Oct
4
What is Social Media?
Filed Under Social Networking
What is Social Media or What is Social Marketing are questions that many home business owners or small business owners are asking. Whether you have a home business, based on the internet, or a local small business, you have to admit that advertising is changing. When someone is looking for what you have, do you want their search to result in finding you?
While yellow page ads in a physical phone book may have been effective in the past, it is not the way of the future. Many people access information online now, and as we move forward most people will do so. We look up locations and phone numbers online and may use the yellow pages website to do so. But we are looking for more information and even ways to interact online.
Business websites are growing by leaps and bounds. The purpose of a company’s website can be one of several. There are sites that are targeted for retail sales. Some brands like to focus on customer service, and still others host sites where they encourage customers, clients, or users to participate. These interactive sites can utilize the social media tools and services that are in abundance on the internet today.
At the very least, a business must have a website presence. From there, the task is to get traffic to that website. There are targeted ways to do that and include social media marketing.
The way a potential visitor will find a business website is to search for words that are associated with the product or service that the company represents. Taking the time to do some keyword research is valuable in terms of a website’s success in getting traffic that can convert to customer.
Once the keywords are determined they can be used in many ways to attract people to the business online. Keywords can be utilized in social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and across many smaller social sites, to find people with the same interests. Blog posts and articles that are written to provide information of value, or entertainment, can be written using the keywords. Social media sites can vote on or forward the content so that word spreads virally.
The power of social media to distribute content all over the internet, all over the world, is a powerful new way of attracting customers to your business. We have the ability to share our information in a way that is still new and is the way of the future.
The world of internet marketing is complex, and ever changing. In the four years that I have been marketing online, there have been tools, services, and practices that have come and gone in a relatively short time span. It can be hard to keep up with it when your main focus is operating your business, providing the service or delivering the product that sustains the business.
Home businesses and small businesses are hiring social media positions to manage their online presence. It is that important to have a website that is plugged in to the social potential of the internet. If you don’t want to hire an employee, you can partner with us for search engine optimization and social media, social marketing, and social networking for your website. The next time someone is searching for what your business can provide, will he or she find your website?
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18 Responses to “What is Social Media?”
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the syndication aspect of social media is mind blowing. I see my stuff in placing that i never thought possible. its magic -)
I have been using the Internet to search for information and communicate with people for well over a decade. During this time period I have also been involved in numerous ventures and tried to use the potential power of the Web to communicate with other like minded people but initially struggled. Over the last few years, social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Squidoo, Hubpages, blogs etc. have not only entered the scene but have literally exploded in popularity. When approached correctly by communicating and adding value into each community, the social media venues offer everyone with a message a platform to help deliver it. It’s just a matter of learning the particularities of the various sites and then using tools like content syndication to “get the word out”. Nice insight Vicki! … Thx
Excellent post on Social Media. It’s an area where many people are still very confused. It’s also an area where many people are misunderstanding it’s proper use. It’s an ever learning area, but, I’m glad I finally started to get involved and begin to understand it better myself. Thanx for the great post!
Hi Vicki,
My business situation is slightly different than yours, I think. I live in a remote corner of Montana and our little town doesn’t really depend on the internet for business yet.
There ARE some entrepreneurs like me doing business out of our homes tucked away in the woods… but most people in my area don’t use social marketing online yet.
I live in 2 different worlds, I guess… and they are overlapping now more than five years ago. I’m very glad to be learning social networking and I certainly appreciate YOUR insight in the matter!
Hreat article and I agree with you. Social media is changing the way we do business and the way we communicate. Understanding social media marketing now gives you the competitive edge and allows you to expose and distribute your content.
Then if you use the right channels your content will benefit from a snowball effect and the more people recommend it the more readers you will have.
The use of social media marketing is a powerful tool but sometimes misunderstood.Social media is at its beginning stage and will continue to explode over the coming months. Make sure you follow it. Thanks for sharing.
Vicki, indeed the advent of social media has truly enhanced the way people interact in the internet. The power of social networking can be tapped by the online business person, if they understand the rules. The first rule might well be; relationship is everything. No matter how much things change; principles remain the same. Great post. Thanks!
Social Media like the Internet itself takes on a whole new life with time …
What worked today may not necessarily work tomorrow.
But if you perceive social media as you would reality than you begin to get some clarity.
Behave online in a manner as you would successfully offline and you take big steps to fully understanding social media.
Cheers and Take Care
Rod f.
Thanks for the valuable information on social media. There are so many resources out there to avoid hiring a staff to do it for you. I have noticed that since I adopted this strategy, my sales have gone up dramatically!
Hi five folks – Ive always got a buzz from social networking in away of good vibrations most sites I get to visit have such well laid out content most websites are comfortable to visit Ive noticed over the past short span of time how easy it is to gain any marketing knowledge low cost most times even free of charge – so to me its never been a better time to enjoy this new surge towards social networking and this site I’m commenting on meets all the right credentials to come back time and time again thanks for your overview…
All my best to you and yours
Phillip Skinner
Great post on what is Social Media and why everyone, especially business owners, should be involved.
It is clear that Social Media is changing the way we communicate with one another on a global level. Amazing to think that we are actually living through this phenomena. This is reason alone to develop the mindset and skill level to maximize the full potential Social Media has to offer.
It all starts with the interactive process and the delicate approach to connect with other like minded individuals. I can’t wait to see where this technology will take us in the near future.
Dr. Ricardo Lalama
Yes, advertising is changing from a monologue to a dialogue. I have stopped using yellow pages for years and find the best source of new business is through referrals. Social media is the best way to earn trust and get the sale.
A well written definition of social media that any new comer to the industry would certainly be able to understand.
Having said that I am looking forward to any follow up articles that dig deeper into social media as I do agree used with a well laid out plan of attack is today the most effect tool available to any business looking to market its brand online.
Good points! I think that for most casual users of the internet, they’re just about moving from the Yellow Pages to Google as the first place they go to find businesses. But there’s another generation of early adopters and frequent users who have already left Google behind and who turn to the social media like Twitter and Facebook as their primary connections. Many marketers are still struggling to understand these trends, never mind keeping up with them!
This is a subject that is of great interest to me. I would appreciate more information on your proposal. Thanks for your artical on social media.
Great post! Social media is a must if you want to get the word out about your website, blog, product, or business. It’s nothing more than word of mouth with a twist. It can also be detrimental and a time waster if your not properly educate on how to use this social beast.
Social Media is changing the landscape from a lot of different perspectives.
For the business owner or content producer it’s easier then ever to get your material noticed.
For the searcher it’s easier to find exactly what you’re looking for.
For the sharer, it’s easier to show off your finds.
The net is constantly becoming more user friendly, and social media is the most important tool of the internet’s expansion.
Thanks for a great article explaining Social Media. It’s the best way to build trust with a new person, as well as keeping a customer or client .We are in for some exciting times.
Social media networks have definitely changed small business advertising. As a service based business owner, I have noticed the frequency with which my patients are finding me online, and not just through our business website, but through facebook, twitter, linkedin, and similar sites. I agree that it is difficult for many businesses to keep up with the rapid pace of change on the internet. As a market driven force to be reckoned with, social media will continue to affect how businesses and consumers or clients interact and “find” each other online. Thanks for this vital information.