Successful marketing through social networks
general discussion, posted: 12-Apr-2010 22:44
A tweet I sent yesterday about traffic to 3bit.com was picked up by Rod Drury, CEO of Xero, who blogged about his ideas around promoting business products and services through social networks as opposed to the "traditional" avenues:
The best example of social misunderstanding is on Twitter - the best businesses on Twitter respond to questions posted to them by followers - simply pushing offers or information to Twitter isn't enough. If you are seen as actively engaging your followers, not only with their complements/queries, but also with their complaints, you will gain the respect of the online community, and help build a social following and loyalty from them. Having a whole army of people who blog and tweet about how amazing your business is, all at no cost to you, speaks volumes.
Some industries (such as the trades) still use the Yellow Pages to find businesses (hence why we still maintain a very low key presence), however more people are turning to online sources. It's not an overnight money maker; try experimenting with different services and develop a social strategy that works for your business (Google Analytics provides the best way to measure online success).
Blatant self promotion: If you are after Xero integration with a new or legacy system, flick me an email (we are a certified Xero Network Partner).
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... social marketing is blowing up traditional advertising business models. While it may take a while, social marketing has to be a key part of the marketing strategy for any business that wants to grow cost effectively.Social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, blogs, online discussion forums etc can be a lucrative source of new business, however there needs to be a clear understanding that they are a two way street - you are no longer simply pushing your products/service to your audience (as with traditional advertising), you are inviting your audience to interact with you, and you need to be prepared for this.
The best example of social misunderstanding is on Twitter - the best businesses on Twitter respond to questions posted to them by followers - simply pushing offers or information to Twitter isn't enough. If you are seen as actively engaging your followers, not only with their complements/queries, but also with their complaints, you will gain the respect of the online community, and help build a social following and loyalty from them. Having a whole army of people who blog and tweet about how amazing your business is, all at no cost to you, speaks volumes.
Some industries (such as the trades) still use the Yellow Pages to find businesses (hence why we still maintain a very low key presence), however more people are turning to online sources. It's not an overnight money maker; try experimenting with different services and develop a social strategy that works for your business (Google Analytics provides the best way to measure online success).
Blatant self promotion: If you are after Xero integration with a new or legacy system, flick me an email (we are a certified Xero Network Partner).
Other related posts:
Cyber attacks on NZ small business
How one database query can fix HOP cards
Review: Navman MiVUE680
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