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Social Media Marketing for Small Business
Lorrie ThomasWeb Marketing Therapy Social media platforms build buzz, boost business and serve small businesses as low-cost/no-costmarketing tools. Small business owners need to understand how these tools strategically serve andsupport small business
 first 
so they best implement social media strategies to sell products and/or services.
How Social Media Serves and Supports Small Business
Social Media, simply put, serves users and organizations in marketing in three ways:
1. Communication
Marketing is all about building relationships -- relationships start with communication. New webtools like blogging, micro-blogging (Twitter 
 
), social networking (Facebook , LinkedIn,  Ning
 
), podcasting (BlogTalkRadio
 
), video distribution (YouTube), event coordination tools (Meetup
 
),wikis (Wikipedia) photo sharing (Flickr , Photobucket), and product review sites (epinions.com) allow small businesses to communicate, educate and share information directly with their currentand prospective customers.Content in the form of blog posts, audio, video, comparison/review sites, tweets and social network messages help share information in a less-formal way that builds the
know
,
like
and
trust 
factorsthat influence decision making. Content is no longer just text. Small businesses can use audio or visual content for a "show me"
and 
"tell me" to make communications a pack more interactive punch.Social media's direct communication distinction serves and supports small business as it brings the people you want to attract directly to you and makes direct communication possible. Social Mediamakes communication a
conversation
so small business owners can share, receive feedback andconnect on equal ground with their target markets.
2. Collaboration
When small businesses empower their target consumers, they feel powerful. When your targetmarket feels powerful, it trusts you, buys from you, and stays with you. Social media collaborationtransforms consumers into
 prosumers
. In an era of social media
 prosumers
, it's people (notcompanies) who make, shape, or break purchase patterns.
Web Marketing Therapy315 Meigs Road Suite A358, Santa Barbara, CA93109(888) 702-8993help@webmarketingtherapy.comhttp://www.webmarketingtherapy.com1
 
Small businesses can ignite collaboration for marketing by creating their own communities and/or  joining communities. By doing so, they can listen and connect to their target customers and build afree forum to bring their market together. Collaboration = Marketing Acceleration.Social media collaboration tools like review sites, video sharing sites, blogs, wikis and more allowusers to self-serve, collaborate, and potentially serve as an endorser for your small business. Socialmedia works as a marketing tool because people are more likely to trust peers rather thancompanies.The power of mass collaboration serves and supports small business owners in a distinct way.Tapping/creating valuable collaborative options can bring people together to share ideas, exchangeinformation, and help each other -- and support relationship growth. Removing the"company/client" disconnect can break down elitism and boost marketing mind power.
3. Entertainment
The most important reason that social media works as a marketing tool is simple -- because it's fun.People want to go where they feel they belong, have a voice, are listened to, and enjoy themselves.Small business owners need to be where their target markets are -- and these days, the masses areon Facebook, Ning, Twitter, Linkedin, Photobucket, YouTube and more because it hasentertainment value.Remember theWill It Blend?campaigns by Blendtec? Theywere a perfect example of social media marketing in brilliantaction. Videos were relevant as they showed the product,were entertaining (they blended an iPhone!), and they wereviral! People could easily share the fun with friends due tothe ease of social media sharing widgets.You can't put a dollar amount on free promotion. The waysocial media stores data as an "Interactive Rolodex" also hasan entertainment factor. Sites like Facebook and LinkedInare becoming the "new databases" because they are fast, easy, and fun. People are more likely toupdate their Facebook and LinkedIn information than a sterile address book because it is fun.Small business owners use social media's entertainment factor to build their online database of contacts and connections, be visible to prospective customers, and get the word out in creative wayslike YouTube videos, blog posts, images, podcasts to make people smile and spread the word.
How Social Media Helps Small Businesses Sell
Social Media Marketing helps most small businesses boost sales indirectly by increasingrelationships. Understanding that social media marketing serves users for communication,
Web Marketing Therapy315 Meigs Road Suite A358, Santa Barbara, CA93109(888) 702-8993help@webmarketingtherapy.comhttp://www.webmarketingtherapy.com2
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