Using Social Media to Build Your Business

Each month, IdeaMarketers.com is hosting panel discussions with our team of experts on various topics. Last night's discussion was "How to Use Social Media to Build Your Business." Visibility, online marketing and article marketing experts joined the call to discuss ways they have used LinkedIn, MySpace, Facebook and Ning to build their businesses. The call was recorded and is available for you to listen to at http://www.ideamarketers.com/experts/calls/socialmedia.cfm  

The experts defined social media and explained why it's so popular. For example, our exclusive visibility expert, Nancy Marmolejo says, "When you have a social networking page it's like this wonderful at-a-glance view of who you are and what you're doing as opposed to somebody going to your web site where they have to click around, look at your blog, and other information. You can go to somebody's MySpace, LinkedIn, or Facebook page and get this at-a-glance idea of who they are, who they associate with, who they consider important, and what they think about x, y and z. I think for our attention deficit society, it's like shopping at Target. You can walk in and get underwear, a hammer, a greeting card and a couch. Social networking pages are very similar to that. It's everything under one roof, and I think that's because it came from the younger generation and that's how they operate. They don't really want to sit around and click to all these various pages. They want it all right there. That's one of its most attractive points. It's easy to 'get it.' The minute you see it you say, 'ok, I get who this person is. I understand what this company is about.'" 

Also discussed on the call were examples of how social media has increased the experts' revenues. Michele PW, the official online marketing and advertising, gave this example, "Just after starting I was contacted by three different people to do teleclasses which resulted in sales. Not only have I connected with new people, but also I've reconnected with two people that I met several years ago. One of them bought one of my products and the other one became a client. It's about more than meeting new people. It's being able to reconnect with people you haven't seen in years." 

Topics such as proper etiquette were also discussed, Jeff Herring, the official article marketing expert, gave this advice, "One of the things you see often is someone joins a social media site and then immediately begins to sell and market. At the very least this is going to turn everybody off, and on some sites it will get you booted out right away. So go slow. Network, connect with people, have discussions, join in the party before you begin to sell. Think long term. You're going to be a presence on these sites for a long time. So you don't have to jump in right away. Spend a month getting known, answering questions, and developing a following and a connection before you begin to market yourself." 

In summary, Jeff Herring suggests, "Step 1: Get started. Step 2: Pick one site to get involved with and build it out. Get it to where it's basically managing itself. Step 3: Pick another one and do the same thing again." 

To listen to the recorded call, go to here . On this page you may also enroll to receive updates on other informative calls with official IdeaMarketers.com experts.

Comments

[Patty]

Hi,
I've been following your newsletter and appreciate all the great tips and your blog as well. I missed the call on this so am looking forward to learning from it! I'm a work at home mom trying to jump start my sites. The more tips I can get the better!

[Bob]

Thanks for the great information as always. You always seem to find some new ideas for me to try.

[Lori]

Great to listen to your marketing ideas. Thank you so much...Lori

[April]

This is the first time I've visited your blog and I'm sorry I haven't before. I really appreciated the tips on social media etiquette. I will be back regularly, thank you.

[Jeanette]

Hi Marnie~

Your website has certainly grown and looks great.Your experts and content are the best.

Joy~

Jeanette Fisher

[ravi karandeekar]

Thanks! I always enjoy reading you. For the content and style. I blog on Pune real estate market. I never expected much from the social medias. I used to spend a lot of time on the sites only because i enjoy meeting new people. However, because of the social media i could not only connect to NRIs but i am getting a lot of traffic and business too!

[Wiley]

Marnie I have filed many of your newslletters read some and have never followed up to say hello.

So here it is that break the ice hello.

Your experience an expertise shows well in all of your work.

Thanks for all your enouragement even though no hands on arms length professional business has been done.

Thanks

[Neil]

I've always avoided theses sites before - for some reason they just don't interest me. This post has given me the incentive to have a go!

thanks

Neil