The Online Social Network Marketing Craze

Online marketing has grown into many different facets as it has evolved and today we would like to talk specifically on Online Social Network Marketing. This encompasses many things, but the most notable are Facebook, Myspace and Twitter.  The key to using these marketing tools is similar to the key to properly wielding your website and that is visibility. Increasing your visibility differs from social network to social network. Today, we would like to talk about Facebook and the benefits of working at marketing on that particular social networking site.

Social Marketing with Facebook

Facebook is a good platform for getting your point across instantly to all of those friends. You can post deals or specials that you are currently offering. You can post pictures of products or events you have held. You can even message directly to specific people. The problem is that some of these options can only be achieved if you have a “personal” account as opposed to a “business” account.

Business accounts allow you to post content to your main page but they have limited access to user information. You won’t be able to view information from other users that isn’t already on your created pages. For example, you won’t be able to look at other users personal pages to see their pictures and read their personal posts. You also won’t be able to request friends for your page and will only be able to have other users click the “Like” button for your page, showing that they like your page and would like to see content that you post on your page sent to theirs. You can also post photos to be seen by users.

Personal accounts allow you to request friends in hopes that they will accept your request and you can view information on each others pages. The issue with this is that personal pages are meant for actual people and not for a business. The practice of creating a personal page for the use of advertising a business is frowned upon and some measures have been taken to deter undertaking of this practice. But, since there isn’t a law against it, there is little to no harm done to your business. With a Facebook personal page, you can post content that can be seen by people accepted as your friends and post photos.

Making Friends and Finding People That Like You

Regardless of which one you choose, your goal will first be to entice people to either become your friend of like your page. This can be achieved in several different ways. With a personal Facebook account, you can start with posting interesting content to your page and then start requesting friends. The types of friends you will be looking to attract will need to be decided by your target market. Are you trying to sell products that are hip or edgy? Then you may want to try attracting youthful and spirited people. Are you an informational website trying to educate older people about the hazards of not caring for their teeth? Try and older set of friends.

Earlier, we touched on Facebook taking steps to prevent businesses from doing this. One of the ways they attempt this is by giving users the option of saying that they don’t know you and therefore mark you as a “Spammer.” This can have Facebook ban you from using the site for an appointed time or permanently. So, be careful. Once you have attracted the users that are right for you, be sure to always offer content that will interest them and hopefully drive them to your website. Good content is always a great way of increasing your friends on Facebook.

If you decide on a Facebook business account, you are looking for the same results, only this time you will need to find other ways to entice users. This time the goal is to get them to “Like” your page. That way, your content posts will show on their main page, granting you visibility. You may have to try a little harder to get them to notice you. Our suggestion is having promotions such as, give away something or provide a discount to those that like you on Facebook. As we said before, good content goes a long way to increasing your friends on Facebook. Or, in this case, increasing your likes.

We hope that you found some information that you can use and as always, Happy Marketing!

Questions To Ask - Before Hiring An Online Marketing Company

Most small businesses realize that to be successful they will need an online presence. A website and some form of online marketing is almost completely essential for any company nowadays. All online marketing companies are not created equal and therefore we have created a few questions that you as a business owner should ask before hiring a company to design your website or do any type of online marketing:

1. Do I have to commit to a long term contract?

Most online marketing companies will require a contract/commitment of a least a year before even beginning to work on your website or online presence. Needless to say this can/has become a nightmare for some business owners. Companies will lure you in with promises of being "number 1" on Google or other unrealistic expectations. Once you realize these expectations aren't being met, you have no way to opt out and could become stuck paying a bill that doesn't benefit your company at all. Online Marketing companies that will let you go month to month are most likely reputable because they have to continuously work to earn your business and keep you as a happy customer.

     2.  How easy is it to get a hold of support technicians?

Communication between yourself and the team actually working on your website or online marketing campaign is very important. Find out how easy it is to get support on the phone. How fast is the response time when communicating thru email? Do they have communication thru physical mail or fax? Do they have any other forms of communication such as social networking or instant chat.  A general rule is that they should have at least two different ways to respond to any questions or concerns.

    3.  Will I own my website, even if I part ways with your company?

If you decide to have a web design company build your website make sure you will have full control the website even if you decide to part ways with the company. Many companies, including most of the online yellowpage directories will not let you take your site with you if you decide to part ways. You might have to continue marketing with theses companies, spending hundreds of dollars each month with very little ROI just to have your site stay online. Make sure you have it in writing that you own the site that you paid for.

At Site Smart we have no long term contracts. We work hard for your business each and every month you market with us. Our support team is always available by phone, even on nights and weekends. You can always contact us through email, fax, mail and coming soon skype. Any site we build for your company is yours, we will never hold your website hostage. When choosing an online marketing company make sure all of these standards are met before making a commitment.