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The Social Media Dilemma for Businesses

 

Every week I speak to business people who are facing the same dilemma. They keep hearing that they should be using Social Media* for Business, but they have no idea WHAT that really means. Facebook? Twitter? YouTube? Blogging? And even if they did know HOW, they don’t know WHEN they’d have the time for it.

And even if they knew when, the biggest question of all is WHY?

There are as many answers to How and What as there are different kinds of businesses. But the answer to WHY? is always the same**:

To Increase Revenue

This is the first in a series of posts that address just this issue. I will attempt to answer the question WHY? for different types of businesses.

 

BUSINESS TYPE #1: BUSINESS DEPENDS UPON REFERRALS, NOT MARKETING

“Our business depends on referrals for all of our new clients. We never market or advertise. Our stellar reputation is why people choose us. WHY should we use Social Media?”

Imagine this Scenario:

One of your current happy clients tells a colleague how your company has  done a fantastic   job for her. The colleague writes down your name (or your company name). Remember, your best clients aren’t walking around with a stack of your businesses cards, as much as you wish they would!

The colleague (this person could be your dream client!) has no other choice but to do a Google search for your company in order to find your contact info. What will she see? Get into the head of that potential client and perform that same Google search for yourself. What appears on your screen is pretty much what she sees.

Is your website the only listing on the page? Does it tell your company’s story in a way that the potential client will see value in hiring you? Is there anything else appearing on the screen that conveys the message that you want this client to see? 

If your answer is NO, then you have a wonderful opportunity: Social Media (I use the term loosely) is the way to increase your business profile on the web and moreover, make sure that your story is told in the way that will make a potential client sit up and say “This is exactly what I am looking for!”

 

Research shows that people use search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing) more often than any other research tool as the #1 source of information gathering in preparation for a purchasing decision (even when they have been referred!).

And it’s only natural. Everyone wants to get a little bit more information about a company before they pick up the phone and call, and the Internet has made it possible to research quickly and easily.  I’m sure you’ve done it yourself.

What we don’t know is how many potential clients have searched for your company after having been referred and DID NOT CHOOSE YOU because your Internet presence did not convey that your company provides exactly what they need.

 

WHY? Because Lost Opportunity results in Lost Revenue! That’s Why! Now…HOW, WHAT and WHEN are easy! Let’s talk.

 

 

*I use Social Media as a catchall term for content marketing, blogging, and using Facebook, Twitter, etc.

**Disclosure: every now and then I do work with a client that does not have a revenue producing agenda, but instead is looking for pure visibility in her or his field.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t Forget About LinkedIn – 3 Steps to Get your Profile Up to Date

It’s so easy these days to get jazzed about all the new social networking platforms there are out there.

From Facebook to Google, changes are being made that enable companies and brands to reach their market in new and awesome ways.

However, when it comes to your business profile, there is nothing more effective than LinkedIn. LinkedIn is still the ultimate virtual business networking platform. It’s a lot less sexy than “Social Networking” sites, but LinkedIn has implemented some pretty cool features lately that make it a lot more fun.

So, don’t neglect your LinkedIn profile…it’s as valuable, or even more valuable, than anything else if you are a businessperson and especially if you own or run a company.

Step 1: Complete or review your profile.

LinkedIn makes it easy by telling you what’s missing. You may opt to not include some info (like your education or past positions), but you have missed something you do want to appear. Why is it important to review your profile?

• You will appear established and professional.

• People make decisions whether to connect with contact you based upon the information in your profile.

• A complete profile will increase your visibility and help you get found.

• A profile with old or not relevant information hurts your reputation.

Step 2: Get recommended

Users with recommendations are 3 times as likely to get inquiries through LinkedIn searches. And users who make recommendations are more likely to get recommendations. It’s very easy to ask for recommendations, and you will find that a good percentage of the people you ask will be happy to do so, especially if you reciprocate. Tip: Reviews and Recommendations are the juice that is powering a lot of Search results these days.

Step 3: Become a thought leader in your field

Join groups, be a part of discussions and answer questions. No matter what kind of work you do, you have a level of expertise and sharing your experience makes you a more visible and valuable member of the business community. Don’t be afraid of “giving away” your secrets. There are few secrets in our digital age, anyway.

More:

• If you or your company has a blog, set up an automatic feed into your profile. The more content that you display, the better it is for your profile.

• You can now “Follow” a company the same way you can do so on Twitter and Facebook. Make sure your company has a profile.

• Think about keywords when you are completing your profile. For instance, if you are an expert in LEED green technology, use those phrases in your profile. Remember, Google and Bing index LinkedIn and use the results for searches.

If you’re not convinced that spending some time on LinkedIn is valuable, do a Google search for yourself or your company. Look at the results from the point of view of someone who is making a decision whether to contact you for business. Then decide.

Have questions about LinkedIn? Just Ask Betsy!

What is Social Media?

I was honored to be part of a panel discussion about Social Media for the event planning industry yesterday at the Oak Room at the Plaza Hotel. So many people want to know more about how to use Blogs, LinkedIn, and Twitter for business. My close friend Elizabeth Beskin and I were the presenters. Here are slides from the presentation. Video will also be available soon!

Oak Room Soc Med Lunch 8 12 09

View more documents from Be Visible Associates.

Managing your Social Media Time: Six Hours per Week

Lately I have been speaking to groups of entrepreneurs about Social Media. Once I finish explaining the benefits of using LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Blogging, I take questions. In every case, my audiences’ biggest concern is that Social Media will become a huge “time drain” for them. And, I can totally understand their worry.

However, an article published today in MediaPost, states “81% of all marketers indicate that their social media efforts have generated exposure for their businesses. At least two in three participants found that increased traffic occurred with as little as 6 hours a week invested in social media marketing.”

So, if you devote as little as 6 hours a week to Social Media, your business will benefit. If I were to limit myself to 6 hours a week, I think I would do it this way:

• Blog for 2 hours: write one blog post per week and make sure your blog is set-up so that your posts are will appear on LinkedIn and Facebook.
• Twitter for 2 hours: choose the people who interest you the most, and see what they are talking about (I get cell updates from the people I want to learn from the most, and there are only about ten of those). Read what they are talking about only when it relates to your business. If there is an article or blog that they particularly like, bookmark it to go back to later, read on your handheld, or print it out to read when you can (it’s OK to skim).
• Explore for 1 1/2 hours: give yourself some time to just float around, discover new sites, find new people to follow, etc.
• Update for 1/2 hour: check your profiles to make sure they are up to date.

6 hours is hardly a “time drain” and can have an impact on your business.

Need help getting started? Be Visible Associates now offers “Instant Social Media Packages” where we set up all your profiles, integrate them, and train you on how to use them.

Instant Social Media Packages Now Available!

Be Visible Associates is proud to announce the introduction of our newest service:

The Instant Social Media Package

Get your business on:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Your Own Blog

and have it all work together for you!

Training included.

Call us today!