They are FREE, there are HUNDREDS of them, which one should you sign up for, which will be wasting your time? How do you use them to promote your business?
I remember being in High School, and finding out about online journals. It was this new fangled word - weblog.. a digital forum to share your life with the world. It was received well by some and cautiously by most - why would you want strangers accessing your personal diary? When we were kids, our diaries had little locks and keys, we were taught to keep our journals private, then Blogger told us, it's ok to share your dirt with not just your neighbors, but with everyone you may never even meet!
The Social Media trend encourages people to have a voice everywhere, takes it beyond just the early days of blogging where it seemed like an indulgence to stumble across a personal blog on the web and read about a day in the life of John Doe. I believe Social Media's influence is so powerful because it boils down to the basic study of human interaction. Social Media is a network built on the principals of sociology and the natural curiosity we have about other people, even if it is just hearing about what John Doe ate for breakfast.
How to be influential through Social Media and drive attention towards your business.
If you are ready to get involved, or become more popular among the masses of Social Media for business growth, you have to make sure your voice is heard. You have to position yourself as a facilitator of groups, and within these groups, follow these steps, repeatedly:
1. Provide Information - research, opinion, fact etc. stay on point with discussing your business as much as you discuss other topics.
TIP: Do not get too sidetracked from your goal for driving people to your business, but don't oversell either. If you approach someone's personal social media space with the sole intention to advertise your services, you will quickly turn into a social media billboard for yourself, no one likes those on their front lawn.
2. Interact with your social networking group as a whole and on a one-on-one basis with those more engaged with your current topic.
TIP: This step is critical for building referrals and leads, people do business with people they like. Stay engaged, and connected with your Social Media network. The word "SOCIAL" is there for a reason.
3. Survey your actions - If you are getting the response you're looking for and bringing attention to your business through referrals and leads, GO YOU! If you aren't getting the response you need as the facilitator, maybe it's time to mix it up, try another topic or even another forum altogether.
TIP: There are hundreds of social media outlets on the internet - your task is to find the one that produces the result you are looking for.
