Are you a business owner or website owner?

Have you heard all the chatter about social networking?

Have you integrated it into your business marketing?

If not, now is the time to do so.

You can’t ignore the importance of social media or underestimate its value to your business any longer. Social networking is a great tool that you can use to impact the marketplace.

Word of Mouth

Of course, there is no better recommendation than a happy customer telling their friends about you.  Word of mouth offers a lot of credibility and is percieved as a really good reference.

Lo and behold – social networking works the same way.

It pulls together groups of friends, friends of friends and so on. You may be surprised to find who your friends friends are!  What a great market opportunity that could benefit your business immensely.

What is So Special about Social Networks?

Why the big fuss? Well, as a resource, social networks are amazing. They provide people from all over the world, an opportunity to tap into each other’s resources.

And, why is this good for your business?  Well, because people have problems and want to find solutions, eg  a plumber to fix a dripping tap, a builder to build an extension, an engineer to check out a dragline….And, your product or service provides your customers with something that will benefit them or their business.

Social networking means you can get your information out to people and then guide them to your website or to calling you .

On a social network, you can build a profile that can be accessed via the web. People can access information about you, your business or your products and services. They can also share the information with their friends and network connections.

What Kind of Social Networking to Use?

There are hundreds of social network sites out there and all focus on different things, so best to do some research for yourself to see what suts your industry.

Examples…
LinkedIn; LING; Konnects; DoMyStuff; DOOSTANG
PairUp; YouTube; Ryze; ActionProfiles; FanIQ; Facebook
MySpace; Hi5, Twitter; Bebo; PartnerUp; Talkbiznow
etc……

Currently, Facebook is the most poular.

Twitter is another valuable social media tool, most widely used by people with internet connections on their mobile phones.

You cannot be a professional in business without being on LinkedIn.

YouTube is a major portal for sharing videos and a whole range of interesting information.

How to get Started with Social Networking

Start by creating an interesting profile page on a variety of  platforms.  Then share this  with as many people as possible. Invite friends and customers to link up with you and encourage them to invite their friends.

Your next step is  to create a series of interesting articles or videos relating to your business, industry, products or services.

Post these articles on your profile or create links to them. In this way, you will be providing people with useful information that links back to your website and taking advantage of social network capabilities.

Can you Avoid this Type of Marketing?

Not really… how long did you avoid getting a website until you realised that you had to have one!

It’s all part of progression and this is where we are headed.

Businesses may face a few difficulties participating in social networking –  time and understanding are the main excuses used to avoid it.

And it will soon become one of your most important methods of marketing and advertising your business.. don’t wait too long.

If all this sounds like something you should be doing but you don’t have the time or the knowledge, contact us and we can work with you on it, from managing your entire social networking to getting you up and running with customised solutions that make it easier for you to run with.

Hipfish is a marketing and web design company specializing in custom marketing, custom web design and development. 

Hipfish… Call us today – we’re a friendly bunch!