Effective Facebook marketing for SMEs

With over 500 million users, Facebook represents the single most connected platform on the internet. For internet marketers, this means it is also the most potentially valuable resource available anywhere, anytime. For those who play it smart, the opportunities are virtually limitless. The first step, of course, is to create a business page on the site itself – think of this as a ‘blog’ like summary of your main website.

As with any platform however, the rules of internet marketing still apply, the most important of which is to formulate a basic strategy with which to move forward. Jumping in with both feet may result in short term gains initially, however long term success can only be attributed to some form of battle plan. With this in mind, let’s take a look at some tips on getting it right, first time.

1. If the mountain won’t come to Muhammad…

People love nothing more than to engage on a social media level. By bringing the power of Facebook to your website, you can increase your exposure literally overnight. This can be achieved by something as simple as adding a ‘Like’ button to your homepage. This will allow you to display a feed from your company Facebook page. Et voila, the gap has been bridged.

2. Facebook advertising

A wonderfully inexpensive way to leverage targeted advertising, Facebook’s advertising represents fantastic value for money. There are virtually limitless options to target different groups, too. A far more targeted alternative to, say, Google Adwords.

3. Make it fun

Social media presents an opportunity to show your fun side. Try and think up fun and interesting posts that encourage users to engage with you. Pose an intriguing question, make an announcement or even ask advice – it’s all a way to get your ‘followers’ (to coin a term from Twitter) thinking whilst reinforcing your brand.

4. Video

Strategic use of video has long been a favourite of savvy internet marketers. No longer just an eye-catching medium for your audience however, it appears as though Facebook’s feed algorithm favours it too. Each time a non-fan watches one of your videos, a button is shown suggesting a ‘Like’ for your page. To achieve this however, the video needs to be uploaded as opposed to a simple link.

 5. Generate leads

Static FBML (Facebook Markup Language) app allows you to add custom content to your FB page. This is a great facility for generating leads as it enables you to create opt-ins such as free newsletters, podcasts and offers. These appear as tabs, each with a separate URL which, of course, will enable you to accurately measure results. Clever eh?

If you’re only just getting started with Facebook worry not – it’s still early days and the world is only just waking up to a new dawn of connectivity and online social interactivity. Of course this said, the earlier you build your strategy, the sooner you can start reaping the rewards!

www.inscribewriting.co.uk

Twitter and B2B marketing

This article isn’t aimed at those of you under the mistaken belief that social media – in this instance Twitter – exists simply for short-term gain.

Just as real-life business relationships require an investment of time and effort, the same ultimately applies to the digital medium. Whilst there are short-term results to be had, these should form the basis of a long-term commitment to engaging your audience.

Whether you’re focusing on lead-generation, industry insight or media exposure – this article highlights some key tips for leveraging two-way communication between you and your audience.

1. Be original

Try to avoid simply following the crowd, rehashing and retweeting (reposting) other people’s content for the sake of it. Sure, every now and then an unmissable piece of content pops up on the viral radar, however one of the best ways of engaging your readers is to have something to say yourself. At the very least it will lend your voice some credibility, and you’ll stand out from the crowd a little more. Just as you’re trying to achieve in your day-to-day business, establishing yourself as an authority in your chosen field is more likely to build and retain a loyal following than consistently plagiarising other people’s content.

Got a blog (you should have)? Post pertinent excerpts and link back to the relevant page. If you don’t currently run a blog, consider recycling relevant eNewsletter, press release or other content. If you’re stuck for content ideas, you can even use the platform as a mini-blog.

2. Retweeting content

Following on from the last point, if you’re going to share information from other sources – ensure it’s relevant to your business. A snippet of information that you found valuable in terms of your own B2B business will help to both establish your grasp of the subject and assist in building affiliations with contemporaries, customers and national organisations. Go one step further and add your own comment for that personal touch.

3. In the field

One of the most appealing (and useful) aspects of Twitter is its dynamic nature. Users can update followers wherever, whenever. Got a sales team in the field? Attending a trade show? There’s never been a better opportunity to post some original, ‘as it happens’ information that will – for a few hours at least – place you and your company on everyone’s radar, leveraging invaluable exposure.

Imagine this scenario: you’re at a trade show and have just lucked in with a casual 5 minute chat with a key player in the industry – what better time to tell everyone than right now?

4. Hashtags

Of course these days it’s not just about what you post, but how you post it. In the same way that keywords matter in terms of SEO for your company website, you should be aware of the relevant hashtags and keywords that your target audience use on a daily basis. Broad search times no longer apply.

Once you have identified the relevant terms, set up appropriate searches on Twitter to automatically collect tweets that mention them. Doing so will open up a whole world of possibilities providing access to competitors, industry expertise and new followers hungry for relevant content. In other words, your target audience!
Handy hint: Twitter clients such as Hootsuite and Tweetdeck make hashtag monitoring a relatively painless process.

5. Inject a little personality

Any good internet marketer appreciates that, business aside, their audience is first and foremost human. Consider then that your use of social media doesn’t have to be all business. Dropping in an amusing anecdote here and there – maybe even an irreverent musing on current affairs – is a great way of presenting yourself as a human being with genuine interests. Hey, it’s called social media for a reason.
 
However you choose to use Twitter, it’s important to remember why you are using it in the first place. Of course there are plenty of other ways social media can augment a great B2B strategy – so feel free to share your experiences right here.

www.inscribewriting.co.uk

Social Media Spotlight: Groupon

Hot on the heels of rising star Foursquare comes the latest contender eager for a share of the social media spotlight. Similar in nature to Foursquare’s promotion-driven focus on local business, Groupon refines the idea further.

The appeal of any platform that promises new ways to help local businesses connect with customers is undeniable. The success of Groupon will, as always, be decided by the fickle consumer and how quickly (or indeed whether) they adopt the platform. Consider this fact, however: in October last year technology website mashable.com reported that Foursquare was approaching its 4 millionth member – clearly the social media train shows no signs of slowing. In this article, we’ll take a brief look at what Groupon is about, and how it could help your business to succeed.

Reaching out to new customers

One of Foursquare’s key selling points to business users is that it offers promotion-driven incentives for users to visit businesses in their area. Whereas FS adopts a wider, socially interactive user experience similar to Facebook’s Places app, GO takes a purely business-centric angle. Focusing solely on offering promotions for local businesses, the website promises to ‘deliver customers to your door’ through offers fed to users via email, Facebook and Twitter.

More than a simple online promotion, the site hopes to engage users via ‘a witty, positive write-up that is seen by our tens of thousands of email subscribers and website visitors.’ The company go on to claim that ‘subscribers religiously read the entertaining descriptions of our featured businesses, delivering a promotion that is far more engaging than traditional advertising.’

How does it work?

Groupon offers are based on a certain number of takers for any given offer. If the required amount of customers sign up to the offer, then it becomes active. If this minimum is not reached, then the offer remains dormant however. This ‘no-win, no-fee’ basis, it appears, is designed to remove the element of risk for businesses investing in the platform’s online promotion scheme.

In addition to promising ‘huge exposure’ via featured offers, the company claim the ability to generate a significant ROI over a short period. Much of this premise appears to be based on word-of-mouth via current users, so it is somewhat difficult to quantify at this early stage.

Is there a catch?

Groupon claim that merchant feedback shows an average check size of 60% greater than the Groupon’s value, and that most takers are first-time customers. In addition, there are no long-term contracts and a ‘no-win, no-fee’ approach to billing. Whilst GO claim to ‘guarantee’ a certain amount of customers however, this is clearly negated by the fact that the promotion is free should this number not be reached. This appears a little contradictory, if not misleading.

As with any new social media innovation, the success of GO will ultimately be decided by how many users (potential customers) choose to adopt the platform. In truth, at present the website could perhaps use a little more focus/distinction between users and businesses, but there is no doubting its potential as an extremely useful tool in any internet marketers’ arsenal.

www.inscribewriting.co.uk

Social media spotlight: Foursquare

There’s a new contender in town, eagerly snapping at the heels of the big boys. Not that Facebook and Twitter have too much to worry about at this stage. Well, maybe Twitter a little bit. Last month technology website mashable.com reported that new social media platform Foursquare was approaching its 4 millionth member – certainly not a number to be sniffed at.

So, what is Foursquare? Well, according to their website, it’s a place to “Check-in, find your friends, unlock your city” or, more explicitly “Foursquare on your phone gives you and your friends new ways of exploring your city. Earn points and unlock badges for discovering new things”. Hmmm – sounds a little like Facebook’s Places App doesn’t it? Well, that’s because it is. Both function in more or less the exact same way – allowing users to update and comment on their geographical location at any one time.

Imitation, it seems, remains the sincerest form of flattery, much as Twitter built upon the foundations of Facebook’s status update feature. The release of version 2.0 for the iPhone will no doubt help Foursquare’s fan base grow, currently growing at an estimated 20,000 users per day (source: mashable.com) – a rate that is leaving competitors such as Gowalla eating their dust. Of course, this will also be aided by their partnership with Vodafone UK, announced earlier this year – a move that will see customers gain instant access to the feature via their new handset. A partnership with one of the UK’s largest mobile carriers will give the platform exposure to millions of potential new users. Not content it seems with a mere UK mobile market share, Foursquare’s General Manager Evan Cohen recently confirmed that the startup has reached out to “all major carriers and handset manufacturers in the U.S. and abroad,” and that they expect to “strike similar deals in the future.” (source: mashable.com).

Still, the platform has not been without its share of teething problems – with complaints ranging from geographical inaccuracy and system exploits to disclosure of personal information. The Foursquare team have however been quick to acknowledge and deal with any problems reasonably efficiently – no doubt very much aware that with so much choice available to the fickle user these days, brand loyalty counts for everything.

www.inscribewriting.co.uk