There are many Internet marketing strategies to promote an online business.  Using popular options like article marketing, pay-per-click advertising, forum marketing and email marketing can increase your success.  The business owner will need to track click-throughs and conversion rates to achieve more success by converting people into paying customers.

Today, social media sites are very popular among Internet users. This has allowed them to become attractive platforms for Internet marketers. A wide variety of potential prospects can be gained by reaching out in this way. Of the most popular platforms are video sharing and social networking sites.

1) Video Sharing

Aspiring artists, and other performers have been using sites like You Tube as a launching pad for some time. As these sites have continued to grow, online businesses have realized the value of using video sharing to improve their success. By producing entertaining yet professional videos businesses are able to reach a broader Internet market. Product demonstrations that highlight benefits to customers have become quite popular, too.

Not only are you capturing a large number of video enthusiasts, but these sites make it easier for videos to be spread virally. They can also be shared through social bookmarking and networking sites as well as via email.

Should a video be relevant to other businesses, they can easily publish them on other websites and blogs, who can then spread your messages virally.  Video marketing has proven to be a crucial element in any internet marketing campaign.

Additionally, if videos are attractive or interesting enough, people can leave comments that assist online business owners in gaining consumer insights on their offerings.

2) Social Networking

Savvy Internet marketers regularly share relevant content to engage users and prompt them to follow their brand or become a part of their network. Some use these sites as an alternative or supplement to their email marketing campaigns.

Everyday use of social networking sites has practically become a way of life for many internet users. However, promoting a business is not as simple as building a network of random people and marketing to them. Treat these sites as a means to build relationships rather than just another advertising medium. Like video sharing sites, social networking sites can prove to be a valuable source for customer feedback.

Encourage comments from users who can help manage an online reputation and give the brand a higher potential to spread virally among people who share the same interests. Consequently, this allows businesses to spend less time, money and energy on brand building and customer acquisition.

This social media popularity allows people to spread the word about a brand and business offerings and increases the number of prospects who see the message. The idea is to get more people to talk about the business and keep the brand top of mind so that internet users will be more likely to patronize it or to share it with other people.

Jeannine Clontz, IVAA CVA, MVA, EthicsChecked™, owner of Accurate Business Services is a Virtual Assistant (VA).  ABS provides ‘as needed’ marketing and social media support, training and consulting to busy entrepreneurs.  Clontz is a writer, author, VA Coach, and speaker on business topics including business ethics. For her FREE 10-Step Guide to Finding the Right VA, or her FREE Report, Social Media Marketing Benefits, visit:  http://www.accbizsvcs.com, or http://www.internetmarketingvirtualassistant.net.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Tweet This Post

In recent years, having an Internet presence for your business meant putting up a website. While still an important feature for promoting your business, a website is no longer enough. Web 2.0, or the social web, is an essential feature of a successful marketing plan to reach your clientele.

Facebook is considered one of the leaders of social media. Its growth has continued to increase and Facebook has become an essential and innovative idea for business marketing.

Facebook is a great way to keep up with friends and family, but you don’t necessarily want your clients to see the more personal side of your life. Businesses should take care to present a well defined and controlled image of their products and services. Facebook fan pages are an excellent choice for business.

Business Facebook fan pages have many of the same features as personal pages. You can still share articles, photos, videos, and applications, but all of the fan page content is related to your business.  Here are five strategies for making your Fan page a success:

Make your Fan page a resource

Consider the information your customers need. Post articles and links to useful information on your wall and showcase yourself as an expert and your customers will return again and again.

Connect

Interact with customers by making use of Facebook’s tools. Respond to comments. Discuss the benefits of your product line and lead new customers to your website for more. Target your offers without being spammy to increase customer loyalty.

Be human

Pictures and personal information put a face on a company. As long as you present an image that enhances your business, personalizing your Fan page is a great way to get followers.

Be present

Keep your profile, articles, photos and video content up-to-date and current. It’s not enough to throw up a page and ignore it. Make sure to respond to customers who become fans. Create a group for your business and participate in groups related to your business.

Be Innovative

Facebook moves fast. Don’t be afraid to try the latest thing. Explore webinars, and other interactive media as options to improve business relationships.

Creating a Facebook fan page is great first step toward integrating social media into your marketing plan. Don’t forget to provide links from your website and/or blog to your Fan page. Connect to your Facebook fan page through other social media to continue to grow your network. In no time your Fan page will be the central hub of your successful online marketing campaign.

Jeannine Clontz, IVAA CVA, MVA, EthicsChecked™, provides marketing and social media support, training and consulting to busy entrepreneurs. For information about finding a VA, download her FREE 10-Step Guide to Finding the Right VA, or to learn why Social Media should be an important part of your marketing plan with her FREE Report, Social Media Marketing Benefits, visit: http://www.accbizsvcs.com, or contact her at info@accbizsvsc.com

Popularity: 4% [?]

Tweet This Post

Social networks have taken the internet by storm, and they aren’t going away any time soon. A CNET report from nearly three years ago suggests that younger people are using private messaging over social media like MySpace and Facebook more than they use email – and this was before anyone even knew what a tweet was!

Many businesses have recognized this technological and social phenomena as an excellent opportunity to promote their businesses and stay in constant contact with their target audience. If you are among those businesses, you should know that combining your social network marketing efforts with your video marketing campaigns can have a potent effect on just how intimate you are with your audience.

With such a powerful tool as the internet at your fingertips, it would be wasteful to limit your business to traditional advertising. Promoting your company on the many social networks that exist is not only the smart thing to do, it’s also often free or very cheap. The more social networks you add your business to, the more you expose yourself to potential customers. Furthermore, you will usually have full control over your “friends, which can lead to some very focused demographic targeting. Try doing that with a commercial on television!

Another thing to keep in mind is that MySpace and Facebook aren’t the only kids on the block. Niche social networks are growing rapidly. Consider Ning, a company that allows its users to create their own social networks. Types of networks range from science to politics to everything in between. Find the network that suits your demographic best and make your presence known.

If you’ve ever started a video marketing campaign only to be disappointed that, after all of your effort, very few people are actually watching your videos, a great solution is to integrate your videos into your social networks. Don’t just repost your videos on your social networking assets. Update your audience about new videos with blog posts, twitter tweets, and bulletin announcements. Not only will the views start to add up quickly, but the viewers are all from an audience that you know is already predisposed to be interested in your business.

Don’t forget that most video sites now act as social networks on their own. When you just upload a video and leave it, your viewers will sense a lack of connectivity. Customize your profile and fill it out with pertinent information about your business. Add friends and accept friend invitations. Take a few minutes every day and comment on a few videos related to your niche. If someone posts a positive comment (or constructive criticism) on one of your videos, take the time to send them a personal message and thank them for their input. These personal touches can go a very long way to show your audience that you’re connected to them and that you care.

Social networks are all about relationship building and keeping in touch. Often, you’ll find that your video marketing campaigns have the same purpose, so it’s only natural that when you combine the two, you’re creating an atmosphere of trust and availability to your target group.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Tweet This Post

Amongst marketers, entrepreneurs, and influencers, one question is remarkably common: just how can social media traffic be monetized? From technology blogs to company websites, social media platforms have given marketers the power to direct huge amounts of traffic, yet thousands still complain about the lack of any real income from their social media marketing efforts.

It is a problem that is endemic across multiple platforms, services, and online communities. From Twitter to Facebook, Ning to Reddit, display advertising is sold at record low rates due to the limited user involvement available. Many marketers have written the services off as bust inventory – viewer attention that is so valueless it is not even worth pursuing.

But a small number of innovative marketers are singing a very different tune. They have turned monetizing ‘bust’ inventory into a specialty, buying up spaces on social media platforms at pennies on the dollar and creating dynamic income for themselves. How do they do it? These three tactics appear to be remarkably common, forming the backbone of the social media innovator’s income.

Selling is not the priority, gaining information is.

There is value in social media traffic, even traffic that is largely unfiltered. While thousands of internet marketers chase the short-term sale and instant income, a community of forward thinking marketers have spent their time doing the exact opposite: chasing the eventual sale, and using cheap social media inventory to help themselves get there.

So instead of directing users towards a giant ‘buy now!’ button, these marketers have slowly and carefully guided users through information before requesting their name and email address. The process is the opposite of most direct tactics; it spends little time barraging the customer with tactics, and significantly more time building trust for a sale, be it two weeks or two months down the line.

Social media marketers plan to sell, but not a product.

The smartest social media marketers know that they are only one part of the sales chain, the mark designed to gather information. By removing the sale from the equation, many can generate more valuable output than they would with a shiny, specialized, and specific product at the end of the process.

That is why so many social marketers are no longer attempting to sell products, but to sell information. By gaining an understanding of their audience’s interests and desires, they can generated a powerful resource for other marketers, many of whom will pay for the information. Think in terms of leads and you will quickly monetize social media inventory; treat it as a sales game and you will likely end up with nothing to show for your efforts.

Build an audience first, then monetize.

Far too many marketers jump into the world of social media with products to push, affiliate offers to promote, and businesses to advertise. It is a common mistake, and it is one that tends to backfire early, putting marketers off the format entirely and limiting their future social media efforts.

Instead of going gung-ho right from the start, it might be best to spend your formative social media days developing an audience, and then marketing to them once you have gained a major position. Treat your social media efforts like you would a social media business – gain the numbers, the influence, and the passion first, and introduce the products, services, and offers later.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Tweet This Post

If there is one thing every online business wants today, it is a dedicated social media presence. From local businesses to huge multinational companies, the list of enterprising marketers involved in social media is growing by the day, sometimes at an alarmingly fast rate.

But social media marketing is not all about Twitter accounts, Facebook fan pages, and building your own community. A large number of the most successful social media marketers do not even create their own accounts, instead relying on dedicated users to do their marketing for them.

These five methods, tactics, and techniques will help you build a social media presence for your business, all without building a new website or Twitter account. Whether your company maintains a static website or a dynamic blog, incorporating these five techniques will help you gain customers and dedicated social media fans.

Build and Manage a Company Blog

In many ways, blogs are the ultimate social media resource. They are dynamic, they are engaging, and they are something that almost every business should be investing in. Before you add icons to your website or create a company Twitter account, ensure that your business is sharing information on a regular basis that can help your audience stay interested, dedicated, and invested in what you are doing.

Use Social Media Sharing Icons

Social media sharing icons are one of the most common additions to blogging platforms. From Wordpress to Movable Type, almost every blogging back end is accompanied by its own set of Twitter, Facebook, and Ning sharing icons. A quick five minute installation process is all that is required to quickly and easily incorporate sharing icons into your company blog or website.

Encourage Comments

Thanks to commenting platforms like Discus, blog comments are no longer the isolated and unlinked pieces of content that they once were. By encouraging comments, you’ll gain links to new social media presences and help your blog to appear on aggregator websites. Install a dynamic comment tool (Discus) and ensure your anti-spam extension works, then ask readers for their opinions and input.

Use Auto-Tweeting Tools to Gain Twitter Traffic

Marketers constantly bemoan Twitter’s lack of valuable traffic, all the while ignoring its real value: as a huge sharing platform and dedicated community. While Twitter is undeniably ineffective when it comes to selling, it is one of the most important platforms on the internet for helping content go truly viral. If your business has a new blog post or product which is in need of publicity, be sure to configure an auto-tweeting extension to spread the word.

Submit Your Content to Digg, Reddit, and Other Social Bookmarking Websites

Much like Twitter, social bookmarking websites are not renowned for their buy-ready audiences or valuable advertising inventory. However, they are a great tool for creating links to your website, gaining online exposure, and eventually being featured on an influential website. Invest some time into your social bookmarking accounts and you’ll be rewarded, often significantly more so than you would have expected.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Tweet This Post

Blogs are often left out of social media service listings. Despite their similar design, communications format and networking potential, the vast majority of self-proclaimed social media ‘experts’ exclude blogs from their social media portfolio.

Of course, blogs share numerous similarities with the top social media websites of today. From communications similarities to self-built communities, bloggers are just as active in social media as anyone else, even if they do not speak outside their blog. After looking carefully at the many similarities between blogs and social media platforms, we have come to one conclusion: they are the same.

Don’t believe it’s true? Check out these four reasons and decide for yourself. Blogs are a powerful social media marketing platform, but by not being incorporated into social media marketing plans, almost all of their value is being left untouched.

1. Blogs let people connect.
The oft-spoken top value of social media is that it lets people ‘connect’. From Twitter to Facebook, Myspace to Ning, the hundreds of social media services out there are designed solely with one goal in mind: bring people together.

Sure, some do it through photos like Flickr; others do it through profiles like Facebook. The shared characteristic is that entire services are based around connections, just like blogs are. Social media marketing is not limited to services — a self-hosted blog can be just as much of a social media asset as a popular Facebook fan page.

2. Blogs integrate with other social media platforms.
A blog post is not just a service; it is a marketing currency. With the right combination of Wordpress plugins, every post can spread like wildfire through the blogging community. Add a ‘Tweet This!’ button to the bottom of your company blog and encourage people to use it. With enough interest, you might just find that your social media marketing ROI shoots up as a result of renewed interest in your blog.

3. Blogs expand on social media micro-services.
Twitter is difficult to describe and define. To some people it is a micro-blogging tool, while to others it is a communications platform similar to an instant messenger. However you see Twitter, the most important point is the same: it is a simplified form of blogging.

While blogging is often too long-form for effective viral marketing, it is unwise to discount and disregard it as a marketing tool altogether. As an expanded social media marketing asset, a great blog is worth its weight in gold.

4. Blogs are the new profiles.
A couple of years ago, a Myspace profile dished out all the information that your audience could possibly want to know. Now, they are as irrelevant as can be — swept up in the next move towards ultra-detailed content.

Instead of allowing profiles, Twitter encourages users to link to their blogs. Blogs are the new profile — they offer an expanded version of what social media can spread. Instead of marketing to visitors in your social media stream, why not lure them in with great social media content and market using your blog?

Popularity: 3% [?]

Tweet This Post

Six years ago, if you didn’t have a Friendster account you were an online nobody. Four years ago, if you didn’t have a Myspace account you were an online nobody. Three years ago, if you didn’t have a Facebook account you were an online nobody. Today, you need a Twitter account, or else, well I’m sure you get the idea.

Social media changes rapidly, often to the point where it’s difficult to draw up rules for it, or even plan where it will be next year. Just like Friendster drifted into obscurity and Myspace into the back alleys of the internet, the logical progression of communities would suggest that one day, reasonably soon in fact, Facebook and Twitter will lose their thunder and become remarkably less popular.

So then why are companies investing billions of dollars into using the latest marketing and communications platforms? Facebook has been hundreds of millions of dollars in debt, and has only just begun turning a profit. If it runs through the same lifespan as its predecessors, what’s to say that it doesn’t die out before it even becomes profitable on the whole? Likewise, Twitter has yet to even open revenue streams, yet it’s consistently being touted as the most popular and influential online platform since, well, Myspace.

The key to mastering these social media platforms is to take a light approach to the amount that your business invests in each one. Of course, this isn’t about direct financial investments – all are private companies – but about the way you invest your marketing muscle and resources. A campaign that bets everything on Facebook’s longevity may not prove a success in the long-term, but a marketing campaign that bets on the lifespan of social media very well could be.

An event that’s unfortunately absent in a lot of people’s minds is the crash of the early 2000s. After ballooning in value – both financial and in pure hype – hundreds of the most exciting web startups came crashing to the ground. Like Myspace, and Friendster before it, what’s to say that the same crash won’t happen to today’s giant social media presences? Sure, they’re posting profits, but not all are, and the few that are still have hundreds of millions in funding to move past. While money is flowing in, how long will it keep coming in for?

There’s a lesson that small online businesses can take from this, even if they are external from the whole social media show. Direct advertising on social media, particularly through PPC and PPM methods, will be effective. It doesn’t depend on the dynamics of the network, merely on the size of it. However, marketing that depends on the dynamics of the network, for example community building over Facebook and Twitter, may prove less effective as time goes on. Communities naturally progress, and the progression for Facebook users could be towards a different website altogether.

So if you want to invest in social media marketing, move quickly and fluidly. The most effective companies, the ones that can leverage social media easily and effortlessly, are the ones that have no problem moving from one platform to another. Tie yourself to Twitter and you might find yourself aboard a sinking ship; invest in a strategy that includes Twitter and you’ll find yourself moving forwards, no matter what direction the platform moves.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Tweet This Post

Email marketing has become an acceptable option for marketing a business.  It allows you to stay connected to current and prospective clients and provides ways to grow your business and build a loyal following. As a viable and low-cost part of your marketing plan, it plays a big role as a method by which you can distribute, advertise, and promote various types of communication to a wide range of recipients.

Through a targeted email marketing approach you may tailor or personalize your message to your specific audience or niche. In marketing terms, this is called segmentation.

The advantages to using an email marketing strategy to promote your business are many, such as: low cost as compared to traditional mailing costs, the speed at which your message is delivered, and the ability for recipients to forward the message to others who may also be interested. Moreover, email marketing software allows you to track results of your communications, allowing you to evaluate your success and enhance your messages through your statistical insights.

While there are multiple advantages, keep in mind that email marketing is intended to be an enhancement to your other marketing activities. For example, it may be used to lead your prospects to your website, which should be designed to process sales, while your email marketing campaign will highlight the benefits of your offerings and encourage prospects to make a purchase. Your website should also be the focus of other online marketing strategies such as search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, and article marketing. Email marketing allows you to enhance all your marketing efforts and encourages customers to patronize your business and become loyal fans.

Always remember when implementing an email marketing campaign do not overdo it, one of the downsides or disadvantages of email marketing. If you’re sending emails to thousands of people every other day, they’re going to get tired of hearing from you and either delete them or opt out of your mailing list, which will potentially cost you a lot of business. The last thing you want to do is irritate your subscribers by making them feel they’ve been tricked into signing up for something they didn’t actually want.

Email marketing is a very valuable tool to supplement your marketing strategies while giving you an additional method to keep in touch with your customers and prospects to build a loyal following.

Jeannine Clontz, IVAA CVA, MVA, EthicsChecked™, owner of Accurate Business Services is a Virtual Assistant (VA).  ABS provides ‘as needed marketing and social media support, training and consulting to busy entrepreneurs.  Clontz is a writer, author, VA Coach, and speaker on business topics including business ethics. For her free 10-Step Guide to Finding the Right VA, or her FREE Report, Social Media Marketing Benefits, send a request to: service@accbizsvcs.com or visit: http://www.accbizsvcs.com, www.VAbizcoach.com or her book website http://www.entrepreneurialfreedom.com

Popularity: 2% [?]

Tweet This Post

Despite the recent influx of self-styled social media ‘experts,’ very few people can predict the future of online connections, social communities, or marketing platforms. While the latest developments in the open web have attracted thousands of gurus and consultants, each more likely than the other to pitch their abilities, it seems that the vast majority of social media users are diving into the platform as a marketing resource without any idea of how to adapt to future changes, developments, and trends.

It is behavior that is remarkably similar to that of the late 1990s technology bubble. Companies kept going up and up in value, despite no real long-term outlook. Eventually, the bubble burst and the self-proclaimed ‘experts’ ran away, seemingly unable to admit that they were wrong about some things. While social media is unlikely to end the same way, primarily thanks to the massive amount of audience and user participation that is taking place, the marketing strategy applied to social media should reflect the events of the late 1990s.

That means that instead of being remarkably optimistic without reason, companies should be relatively cautious and conservative when embracing social media marketing. Rather than looking at the short-term possibilities, companies should be looking at the long-term implications for their brand, should they sink time and money into a form of marketing that does not offer any long-term solution. Instead of hiring the latest and greatest social media consultant to develop a web strategy, businesses should be looking at their own strategy, and incorporating social media platforms as tactics, not as a replacement.

In short, the focus should not be on social media itself, but on the results that it can bring. As much as we have heard about the myriad ways in which Twitter can change the world, there has been relatively little evidence to support any such theory. Sure, brands are making it big on Twitter and plenty of companies are making some serious marketing income, but there’s yet to be anything to suggest that businesses should discard every marketing method pioneered before 2007 to jump on board the social media train.

If your business is looking to incorporate social media marketing into its strategy, there are several questions you should be asking yourself before you invest the time and money. Is your brand compatible with social media audiences? Are you a business that inspires conversation and discussion? Can you build a reliable, solid community around your business? For most, the answer is no, and a social media presence is not the most effective solution.

For some, the answer is yes, and for them it is wise to look at social media as a piece of the puzzle, rather than as the solution. While Twitter can help you sell products and Facebook can help you generate positive feedback and PR, neither can fix a broken business model or a poor product. Social media thrives on discussion, and when there’s none to be had, there’s nothing but resources to be wasted. Study the social media platforms before you dive in, and invest time and money cautiously.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Tweet This Post

For busy brands and business people, maintaining a social media presence can be a drain on time and motivation. From the thousands of replies that come in every morning to the endless pitches, requests and questions, keeping up with your audience can seem more like a task than a worthwhile activity. Social media is all about communication, but when you’re forced to communicate with thousands of people at once the entire point can seem lost and difficult to cope with.

That’s why the top social media users optimize their online presence. While it’s essential to know your audience for a good online career, it’s much more important to live a life that doesn’t revolve around serving their every need. If you want to minimize your social media commitment while maximizing the results, these simple optimization techniques can help you decrease the amount of time required to respond to messages, limit your incoming email, and allow you to focus on your projects rather than your audience.

#1: Be clear about your communication limits.
Half of the reason that major bloggers and social media experts receive so many emails and requests is that they don’t specifically and explicitly ask not to receive them. Your audience is going to respond how you let it respond, and without setting limits on emails and personal contact it’s easy for that communications channel to spiral out of control. Focus on what you want from your contact, and make it clear to your audience that some types of contact might not get a response.

#2: Limit your distractions.
Wasting time on distractions and non-essential activities can cost you a lot of valuable time and lost potential income. We’ve all had days that end up wasted in front of the computer, and they’re never the ideal outcome. By limiting your social media distractions you can avoid these productivity nightmares and focus on projects that are more important to you.

#3: Don’t follow everyone that follows you.
When you listen to everyone, it’s impossible to focus on what matters. Sure, they’re your audience and your followers, but two-way contact will always end in missed opportunities and wasted time. To make your audience more controllable, focus on following only the people that you truly want to hear from. If someone out there has a message that’s absolutely essential for you to hear, rest assured that it will find its way to you – those things always do.

#4: If you have to, selectively outsource parts of your social media presence.
Tim Ferriss took outsourcing to new levels in his book ‘The Four Hour Workweek,’ and while it drew controversy, it drew many more adopters. Outsourcing isn’t particularly difficult, and when managed properly it can save you a lot of time. If you’re not a fan of hiring outside help, there are hundreds of programs and plugins that could save you valuable time. Want to alert incoming email that you might not be able to respond immediately? Set up an auto-responder and program it to let people know you’ll get back to messages as soon as possible. Hire a virtual assistant to help manage many of your social media marketing tasks that don’t involve pretending to be you or communicating as you. Small automations and outsourced tasks can end up saving you hundreds of hours of time every year, so be sure to experiment with them.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Tweet This Post