"I was set up on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and thousands of other Social Networking sites, but I haven't seen any money coming in.
" That's some of the common statements I hear from frustrated business owners who invested their hard earned dollars on Online Media.
The sad truth is, there are so many fly by night "Social Networking Experts" who think Social Media is all about having a Sexy Fan Page.
I admit, I am a Fan of "Sexy Fan Pages.
" But, if they're not making you any money, what's the point? The problem here is that most people jump into the Social Media Mix without having a strategy.
They say, I am going to jump on Face book and Twitter because they have over 500 million users combined.
They set up these pretty sites and play the #'s game, if I have 10,000 followers one of them is going to buy something.
In fact, that's not the case, it's better to have 10 targeted and qualified followers than 10,000 useless ones, wouldn't you agree? 7 Questions to ask yourself before Investing in Social Networking The problem is that many business owners are addicted to the shiny object syndrome; they are implementing tactics, without having a solid strategy.
So, here are 7 questions you should ask yourself before investing in a Social Media Campaign 1.
Is my target market using Social Platforms? Remember, Social Media is a form of networking online.
Yes, Twitter and Facebook have millions of users, but are those users engaging on those particular sites? 2.
What are my goals? Many people have different goals for social media, what are yours? Do you want to increase leads, increase your search engine rankings, build brand awareness, and use social media as a form of customer service? (Hint: You can have all of these goals).
3.
What type of Social Platforms can help me reach these goals? Many people think Social Media is just Twitter & Facebook, but Social Networking goes way beyond those two networks.
How will your audience respond best? Maybe you need to implement a blog and start a two way conversation, or maybe you need to set up a yelp review page to start encouraging review.
Maybe you want to buy display ads for Facebook.
Once you figure out what will be best.
4.
Why Invest in a Social Strategy? There are over 100 ways and counting to market your business, why are you choosing Social Media? Is it the most affordable method? Is your competition crushing you? You study statistics and your target market is definitely buying through social media? 5.
How will I engage my audience? Will you offer exclusive special to your followers? Will you post interesting and compelling content? Will you offer contests? 6.
Who will maintain my social networking presence? You may not have the staff to maintain your social profiles.
So, will you hire a social media management firm, or allocate a certain time of the day or week to invest in your social networking strategy? 7.
How will you measure your success? It can get quite tricky to measure your success with social media, since you most likely won't make an immediate sale.
So, will you determine your success by how many followers and fans you have, or how many people visit your site? Etc.
There is much more to social marketing, however, if you follow these simple yet effective tips, you will be well ahead of your competition.