Browsing Category: "Social Networking"
Using Social Sites as Part of Your Internet Marketing Strategy
Social bookmarking and social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Digg, Stumbleupon, Mixx and so many others bring in millions of visitors every single day and they seem to be getting even more popular as time goes on. People love to use them and it looks like they are going to continue to be popular for a long time.
Personally, I don’t think social sites are a very good addition to the internet marketing strategies I use for my business. But there’s no denying the popularity of these sites can help internet marketers bring in massive traffic to their websites.
Here are a few simple reasons why you might want to mix social sites in with your other internet marketing strategies…
1) Social sites are extremely popular
This is probably the best reason to use social networking and social bookmarking sites for your internet marketing business. They are so popular that a lot of traffic can be driven to your website by using them. Millions of people use these sites every single day which means there are millions of people who can be marketed to every single day.
2) Social sites are fun
The reason why social sites are so popular for the vast majority of people is because they are fun to use. That can be part of the advantage of using them in your internet marketing efforts also because it doesn’t feel like work when you’re building your internet business using social networking sites. Plus, using these sites can certainly help you make money, and that’s always a lot of fun.
3) Social sites are free
Another reason to use social sites for marketing your internet business is because they are free. Depending on the methods you use, it can get very expensive to market an online business. But social sites are completely free to use. This means that every cent you make from using social sites is pure profit.
One thing I feel I must add is that typically the traffic that comes from social sites does not convert very well. That means it’s a lot harder to make money from social traffic than it is from most other forms of marketing. They can also be a big time suck. Before you know it, you have wasted your whole day away on social sites. You need to use them in moderation. Don’t try to build your internet marketing business solely from social sites. Just use them as a small part of your overall internet marketing strategy.
How to Network As an Internet Marketer
Anyone with a computer, internet access, and a very basic knowledge of the internet can start a home based internet marketing business. You can easily find products and services to affiliate with or create your own to sell online. Plus, there is more than enough free home based business and internet marketing information readily available for you to learn how to make money online. However, one thing that is important to develop right from the start is a network so you can make a name for yourself within your market.
Networking is a concept that has been popular for many years. In the classical world of business, networking meant getting known in prominent business and social circles. Now we are in the internet age, so how can you start networking online to help your internet marketing business to become prominent and well known?
First of all, don’t be shy to meet new people online who are in your business niche. Whatever your business niche is, go to the websites, blogs and forums in your niche and become a well-known member at them. Make sure that you participate in the discussions and get to know people. Don’t forget that forums are great places to exchange information and they are also perfect for gaining potential customers. Don’t be afraid to talk about the positive and the negative aspects of what you are marketing. Honesty and support works in internet marketing – people will only pay if you are worth it.
Make sure that you become a member of several social networking sites. As surprising as it may be, social networking sites can definitely help you gain the potential leverage that you need for your internet marketing business. Sites such as Myspace, Facebook, Technorati and many others can help you gain prominent contacts. Make sure you get to know a lot of people and thus lots of potential market partners and business contacts.
Once you reach a certain level of prominence in your market, then you can try more advanced techniques of Social Networking. For example, you can try to conduct webinars (seminars that are conducted on the internet to a larger audience) on internet marketing and mention your products and services that you are selling. The main purpose of conducting these webinars should be to create a social networking opportunity and to get to know potential customers. In fact, you can repeat these webinars at certain time intervals to create an even wider network for yourself.
Last but not least, do not be afraid to use your existing customers to create a social networking environment for yourself. Don’t forget that happy customers will be one of the best references for you and the people that you meet through them will have high potential to become customers for your internet marketing business. Don’t forget that networking can create a greater potential for you than most other marketing technique available when it comes to repeat business.
