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Social Networking Strategies: Get the Most out of Twitter, Facebook, and Your Blog
While there are encyclopedias, and entire websites worth of information that can be written on the topic of integrating social networks into your business practice, Heatbrain would like to share some basic strategies and processes to consider when making decisions about how to invest your time in social media.
First, while there are hundreds, if not thousands of niche oriented social networks (of which you should certainly seek out, if relevant to your business model), we will focus on the "big three": Blogging, Microblogging, and Facebook (yes, we realize that Facebook is not a genre, but it's so big, and so important, we'll talk about it as if it were one)
Blogging as a Social Networking Tool
If you've read our free resource on the importance of blogging you should already be aware that maintaining an active, regularly updated blog is a great way to enhance your visibility on Google, establish your business and resources as an authority, and to generate community feedback (and buy-in) for your organization.
One, perhaps unnoticed benefit, of a solid well founded blog, is that it is a great way to call attention to other resources you are offering on your website. In this market and economy (despite the resounding "the recession is over" front page news articles), we all have to get the most bang for our buck, and if you simply cannot afford to purchase or integrate a content management system for your website, a blog is a fantastic way to keep content fresh, call action to your new services, and (as mentioned before), generate buy-in from your interested customers.
Microblogging as a Social Networking Tool
You have no doubt heard about Twitter and the plethora of other 140 character microblog social networks. Twitter, if you aren't aware, is a tool that allows you to announce to the world anything you'd like to say in 140 characters or less. The average teen uses Twitter to tell their friends about the upcoming party; the average business uses Twitter to connect and network with fellow businesses, and to connect with potential customers. The premise behind Twitter and other microblog social networks is the syndication of regularly updated, byte-sized information.
The core of a solid microblogging strategy is to have a network of people who you follow, and who (in return) follow you. As with any social network, what you put into it, is what you get out of it. If you invest time in engaging readers, they will invest time in you. Karma is a very real thing on social networks, especially on highly interactive ones. Twitter and microblogging excels when you push thought provoking byte-sized content, and link back to resources on your website. After all, your website is your online face to the world. Every interaction you have with someone online, should somehow, bring them back to your website. And, ideally, that interaction should happen in a branded environment so that they know, at a glance, who they are talking to; and most importantly, remember it after the fact (Twitter allows for minor customization of your profile appearance!).
We recommend (at very minimum) following a two-pronged strategy with microblogging, and Twitter. First, generate interest in your services and ideas by offering quick, thought provoking text bits on a regular basis (daily, at least). Then, as you generate more and more followers, continue with the regular posting of creative text, and follow up with "Tiny URLs" that link back to your website and services. Tiny URLs, by the way, look like this: http://tinyurl.com/unicycles (even if the actual URL is something like: http://www.mywebsite.com/articles/2009/this-is-my-article.html). The key here, is to vary what you post, and how you post it. Don't make every post a link back to your website (interpreted as spamming Twitter), and make sure that your non-linked posts are clever, to the point, and engaging. It's a tall order, sure – but well worth it, when you find yourself with thousands of followers who regularly engage with you and your organization.
Facebook as a Powerful Social Networking Tool
As any avid Facebooker will tell you, there's two main types of Facebook pages. Regular "people" pages, and "fan pages" (actually called "Facebook Pages"). Fan pages are where it's at for businesses. While difficult to find on Facebook.com, (follow this link for "Facebook pages") Facebook pages allow you to create a Google indexable page on their website (read: a public profile on Facebook) that people can become fans of (similar to "friending", but far more important from a business standpoint). These pages can have targeted advertisements associated with them, and offer a suite of resources and services that business owners and organizations can use to their advantage.
While Facebook, at its core, is about sharing photos, giving status updates, and getting people to come to events that you are hosting; the real magic of Facebook is how you can track, target, and build a fan base for your organization in a format that is more conducive to organization than microblogging. Targeted advertisements, as a quick side note, are
an incredibly viable and powerful for your organization. Consider that if you're selling Nike shoes, you can literally target people who write "Nike" in their profile, aged 16-24, that list a stable career in their profession... the ability to custom tailored advertising on Facebook is incredible.
One strategy we promote with Facebook is event organization. While any performer will need to have a calendar tool built into their website, it's an expensive addition to build in an RSVP tool to the calendar. Instead, announce your upcoming event on your website through your calendar, or content management system, and invite people to RSVP (or agree to attend) through a coordinated (and easy to setup) event on Facebook. This generates buzz on both your website and Facebook, while allowing you to track actual people who have expressed interest in attending your event. Follow it up with photos from the event, shared on your Facebook profile, and host discussions of the event back on your website via the blog. As you can see, it's all interconnected. And it doesn't stop with Facebook. The more creative you are in tying it all together, the better your exposure and ability to track success will be. While this is one isolated strategy in coordinating Facebook with your organization and your website, the possibilities are limitless.
We'd love to work with you to discover the best way to utilize free social networks for your business. Contact Heatbrain today to discuss how we can put social networks to work for you.
