Social media ¨C your business blackboard

I couldn¡¯t help but smile when I read about Victoria Ipri¡¯s e-book dilemmas. The CEO of Modello Media, Inc (a Philadelphia-based e-marketing firm) who wrote an eBook Social titled Media for the Clueless was absolutely sure that it would find takers. After all, even today, many businesses are still struggling to find their niche in the social media sphere and are relatively clueless about the four Ws and an H. Ipri had tried to simplify social media by handing out business ideas?addressing these what, when, where, why and how dilemmas, but what she hadn¡¯t expected was, the dilemma that would accompany her book¡¯s title!The 500-odd members of the LinkedIn discussion group on the above topic were all slated to receive the book, free but though their interest was evident, they didn¡¯t want to join the LinkedIn discussion. The glitch – Though they may be clueless and curious, no self-respecting businessman/woman would like to openly acknowledge that he/she is ¡®clueless about social media¡¯ on a public forum! Such is the power of social media ¨C it can invade your homes, your office, your clients¡¯ and competitor¡¯s mind too! And it is important that your reputation in cyber sphere is as impeccable as it is outside it.But I believe in thinking positive. If social media can crack your reputation, it can create a favorable one too! You can open up your business to your customers; keep them updated about what¡¯s new and make them a part of the planning instead of only the result. Here¡¯s how you can turn your social media presence into an effective marketing strategy.If you have it, flaunt it!
After creating profiles on social media networks, show that you have arrived. Add social bookmark links on all the important web-pages or company blogs and every time you post something about your business or products, your online community will know about it.

Create your cubby-hole
You already have your target group identified and now identify the communities they are a member of, blogs they are likely to frequent and forums they participate in. Start your own forum/ community group on the same lines on Facebook, LinkedIn or MySpace and acquire instant reach. Start commenting on their posts, answering their queries, posting new discussion topics and voila! Your business audience is ready!

A cue for the clueless
If you are at sea about how to draft a business announcement, do not fear for the social media press release is here! All you need to do is download the template, enter your info and send it out to the inboxes of your business world!

Words are not all that you have
A picture is worth 1000 words so imagine the worth of a series of moving pictures. Your press release need not be read, it can be seen too. Advertise your new product by recording a video of a demonstration on its usage, or create a video that doesn¡¯t blatantly advertise, but talks about issues, trends, controversies concerning the business.

Get the fun in
Who said marketing can¡¯t be fun? Introduce contests on your social media networks and encourage your community to participate. These contests can be anything from letting them be a guest blogger on your blog, a ¡®why I love your product¡¯ contest. The winners or even the participants can get free promotional giveaways that can be a sample of your latest product or small items like imprinted promotional pens, folios etc. This way you introduce your brand to new clients as well as bring your existing clients closer.

Still don¡¯t understand why I have devoted over 592 words to this topic till now? Here¡¯s why.

If Forrester Research figures are to be believed, US web users apparently generate 500 billion impressions when they discuss products and services on social media sites, in blogs, discussion forums and on review pages. This is apparently more than 1/4th the number of impressions that promotional advertising makes! And according to the Peer Influence Analysis (a new model of analysis developed by Forrester to quantify reach/connect of marketers to masses) 16% of the online consumers generate 80% of these impressions.

Whoa! Now, am sure you are not surprised that many were hesitant to discuss their cluelessness about social media on Ipri¡¯s LinkedIn forum.

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