Have you plugged into the social media world yet?  Do you know the best way to use the sites for your business? Are you in a state of confusion/paralysis because of all the options?

It's virtually impossible to go anywhere today without someone making reference to Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, a blog or some other social networking site.  Social networking is officially here to stay and the experts are saying it's going to become an even bigger part of our lives. Just as every business once needed to have a website to stay competitive, so will businesses need to embrace social networking now and well into the future.

What is Social Networking?

'Social networking' is the term used to describe how people are using the internet to actively socialize and interact. People are brought together through a variety of shared interests.  Another way to look at it is people interlinked and interacting with engaging content in a conversational and participatory manner via computers across the web.  'Social media' are the actual programs or sites people use (such as Facebook and LinkedIn) to interact with each other.

Effective use of social media for business is an evolving concept. It's not as simple as asking a teenager to help you set up a profile and log you in. There are now over 700 social media sites up today and that number continues to grow.  This is one reason why social media can be confusing.  Take a look at this video to learn about the tremendous growth (you may want to turn down your volume before starting)-
 

So how can I use Social Media effectively?

To become effective at social networking, you need to understand how it will play out in the scheme of your overall marketing strategy.  Below are some good questions to start the ball running.

• What percentage of your customers (or prospects) are using social media sites? Do you know what specific sites they're using?

• Which sites are the right ones for your business?

• What are your customers saying about you online?

• Are your competitors using social media? How?

• Are you blogging? Do you believe blogging to be a good use of your time?

• How much time do you have for social networking activities?

• Do you have someone to manage and maintain the relationships for you?

• What happens to your business if you don't start using social media effectively?

The truth is that there are a lot of questions to answer and a good amount of time to spend on this area of the business to effective.

Why Can't I Do it Myself?

The wonderful thing is that social networking right now is free for the taking. This is the era of the "land grab". Anyone can establish a presence for themselves on the social media sites. But the key to success is to identify how social networking fits into your current business model and marketing strategy.  While the platforms are essentially free, using them effectively requires a blend of business acumen and creativity.

Additionally, just setting up a profile and adding friends will lead nowhere and will waste cycles of time. Successful social networking requires new content in order to engage prospects.

Successful business owners know the value of their time versus the value of an expert. Partnering with Impact Marketing will save you time, money and provide maximum return on your investment.  Consider our social media packages below and call for details!

Our Social Media Offerings

Basic- this offer is built around the social media fundamentals, particularly that of blogging.  The process includes-

• Wordpress blog installation (with complementary graphics to website if desired)

• Blog traffic tracking installation via Google Analytics

• Domain mapping of blog to principal website

• Feedburner RSS configuration

• One topical and professionally written blog post per week

• Training on how to write for a blog

Advanced- the offer includes the deliverables of the Basic offer plus profile creation onto the most relevant social media sites for your business.  This process includes-

• All activities of the Basic offer

• Profile creation in five (5) of the most relevant sites for your business with graphics and other media to set you apart from competition

• One topical and professionally written post per week per site

• Complete list of site logon information for all sites

• Training on how the sites work and how to get the most out of them

Premier- our most comprehensive solution includes all the elements of the first two offers in addition to an active social media campaign.  While the first two offers help you get plugged into the social media world as well as offering valuable content, in this offer we essentially do all the work for you. This custom approach would need to work hand in hand with your existing marketing program. The offer includes-

• All activities of the Advanced offer

• Professional interaction and feedback with all connections (friends, colleagues, prospects, clients, etc)

• One article written and distributed per month through Ezinearticles.com

• One press release written and distributed per month through Prweb.com
   

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