Are you afraid of getting involved in social networking because it seems like a time-waster or a risk to your online security? There’s no need to fear Social Media. Indeed, it is time to get on the Web 2.0 bandwagon and utilise this extremely powerful and popular form of marketing your e-commerce business.
You may be labouring under some common myths about social networking. Let’s take a closer look at each so you can overcome your fears and become part of the global online community that supports your business.
It’s A Waste of Time
It is quite true that many people spend a lot of their waking hours participating in social networking, but it doesn’t have to be that way. If you think about social sites as a way to market your business instead of getting involved in creating a virtual farm or sending invitations to lost causes, then you can manage your time online more wisely.
You do need to participate in conversations regularly, but stick to topics that are related to your business. It is worth your time to find former classmates and long lost friends who might become customers; it is not a good allocation of your time to get caught up in games and quizzes. You can also aggregate various services like ping.fm to do multiple updates at once, which is a great time management strategy.
I Don’t Know How to Use It To My Advantage
Some of us are more tech savvy than others. It seems they can log onto a site and immediately figure out to use it to their marketing advantage. For the rest of us, it takes time and research.
Take a cue from your more tech savvy contacts. Pay attention to what others are doing and emulate it. Make yourself a fan page on Facebook. Use hash tags in front of trending topics on Twitter in order to create interest in your company. Send out invitations to your MySpace friends to attend a virtual business event. It’s not hard – it just takes time and a bit of digging to find out what aspects of social networking will prove most effective for marketing your business.
Do I Want To Combine My Personal And Professional Lives
Probably not. Although you want potential customers to find out more about the person behind the company, neither do you want to use Social Media for posting about what’s happening in your personal life. Do try to keep the two separate even if it means creating two separate profiles.
The best bit of advice for social networking? Be honest and aboveboard in the information you post, but ensure it doesn’t get too detailed about your personal beliefs and convictions. It’s typically wise to keep political and religious views to yourself so you don’t risk turning off a potential client.
Social Media – Web 2.0
You cannot afford to ignore the wide-reaching power of social media. These days it seems nearly everyone uses a mobile media device to constantly access and update their Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, and Facebook accounts. Plain and simple, ignoring these consumers will cost you money.
So jump on in the water – it’s fine. Be smart about how you use Social Media and it might result in a hefty profit for your online business through increased exposure and branding opportunities.
See you at the top of Google!
Sean Rasmussen
SEO Australia Pacific
AussieSEO.com © 2007 - 2010
Hi Sean,
Social Media used to be my arch nemesis but it’s going okay at the moment. I think I’m getting a little better at it but it’s taken some time to get this far.
I’m definitely uncomfortable building relationships with people that don’t have a place in my physical life. And, I’m really not keen on sharing personal information with strangers or posting updates about what I’m doing in my personal life.
But, I really see the value in building relationships for business purposes. It’s great to be able to bounce ideas off someone who’s trying to build an online business too.
.-= Jazz Salinger´s last blog ..Learn and Earn – It’s a Marathon Not a Sprint =-.
Hi Sean
At the risk of repeating myself in an answer to another of your articles, one year ago I would not have a bar of social media and thought it a waste of time.
Since joining YOTA and becoming an internet marketer, I realise how important and potent it is as a vehicle to attract people to my business, to me and to my blog. It is an amazing concept and I can now see how huge the whole social media thing is. I really enjoy it now, because I like meeting like minded people.
I would not bring my personal life into my business life and I have seen people crossing that line on Facebook to their own detriment. It is far more professional for people to keep their personal stuff outside the shop door when they “open up for business” every day.
Thankyou.
Blessings
Elly
.-= Elly´s last blog .. =-.
As you have found out Elly, social media is a powerful tool that can play a big part of your future internet marketing success
The reasons above were definately what made me avoid using social media to the best of its capabilities. I also find when I get on the site, I waste a lot of time looking around so I really need some discipline. I have made a fan page on facebook but haven’t got it out there as I want more content on it.
.-= Jackie Stenhouse´s last blog ..Anxiety Separation in Children =-.