Business Development 2.0
Posts tagged social media marketing 101
Social Media Marketing 101: Setting Social Media Goals (part 1: Asking Questions)
May 12th
“Everybody says that my business needs to use social media, but I don’t know where to start…”
Setting goals should be the cornerstone of any marketing campaign. Marketing goals help us to articulate why to use specific tools, who is the target market, and how to reach specific markets while promoting a message. Social media should not take the place of traditional marketing campaigns, but should definitely be included as a piece of the greater puzzle. For people new to social media, the first step of setting social media goals is asking questions; through appropriate questions you can develop campaigns to market your business and your message.
If you plan on developing a social media strategy, take a few minutes to articulate answers to the following questions:
Basic:
- What message do I want to promote?
- Who do I want to reach with my content?
- What do I want to be known for/as?
- How is the competition marketing (is it effective)?
- How are clients and potential clients finding my business now?
Advanced:
- What is my “brand awareness” right now?
- How is my digital reputation (if it exists at all)?
- What kind of services/tools does my specific audience use?
- What do I have in common with my specific and targeted audience?
- Is my brand/business currently being talked about? How so?
Hard:
- What objectives are relative and pertinent to my marketing campaign?
- What does success look like for your business (in 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year)?
- What will I offer through social media to track and monitor my ROI?
Responses to the above questions, as well as similar questions, should affect how your company leverages social media. New business owners, entrepreneurs, and more would be making a wise choice to critically assess their current situation as well as where they would like to be in specific time increments. Be aware, however, that most “experts” agree that it takes 3-6 months (at least) to develop a strong online presence and begin seeing a return on the investment of time and energy.
Check this article out for more information about developing social media marketing goals (part 2)
Smeester & Associates offers diverse solutions for cultivating your business. Social Media Marketing is only one way that we can assist in the development of businesses. Contact us for more information.
Image Credit
Social Media Marketing 101: Make The Most of Meetup.com
May 6th
“Ugh. I don’t want to join another online community…”
Hello - My Name Is: SUCCESS
In the age of social media, there are so many options for how people can interact digitally. Sometimes it can be frustrating to determine which web-based services will be right for you and your business with so many possibilities. Without a doubt, Meetup.com is something that everybody can and should use. Meetup is exceptional in the online world because it is absolutely about face to face human interaction and providing a forum for real people to connect.
Here are a few ideas for how to utilize Meetup.com to increase sales and business:
Networking
Do a search for your city (25 mile radius) with the word ‘business.’ If you live in a reasonably populated area, you should be finding at least a few business related groups of actual people (example: 394 groups have tagged themselves with ‘business’ in the Denver, CO area). Use these groups as an opportunity to get to know other business owners, professionals, and people of similar interests in your community.
Even though commerce is becoming increasingly more digital, face to face interaction and business will never go away. Meetup.com provides a new way to connect with other businesses and that, in-and-of-itself, is an incredibly valuable tool.
Sponsoring
With 180,000 “meetups” happening every month, many need places to gather. Businesses that have meeting spaces (offices with conference rooms, restaurants, etc.) would be wise to offer manageably sized groups a place to gather. Restaurants and bars would be especially wise to offer a discount to group members during the time of their meeting. It has been said that 50% of each deal is ‘showing up,’ and this is a fine opportunity to get people to ‘show up’ at your place of business.
Meetup.com does charge to start and maintain a meetup group, but it is under $20.00 a month. Companies would be wise to pick up the bill for a group once in a while in exchange for recognition and promotion. This is a small investment with a great opportunity for some ROI.
Community Involvement
Several of the available groups focus around community service, spirituality, and other non-business topics. Any good PR person knows that active involvement with the greater community is an important part of business and recognition. Selecting one or more group that focuses on other things than business is a good move to develop personally and ‘get your name out’.
Shameless Self-promotion
If your business is B2C, then it you should be looking for groups in a related focus to your product. This may take some creativity, but it is an awesome idea. Here are a few examples:
- Carpet cleaning companies should look at pet owner groups.
- Companies that sell fabric, sewing supplies, arts and crafts stuff, etc. should be looking at craft-centric groups like quilting, painting, artisans, etc.
- Restaurants would be wise to look at ‘singles’ groups.
Reaching out to groups of people that have relatable business is the first step. Following through, offering discounts, interacting, and promoting are the completion.
Start your own group
For less than $20.00 per month you can start your own group. Meetup.com can work with your Facebook account to promote groups and events; it can also send out emails to your address book. Creating a group would be a wiser choice for people already using the service but are not finding their specific audience or niche.
Read more information about Meetup.com demographics and how to start using it.
Image Credit
