FAQ Social Media Marketing
What is Social Media?
Social media describes the online technologies and practices that people use to share opinions, insights, experiences, and perspectives. Social media can take many different forms, including text, images, audio, and video. These sites typically use technologies such as blogs, message boards, podcasts, wikis, and vlogs to allow users to interact. A few prominent examples of social media applications are Wikipedia (reference), Facebook (social networking), Yelp! (social networking), YouTube (video sharing), Second Life (virtual reality), Digg (news sharing) and Flickr (photo sharing).
What is a Blog?
A blog, by definition, is simply a content publishing tool that displays your posts in chronological order, with the most recent on top and earlier ones below. Your content can be whatever you wish: opinions, education, news, product reviews, etc.
What’s good about them?
• They provide an easy way to manage articles and content.
• Each new post adds a new web page and increases your web presence — and helps your search engine optimization.
• Blogs can serve as an archive for your newsletter content.
What’s not so good about them?
• Blogs must be updated somewhat regularly to derive value.
• They take more time than Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, etc. to keep current.
• Templates through free services can be limiting.
• Employing an advanced design requires some knowledge of HTML and CSS.
What is Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, MySpace, FourSquare, Yelp!...etc.
Facebook
Facebook is, by numbers alone, the most popular social networking site today, with more than 400 million registered users. It’s a site that lets people share updates, photos, videos, articles, and more with “Friends,” who they have to approve to be in their network. Businesses and organizations can create “Fan Pages,” which other Facebook users can become fans of, just like they do sports teams, musicians, and celebrities.
What’s good about it?
• The user base is huge, and that means many of your customers and constituents are already there.
• It’s easy to use.
• Multimedia content can be integrated with your profile.
• You can separate your personal and professional use.
What’s not so good about it?
• You have limited ability to customize your Fan Page.
• Fan Pages do not have email alerts; you will have to check to see if there is any activity.
• It’s a closed environment — only Facebook users can become fans or friends of your business or organization.
Twitter
Twitter is a social networking service that allows users to communicate with their “Followers.” It’s open to anyone, so you can follow or be followed by people you know and people you don’t. Users choose a “handle” that is their user name preceded by the @ symbol, and communicate via short messages and updates (called “Tweets”) that have a maximum length of 140 characters. Tweets can be very easily “Retweeted” (RT) and shared with the simple click of a button.
What’s good about it?
• The “Timeline” (or the Twitter feed) is public, which can help to give your business or organization greater exposure in web search results.
• The site is more open than Facebook, so it’s easier to build a community of potential customers you don’t personally know.
• Fans can “follow you” without you having to reciprocate.
• There is a quick way to share links to content.
• Users are very vocal, so if they are happy with your business or organization, they’ll say so.
What’s not so good about it?
• The site is text only — pictures and video are shared through secondary links.
• It’s challenging to say something of significance in only 140 characters.
• Lots of “noise.” With so many identical-looking Tweets, it’s hard to make a single one stand out in the crowd.
• Spammers are increasingly targeting the service.
• Users are very vocal, so if they have a problem with something, they’ll say so.
LinkedIn
LinkedIn LinkedIn is the more “professional” social network of the Big Three. It lets users create what amounts to an online resume and connect with other peers — be it friends, colleagues, or other business associates — through online networking. Businesses and organizations can also set up profiles on the site; many businesses use it to recruit (and check references) for new hires.
What’s good about it?
• The “six-degrees” nature of the site allows you to reach out to people through already existing connections.
• Profiles are straightforward and connections can be easily made.
• Not a lot of “noise” and clutter.
• Allows for Question and Answer inquiries with a professional slant.
What’s not so good about it?
• It’s the smallest of the Big Three social networks, though its population is growing.
• It’s a more stodgy environment, which doesn’t convey fun.
• People use the site for purely professional purposes, so marketing messages are not always welcome.
MySpace
MySpace was one of the first social networking sites to rocket to popularity. Today, the site is populated mainly by younger users; the majority are under the age of 35.
What’s good about it?
• Pages are highly customizable.
• It’s great for sharing or promoting music.
What’s not so good about it?
• The user base is shrinking.
• Many pages are amateurish and poorly designed.
FourSquare
Part friend-finder, part social city guide, part nightlife game. FourSquare has built something that not only helps you keep up with your friends, but exposes you to new things in and challenges you to explore cities in different ways.
What’s good about it?
• It's fun and one of the fastest growing Social Media sites on the web and Mobile device
• Companies like Starbucks are using it to reward customers with coupons and promotions.
What’s not so good about it?
• The user only receives "pretend" rewards for their actions, unless a company rewards them personally.
Yelp
Millions of people visit Yelp each month to make decisions about local businesses and services. Yelp offers targeted advertising programs to increase your exposure on the site, so that when a potential customer is searching for a business like yours in your area, they'll find you.
What’s good about it?
• Yelp says their website had over 32 million unique visitors in May 2010 gathering information on various sources.
• A whopping 27% of all Yelp searches come from that iPhone application.
• Yelp allows a business owner to direct connect. This gives the customer a feeling of helping and being part of the success of the company.
What’s not so good about it?
• The user base can leave reviews a business owner is not comfortable with.
• Reviews are permanent, yet Yelp will assist in removing libelous comments.
Why are people "Checking In?"
There are many reasons to "check in" to your favorite place. This new trend started off as just a game between friends and soon there after Fortune 500 Companies noticed it as a way to reward customers. For the individual the only reward is a "badge" given to you on your mobile device from the Social Media site you checked in through. This has quickly turned into coupons that can be instantly used for food and beverage, or material discounts. Bottom line checking in is a simple and fun trend that is virtually untapped in regards to it's full potential.
I have a website...why do I need these other services?
Social Media is a way for potential customers to reach out and connect to you; essentially it is a 2 way street. Using Social Media allows you the business owner a new way to personally connect with your audience. A website is still a vital element to the success of your business but it is a one way street, it only shows information about your business. Allowing Social Media into the fabric of your business model you can capture more of your intended audience and retain them as well.
Who is using Social Media and why?!
Would it surprise you to learn that the biggest gains in who’s using social media are among older users? U.S. internet users who visited a social site in the 2nd quarter of ’12 rose 16% over last year. Females still lead males in usage and 70% of users were under the age of 35. The most popular sites in order were: Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In late 2013 a study found that increasing brand reputation and awareness, along with improved search engines, headed up the reasons why social media was an effective tool. Blog or social media advertising, online news release distribution and blogging led the way as far as tactics they thought to be useful.
Should I use Social Media to promote my business?
Bottom line – marketing is about getting out the word, engaging in conversations, taking suggestions, problem solving, educating your audience, and promoting your company, product, or service. One of the best ways for small businesses to create buzz is through social media.
Social media describes the online technologies and practices that people use to share opinions, insights, experiences, and perspectives. Social media can take many different forms, including text, images, audio, and video. These sites typically use technologies such as blogs, message boards, podcasts, wikis, and vlogs to allow users to interact. A few prominent examples of social media applications are Wikipedia (reference), Facebook (social networking), Yelp! (social networking), YouTube (video sharing), Second Life (virtual reality), Digg (news sharing) and Flickr (photo sharing).
What is a Blog?
A blog, by definition, is simply a content publishing tool that displays your posts in chronological order, with the most recent on top and earlier ones below. Your content can be whatever you wish: opinions, education, news, product reviews, etc.
What’s good about them?
• They provide an easy way to manage articles and content.
• Each new post adds a new web page and increases your web presence — and helps your search engine optimization.
• Blogs can serve as an archive for your newsletter content.
What’s not so good about them?
• Blogs must be updated somewhat regularly to derive value.
• They take more time than Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, etc. to keep current.
• Templates through free services can be limiting.
• Employing an advanced design requires some knowledge of HTML and CSS.
What is Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, MySpace, FourSquare, Yelp!...etc.
Facebook is, by numbers alone, the most popular social networking site today, with more than 400 million registered users. It’s a site that lets people share updates, photos, videos, articles, and more with “Friends,” who they have to approve to be in their network. Businesses and organizations can create “Fan Pages,” which other Facebook users can become fans of, just like they do sports teams, musicians, and celebrities.
What’s good about it?
• The user base is huge, and that means many of your customers and constituents are already there.
• It’s easy to use.
• Multimedia content can be integrated with your profile.
• You can separate your personal and professional use.
What’s not so good about it?
• You have limited ability to customize your Fan Page.
• Fan Pages do not have email alerts; you will have to check to see if there is any activity.
• It’s a closed environment — only Facebook users can become fans or friends of your business or organization.
Twitter is a social networking service that allows users to communicate with their “Followers.” It’s open to anyone, so you can follow or be followed by people you know and people you don’t. Users choose a “handle” that is their user name preceded by the @ symbol, and communicate via short messages and updates (called “Tweets”) that have a maximum length of 140 characters. Tweets can be very easily “Retweeted” (RT) and shared with the simple click of a button.
What’s good about it?
• The “Timeline” (or the Twitter feed) is public, which can help to give your business or organization greater exposure in web search results.
• The site is more open than Facebook, so it’s easier to build a community of potential customers you don’t personally know.
• Fans can “follow you” without you having to reciprocate.
• There is a quick way to share links to content.
• Users are very vocal, so if they are happy with your business or organization, they’ll say so.
What’s not so good about it?
• The site is text only — pictures and video are shared through secondary links.
• It’s challenging to say something of significance in only 140 characters.
• Lots of “noise.” With so many identical-looking Tweets, it’s hard to make a single one stand out in the crowd.
• Spammers are increasingly targeting the service.
• Users are very vocal, so if they have a problem with something, they’ll say so.
LinkedIn LinkedIn is the more “professional” social network of the Big Three. It lets users create what amounts to an online resume and connect with other peers — be it friends, colleagues, or other business associates — through online networking. Businesses and organizations can also set up profiles on the site; many businesses use it to recruit (and check references) for new hires.
What’s good about it?
• The “six-degrees” nature of the site allows you to reach out to people through already existing connections.
• Profiles are straightforward and connections can be easily made.
• Not a lot of “noise” and clutter.
• Allows for Question and Answer inquiries with a professional slant.
What’s not so good about it?
• It’s the smallest of the Big Three social networks, though its population is growing.
• It’s a more stodgy environment, which doesn’t convey fun.
• People use the site for purely professional purposes, so marketing messages are not always welcome.
MySpace
MySpace was one of the first social networking sites to rocket to popularity. Today, the site is populated mainly by younger users; the majority are under the age of 35.
What’s good about it?
• Pages are highly customizable.
• It’s great for sharing or promoting music.
What’s not so good about it?
• The user base is shrinking.
• Many pages are amateurish and poorly designed.
FourSquare
Part friend-finder, part social city guide, part nightlife game. FourSquare has built something that not only helps you keep up with your friends, but exposes you to new things in and challenges you to explore cities in different ways.
What’s good about it?
• It's fun and one of the fastest growing Social Media sites on the web and Mobile device
• Companies like Starbucks are using it to reward customers with coupons and promotions.
What’s not so good about it?
• The user only receives "pretend" rewards for their actions, unless a company rewards them personally.
Yelp
Millions of people visit Yelp each month to make decisions about local businesses and services. Yelp offers targeted advertising programs to increase your exposure on the site, so that when a potential customer is searching for a business like yours in your area, they'll find you.
What’s good about it?
• Yelp says their website had over 32 million unique visitors in May 2010 gathering information on various sources.
• A whopping 27% of all Yelp searches come from that iPhone application.
• Yelp allows a business owner to direct connect. This gives the customer a feeling of helping and being part of the success of the company.
What’s not so good about it?
• The user base can leave reviews a business owner is not comfortable with.
• Reviews are permanent, yet Yelp will assist in removing libelous comments.
Why are people "Checking In?"
There are many reasons to "check in" to your favorite place. This new trend started off as just a game between friends and soon there after Fortune 500 Companies noticed it as a way to reward customers. For the individual the only reward is a "badge" given to you on your mobile device from the Social Media site you checked in through. This has quickly turned into coupons that can be instantly used for food and beverage, or material discounts. Bottom line checking in is a simple and fun trend that is virtually untapped in regards to it's full potential.
I have a website...why do I need these other services?
Social Media is a way for potential customers to reach out and connect to you; essentially it is a 2 way street. Using Social Media allows you the business owner a new way to personally connect with your audience. A website is still a vital element to the success of your business but it is a one way street, it only shows information about your business. Allowing Social Media into the fabric of your business model you can capture more of your intended audience and retain them as well.
Who is using Social Media and why?!
Would it surprise you to learn that the biggest gains in who’s using social media are among older users? U.S. internet users who visited a social site in the 2nd quarter of ’12 rose 16% over last year. Females still lead males in usage and 70% of users were under the age of 35. The most popular sites in order were: Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
In late 2013 a study found that increasing brand reputation and awareness, along with improved search engines, headed up the reasons why social media was an effective tool. Blog or social media advertising, online news release distribution and blogging led the way as far as tactics they thought to be useful.
Should I use Social Media to promote my business?
Bottom line – marketing is about getting out the word, engaging in conversations, taking suggestions, problem solving, educating your audience, and promoting your company, product, or service. One of the best ways for small businesses to create buzz is through social media.