each year) since 2003. All of them are thriving in their oasis! Find out more at www.tmsmallbiz.com
