Mandatory Social Media Marketing for Businesses – Implement NOW
Beginner Social Media – Every online business must have the basics in place when it comes to social media marketing. If you are still not sure ‘if’ social media makes sense for your business, then you might as well delete your website from the Internet. This is not a pitch for using Mint Social. If fact, most companies we work with have some semblance of social media in place. OK, so here is you must do checklist (it is short because this is just the tip of the iceberg).
- Blog – We like self-hosted WordPress. Not sure you need a blog, skip down to 2-5 below.
- LinkedIn (business account and personal account) – Most people have a linkedIn account but we are always surprised when businesses have not taken the time to create a business profile and RSS in their posts from their blog. LinkedIn profiles are usually in the top 10 in Google when doing a name search (if set up correctly). As for your personal profile, you can RSS in your blog posts, SlideShare documents, Twitter account and much more. LinkedIn profiles will become the first or second place people look for making hiring decisions and buying decisions.
- Facebook (fan page and maybe ads) – Fan pages are valuable because Google sees them and loves them. You can create a fan base and you can RSS in content from your blog, Twitter and other places. This blog feeds our Facebook fan page and I try to keep my personal profile more personal than business but it ends up being a blend of both.
- Google Account – If you do not have a Google account, you are missing out Big Time. Get a Gmail account and start using it for all your social media emails. It is a great way to filter your email but it also gives you access to must-have Google tools. Want to show up in the maps are in a Google search? Get your business on Google Maps. Google profiles are another way to promote you and your business and auto populate your profile via RSS. It goes without saying that Analytics, Alerts and Webmaster Tools are essential to have GOOG-411, Talk and Voice are fun to have. Insider Tip: Google Maps is where your customers can give your business reviews. The more reviews you have, the more likely you will show up in the top spot in Google.
- Merchantcircle.com – This is another business profile account that is great for geographically targeted keyword marketing. It is also has a great blog and is another place for your customers to write reviews.
- Tools for the overworked business – Social media gets a bad rap because it is time-consuming and does not have an immediate ROI (learn more about ROI and Social Media). If you agree with this or are too busy to Twitter and Blog, here are the last things you should do.
- Pandora.com – Being too busy does not mean you can not have some fun while working. Maybe you do not have a killer playlist on your iPod or need a change with the tunes you listen to. Setup a Pandora account, pick your favorite band and listen to streaming music 24/7 of this band and the music that influenced then while your overworked body is hacking away at the computer.
Give our blog story a test drive – “At what stage are you at with your social media marketing (for you or for your business)?”
Click the image below that best represents where you are with your social media marketing. Then read the rest of the story and engage with us…
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