Posts Tagged ‘Myspace’

Generating a buzz to get massive amounts of traffic to your website is best done using social media websites?

The easiest way to accomplish this is to leverage the clout of influencers within the social media community.

Influencers are people within a social network that are respected and liked by others in that community and are able to popularize discussions on topics of interst in that community.

Influencers stimulate the conversations, connect people to ideas and can capture the mindshare or opinion of an audience within a social sphere. All social media websites have a few select individuals who stand out for their activity within the community and their expertise has gained the trust and support of the social media users.

These are the people you are are looking for and the ones you want to influence.

There are so many social media sites and the points we make in this article can be applied to any of them. We’ll be studying how to develope your own strategy for targeting the influencers of these sites to engage  their social network with your content.

Let’s look at a social news site like Digg for example. Digg and other sites like it allow the audience to vote on the value of content with a simple thumbs up and thumbs down vote. By actively participating in the community you can develope a following and become and authority and with that comes influence.

Over time supporters will share your content with friends or add it to their websites and blogs. Social media users can be pitched just like a blogger or writer can be pitched with a simple introduction at first gradually building a relationship that’s mutually benefitial. The goal is to leverage their brand of influence by influencing them to promote your website content within their community.

The main steps are Targeting, Networking and then Pitching the influencer in question.

1.Targeting
Finding a social media influencer that shares your point of view about your content and is relevent to their website or sphere of influence is most important. Making your content in-line or coherent with the influencers interests makes it much easier to get them to promote or agree with your content.

Go to the public user ranking list of the social media site in question, in this case Digg, and visit each profile on the listed looking for who has influence and also who resonates with what you’re promoting. Get a feel for what interests them. You can also do a keyword search on the social media site looking for content based on your keywords and find the users that rank high within the site on those keywords. If they have consistently submitted content around those keywords they are likely to be open to suggestions of simular content. You can also do a URL search of your keywords to find people that may be open to more content of that type.

Using the site yourself will help you discover little details about the user you’re targeting that can help you reach them and develope rapport. For example, while top Digg user MrBabyMan submits a great amount of stories, most active Diggers are familiar with his avid interest in Cracked.com, a popular pop culture/men’s portal/magazine.

2. Networking
After you’re done targeting a specific social media website you need to contact them and develpoe a relationship. You can get in touch with them from their contact info in their user profile and join the site as a registered user. If contact info is not available Google them by their name and user name to see if you can find it elsewhere. Look for their blog or other profiles they may have listed on other sites.

Once you have their contact details initiate a conversation by just send them a note and thank them for their contributions. Trying to pitch to promote your content right away is very bad etiquette and annoying. You can stand out from the crowd of self-interested crowd by genuinely showing your appreciation for their contributions.

Take a genuine interest in them and engage them in a dialog of common interests and do so continuously until you have a good idea what material they would support and do favors for the user by giving them publicity or links to free resources and interesting content (not your own).

Real social media users are always interested in buzz-worthy news or opinions that can boost their own authority within the social media community. Your content or anything else you offer should not only meet the integrity of their personal brand, but it should improve it and the reputation of the user within the community.

Offer them free invites to unrelated websites, give away exclusive information on certain topics. Share some links to excellent websites. Do little favors without asking for anything in return at all. Give them a reason to be interested in you.

Networking is really just about making friends. It’s that simple. This will gradually lead you into the third and final stage: Pitching the influencer.

3.Pitching
So now that you’ve built a rapport with this person what next?

A. Ask Casually.
Do your pitching in a light hearted and casual manner and do not aggressively push the user to promote your content. This is a huge turnoff and you should understand that the user has a perfect right to refuse you.

B. Disclose Your affiliation.
I would recommend letting the user know that you are affiliated with the specific website, particularly if you plan to have a long working relationship with the user. He or she will appreciate your honesty and it will also make it easier for you to ask the second time round.

C. Space out your pitches.
The biggest mistake you can make is to ask the influencer to promote every single piece of content that comes out on your site. This is a major irritant so only offer the user your best work, while pitching your material only once per week or every two weeks.

Continue to keep aclose contact after they are promoting your site. Building a long-term relationship will have longterm results and targeted in-bound links to your website for years to come.

Good Luck!

Talk soon,

Frank Tocco–Marketing Mentor

If you have decided to jump on the bandwagon and join thousand of people using social marketing as a tool to grow their business, then you are on the right track. Social marketing has proven to be effective and sustainable in influencing the target market to buy your products and services. One of the most utilized strategies is by tapping on social marketing sites that are popping up everywhere. Of course it is necessary to choose only those that are reliable and good for your ecommerce business. Among the most popular social marketing sites today are:

Flickr:
It is perhaps the best online photo sharing site in the world. It allows you to showcase photos to friends, family and even to those you do not know. Launched 5 years ago, it now has more than 3 billion photos stored. It is a great site to promote your business. There is also PhotoBucket

YouTube:
This video social marketing site works wonders for any business. With YouTube, we can share videos for everyone to see. By uploading some videos, you will have people comment and share ideas on your page, which is a great way to understand your target market.

Twitter:
Twitter is a site which enables  Micro Blogging of 140. It has become one of the most popular ways to communicate  with the outside world, whether that be personal of business. There are something like 8 Million Tweets every day. Twitter can be easily used for business and it is a simple process to get an account up and running.

Others to note

• Metacafe: It is the number 2 site for video social marketing. You can upload and share videos about your products and services so people will know who you are and what you have to offer.

• Digg: In this website, you will find everything you need- from articles, blogs, insights, etc. If you like to improve your marketing and sales, then you need to get started with Digg. This is especially helpful for those who are new to social marketing.

• MySpace: With the music and video now part of its package, MySpace has definitely become one of the top social marketing sites in the world. It has high exposure to most countries in the West and East. Asia is also quite into MySpace too. With so many people joining MySpace, it will be easier to find your target market here.

Social media sites are indeed very helpful in getting you on track with your business goals. In so many ways, they allow you to stay connected to your target customers through photo and video sharing, blogging, commenting, and many more. The important thing with social marketing is you need to be able to keep up with the demand. People feed you with information- they tell you what they want and what they do not want, and in return, they expect you to be able to address their concerns. As a good social marketer, you have to be ready for any challenges that come your way when you use these social marketing tools.

As any good social marketer knows, being prepared for anything is vital to the success of your business. If you can do this, if you can apply the techniques involved in the social marketing process, then go ahead and tell the whole world about your business. You will find that it is probably one of the best things you have ever done.

At virtually every turn recently, I am asked to recommend ways clients can utilize social media marketing as a means of message delivery.  Until recently, I read and heard a great deal about this new phenomenon, but resisted the siren call of such sites as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, et al, for fear of a replay of the severe addiction I succumbed to about 15 years ago when a friend hooked up my first home Internet connection. It was dial-up, connections were lost frequently and without warning, and it was slow—but I was quickly hooked and couldn’t get enough of mere “surfing,” researching  every subject I could think of,  and, of course, chatting. I sacrificed a great deal of sleep chatting into the wee hours of the morning with folks I knew, and folks I didn’t know.  That is why despite the growing professional necessity to be knowledgeable about social media, I have been trying to avoid it for personal use.

However, as I continue to investigate social media as a marketing tool for my clients, as well as my own business (not to mention personal curiosity), I find it is nearly impossible to make informed recommendations without first-hand experience.  So, this weekend I took the plunge and began by spending a fair amount of time on Facebook and MySpace, and just today I ventured on to Twitter. And, although I’ve already had the great pleasure of communicating with dear old college friends and colleagues I haven’t seen or spoken to for years, I have taken a solemn vow not to allow social media to become more important than sleep – or equally as important as ice cream!  My goal is to keep it all in perspective…..

Before I go any further, let me explain that my purpose here is in part to share some of my observations and comparisons of the most popular social media sites. But more importantly, it is to generate observations, comments and recommendations about the social media sites you use- and why. I’ve included a few questions at the end that I hope you will respond to.

Thus far from my limited exposure, MySpace still seems to be primarily youth oriented, despite the research that show its increasing popularity with all age groups. I have to say that I’ve found it is much easier to navigate than Facebook. I prefer the drop down menus on MySpace that are very clear and help the user move from one application to another with complete ease. On the other hand, MySpace has a good deal of annoying advertising and flashing animations that are rather distracting. In addition, movement from one application to another seems to take a quite a bit of time. But, I’ll reserve judgment on this until I’ve visited it a bit more—perhaps my initial visits were during high traffic times.

As to Facebook, I’ve found that if you want to move beyond reporting where or what you had for dinner, it pretty much leaves it up to the user to figure out what tools it offers and how to use them, offering very little explanation or assistance.  For example, since registering with Facebook, I have received notices that someone is throwing a shoe at me, that various folks have sent me “a throw beads request,” “ a sea garden request,” “a cupcakes request,” and more. I have no idea what these are, what they signify, or why I warrant such lovely sentiments!  The navigation is not as clearly organized as MySpace, or easy to follow, and demands a greater time investment on the part of the user to become proficient in using the site. This may be why, at least in part, after several visits I still get confused trying to find specific applications beyond reading status updates, reporting what I’m doing at that very moment, and “writing on walls.”  

That said, I’m a little intrigued that so many people are willing to share the mundane details of their lives, “Suzy is getting ready to eat a big salad with grilled chicken.” And I find it even more intriguing that so many people seem to crave being the recipients of these details. My guess is that these tidbits provide a kind of bridge, a comfortable means of reaching out and approximating “face-to-face” communication across the miles. Similar short personal messaging appears to be the sole purpose of Twitter – nothing more than very brief updates of one’s daily activities.  Well, I figure if Al Gore and Jimmy Fallon use Twitter, there must be something to it besides lunch, so I will investigate further.

And so, my research continues. Today I created a Facebook page for my business (www.IBZGROUP.com);  I became a fan of several Facebook pages; and I posted a note.  I also sent a friend request from MySpace and registered with Twitter where I will be “following” Al and Jimmy, and receiving messages from NPR Politics! That’s a lot of socializing for one day!

As mentioned above, I’d truly appreciate your responses to the six questions below to help me begin to better understand and develop recommendations on this subject. Shortly, I plan to post a full survey on Survey Monkey to gather more information on the ins and outs of social media as a marketing tool. If you’d like to participate in the survey, please let me know and send your email address to me through Facebook, or to admin@ibzgroup.com. I will send links to the survey as soon as it is posted.

 ·   How many social media sites have you tried, and which ones do you continue to use or prefer?

·   What site has been most effective in linking you with old friends, colleagues, or other people in your life?

·   What do you like about your chosen social media site(s)—what would you like to see changed?

·   On average, how much time do you spend each day communicating with friends -reading and/or commenting on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, or other social media?

·   Have you ever followed a posted recommendation? Tried a restaurant, seen a movie, checked out a political candidate based on the posting on one of these sites by a friend or acquaintance?

·   Do you pay much attention to advertising that appears on these sites?

 

Whether you’re looking to have your business branded by Social Media or whether you’re looking to have your Social Media Profiles marketed to the right audience, we have the solution for you.

With Social Media on the rise it is important that your business stays in the know and connected to the millions of users who engage in Social Media Networking.  With millions of users using social media, the need for effective branding is constantly increasing.

Too many times we see great business ideas fail because they were not branded properly.  Branding you business will give you a competitive advantage, as it will allow you to stand out from others in your niche.  By branding your business you will be able to show your readers what you are all about and why they should pay attention to you and THIS IS WHERE WE COME IN!

Twillooo will brand your business on all of the popular Social Networking sites like Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, Bebo, Friend Feed, Stumble upon, Blogger, Word Press and many more making all of your business ideas come to life.

Twillooo will create, design and promote your social media profiles and bring them together under one hub so that you can power blog, status update and network all from one location.  This will significantly decrease the number of hours spent on logging in and reduce the amount of tedious work that goes into finding the time to connect, which is the number one complaint that businesses have.  However, Twillooo makes it possible, with our social networking integrating features, to log in and connect in an efficient and effective way.

The best thing about Team Twillooo is that we are full of life and always have fresh ideas.  We also understand the importance of keeping up with the trends, as well as, the fads.  Team Twillooo is innovative and creative, edgy and funky and more importantly we have the understanding to offer you the best solution.  Team Twillooo is committed to pleasing our customers and we have many years of experience in doing so.

Team Twillooo offers you various ways to stay connected to your clients through social media branding.

Our Other Services Include: Web design, Product Video Creation, Targeted Traffic Solutions, Content Creation & On Going Social Media Work. Have a look around our website and see what Twillooo can do for you!!!

Branding your websites is not just about being everywhere or the entire place will come up with a creative concept to separate your business from the rest.

www.twillooo.com

In the recent past years Social Media Marketing and Social Media have dominated and defined Internet marketing. The popularity of social sites like MySpace and social bookmarking sites like Digg has caused this push. Social media has two main components, user generated content and the networking capability allowing you to form groups of friends and others that you can share content with.

Sites like MySpace, Zubby, and Facebook allow users to create profiles using text, videos and pictures to design their pages. These can then be shared with a selected group of other people in a special “friends” network and if the user wishes these pages can be shared over the whole social network.

Sites like Digg, Flickr, Associated Content and YouTube allow users to submit links to their favorite news articles online, pictures, articles, and videos then vote on the content that others have submitted. The most popular content is displayed on the front page of the site and the other pages are available to the general public to browse through. These drive traffic to the site and to the pages that are bookmarked.

There are many different ways to use these types of sites, either together or alone.
The use of these types of sites to promote your products and services is what is known as social media marketing. The types of traffic you get once your content is discovered and becomes well known in social media are primary traffic and secondary traffic.
Primary traffic is the direct traffic from the site that you used to make your site popular. If you are using a site that has fairly heavy traffic like Digg to promote your site you could get a large amount of traffic in a short amount of time so you need to make sure your site can handle the traffic, otherwise it may crash.

Once a site becomes popular on a social media site it gets talked about. When people talk about these sites they post links to the site which draws more traffic to the content. This indirect traffic is the secondary traffic. It is the secondary traffic that continues to flow to your site after the initial surge of direct traffic slows.

The benefits of primary and secondary traffic coming from social media sites include exposure to your site initially. Once your site is known by the general public then organic traffic will begin and repeat visitors start to show up, as long as you have something to entice them to come back.

Natural links to your site are beneficial because they are given by people or companies who have nothing to gain from your business venture. These are generally from relevant sites increasing the likelihood that visitors are going to be genuinely interested in your products and services. These links improve your search engine rankings and improve organic traffic.

Social media marketing allows your site to get exposure in a larger site and to a larger group of people. If your traffic levels off you can use social media marketing to jump start your traffic and work on taking your search engine traffic to the next level.
The alternative for increasing your search engine traffic is using pay per click advertisement. Using pay per click campaigns can help you to sustain increased traffic from the search engines but this traffic comes with a price tag.

Using social media marketing is free and can increase your traffic and your ratings in the search engines. Getting your site notices a couple times a year in the social media arena can make your site popular enough to bring in traffic throughout the year.

These websites help your company network, advertise, learn, grow, recruit, make new clients and more.

We get loads of hits everyday from our social media optimisation strategy and websites. These hits convert into work, valuable feedback, networking, sources of fresh marketing communications information and much more.

(Please Note: If we’ve missed your favorite social media site or you know of others worth mentioning, we appreciate you letting us know, so we can add it to this list.)

If your business limits its online presence to blogging, posting articles on article websites, advertising banners and search engine marketing it’s missing out. The Internet provides powerful networking opportunities that allow users to effectively target their audience by logging onto social media sites like LinkedIn, Digg, Facebook, Twitter and more.

Take advantage of these tools by asserting your company’s presence online and reaching more potential customers, business partners, employees, likeminded peers and friends. With a little bit of copywriting and some ongoing maintanence you can reap the rewards for our diligence.

linking people to your business

website : christophercopywriter.com

blog: christopher copywriter’s blog

1. StumbleUpon: Open your online presence up to a whole new audience just by adding the StumbleUpon toolbar to your browser and “channel surfing” the Web. You’ll connect with friends and share your new Website discoveries,” as well as “meet people who have similar interests.” Fun. Fun. Fun.

2. Reddit: Upload stories and articles on Reddit to drive traffic to your site or blog. Submit items often so that you’ll gain a more loyal following and increase your online presence.

3. Del.icio.us: Social bookmark your way to better business with sites like del.icio.us, which invite users to organize and publicize interesting items through tagging and networking.

4. Digg: Digg has a massive following online because of its optimum usability. Visitors can submit and browse articles in categories like technology, business, entertainment, sports and more.

5. Technorati: If you want to increase your blog’s readership, consider registering it with Technorati, a network of blogs and writers that lists top stories in categories like Entertainment, Business and Technology.

6. Myspace: MySpace is a place for friends, for personal expression, for connecting with the world. You can alert all your friends at once with any length of blog entry. Now very popular for businesses too.

7. Ning: After hanging around the same social networks for a while, you may feel inspired to create your own, where you can bring together clients, vendors, customers and co-workers in a confidential, secure corner of the Web. Ning lets users design free social networks that they can share with anyone.

8. Squidoo: According to Squidoo, “everyone’s an expert on something. Share your knowledge!” Share your industry’s secrets by answering questions and designing a profile page to help other members.

9. Furl: Make Furl “your personal Web file” by bookmarking great sites and sharing them with other users by recommending links, commenting on articles and utilizing other fantastic features.

10. Tubearoo: This video network works like other social-bookmarking sites, except that it focuses on uploaded videos. Businesses can create and upload tutorials, commentaries and interviews with industry insiders to promote their own services.

11. WikiHow: Create a how-to guide or tutorial on wikiHow to share your company’s services with the public for free.

12. YouTube: From subjects like, “How to dribble a basketball,” to naughty party boy “Corey Delainey,” everyone has a video floating around on YouTube. Shoot a behind-the-scenes video from your company’s latest commercial or event to give customers and clients an idea of what you do each day and how you like to do it.

13. Ma.gnolia: Share your favorite sites with friends, colleagues and clients by organizing your bookmarks with Ma.gnolia. Clients will appreciate both your Internet-savviness and your ability to stay current and organized.

14. Propeller: A fun source of information on pretty much everything. Add your articles. Promote and demote others articles.

15. Kirsty: A colourful website for articles, features and information on life, the universe and everything.

16. Urlesque: A internet themed, video clip, article posting and sharing website.

17. Netvouz: Netvouz is a social bookmarking service that allows you to save your favorite links online and access them from any computer, wherever you are.

18. LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a popular networking site where alumni, business associates, recent graduates and other professionals connect online.

19. Facebook: Facebook is no longer just for college kids who want to post their party pics. Businesses vie for advertising opportunities, event promotion and more on this social-networking site.

20. MEETin.org: Once you’ve acquired a group of contacts in your city by networking on MEETin.org, organize an event so that you can meet face-to-face.

21. YorZ: This networking site doubles as a job site. Members can post openings for free to attract quality candidates.

22. Xing: An account with networking site Xing can “open doors to thousands of companies.” Use the professional contact manager to organize your new friends and colleagues, and take advantage of the Business Accelerator application to “find experts at the click of a button, market yourself in a professional context [and] open up new sales channels.”

23. Ecademy: Ecademy prides itself on “connecting business people” through its online network, blog and message-board chats, as well as its premier BlackStar membership program, which awards exclusive benefits.

24. Care2: Care2 isn’t just a networking community for professionals: It’s touted as “the global network for organizations and people who Care2 make a difference.” If your business is making efforts to go green, let others know by becoming a presence on this site.

25. Gather: This networking community is made up of members who think. Browse categories concerning books, health, money, news and more to ignite discussions on politics, business and entertainment. This will help your company tap into its target audience and find out what they want.

26. Ryze: Ryze lets members organize contacts and friends; upcoming events; and even job, real-estate and roommate classifieds.

27. Tribe: Cities like Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, New York and Chicago have unique online communities on tribe. Users can search for favorite restaurants, events, clubs and more.

28. Ziggs: Ziggs is “organizing and connecting people in a professional way.” Join groups and make contacts through your Ziggs account to increase your company’s presence online and further your own personal career.

29. Plaxo: Join Plaxo to organize your contacts and stay updated with feeds from Digg, Amazon.com, del.icio.us and more.

30. NetParty: If you want to attract young professionals in cities like Boston, Dallas, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Orlando Fla., create an account with the networking site NetParty. You’ll be able to connect with qualified, up-and-coming professionals online, then meet them at a real-life happy-hour event where you can pass out business cards, pitch new job openings and more.

31. Networking For Professionals: Networking For Professionals is another online community that combines the Internet with special events in the real world. Post photos, videos, résumés and clips on your online profile while you meet new business contacts.

32. Naymz: A search engine optimised professional networking site which ranks out of ten, ones professional reputation amongst reviews from ones peers and those who know you.

33. SEO TAGG: Stay on top of news from the Web marketing and SEO (search-engine optimization) industries by becoming an active member of this online community.

34. Pixel Groovy: Web workers will love Pixel Groovy, an open-source site that lets members submit and rate tutorials for Web 2.0, email and online-marketing issues.

35. Mixx: Mixx prides itself on being “your link to the Web content that really matters.” Submit and rate stories, photos and news to drive traffic to your own site. You’ll also meet others with similar interests.

36. Small Business Brief: When members post entrepreneur-related articles, a photo and a link to their profile appear, gaining you valuable exposure and legitimacy online.

37. Sphinn:Sphinn: Sphinn is an online forum and networking site for the Internet marketing crowd. Upload articles and guides from your blog to create interest in your own company or connect with other professionals for form new contacts.

38. BuzzFlash.net: This one-stop news resource is great for businesses that want to contribute articles on a variety of subjects, from the environment to politics to health.

39. HubSpot: HubSpot is another news site aimed at connecting business professionals.

40. Tweako: Gadget-minded computer geeks can network with each other on Tweako, a site that promotes information sharing for the technologically savvy.

41. Wikipedia: Besides creating your own business reference page on Wikipedia, you can connect with other users on Wikipedia’s Community Portal and at the village pump, where you’ll find conscientious professionals enthusiastic about news, business, research and more. Get creative.

42. Newsvine: Feature top employees by uploading their articles, studies or other news-related items to this site. A free account will also get you your own column and access to the Newsvine community.

43. 43 Things: This site bills itself as “the world’s most popular online goal setting community.” By publicizing your company’s goals and ambitions, you’ll gain a following of customers, investors and promoters who cheer you on as you achieve success.

44. Wetpaint: If you’re tired of blogs and generic Web sites, create your own wiki with Wetpaint to reach your audience and increase your company’s presence online. You can easily organize articles, contact information, photos and other information to promote your business.

45. Frappr: Embed a Frappr map and guestbook into your company’s Web page so that you can pinpoint exactly how users find your site, discover in real-time what they have to say about your company profile and services, and create an “interactive, fun and engaging” spot for visitors.

46. Yahoo! Answers: Start fielding Yahoo! users’ questions with this social-media Q&A service. Search for questions in your particular areas of expertise by clicking categories like Business & Finance, Health, News & Events and more. If you continue to dole out useful advice and link your answer to your company’s Web page, you’ll quickly gain a new following of curious customers.

47. Mycareer: A popular source of jobs for the job hunter in Australia. Owned by Fairfax media who bring us the Sydney Morning Herald everyday. Post your CV for recruiters to find. Get detailed personality type information.

48. SEEK: Australia’s #1 recruitment, career and employment site. It has special sections for 100k plus executives and offers helpful tools and job hunting sector statistics.

49. CollegeRecruiter.com: If your firm wants to hire promising entry-level employees, check CollegeRecuriter.com for candidates with college degrees.

50. Monster: Post often to separate your business from all the other big companies that use this site to advertise job openings.

51. Sologig: Top freelancers and contractors post résumés and look for work on this popular site.

52. AllFreelance.com: This site “offers self-employed small business owners links to freelance & work at home job boards, self-promotion tips” and more.

53. Freelance Switch Job Listings: Freelance Switch is the freelancer’s online mecca and boasts articles, resource toolboxes, valuable tips and a job board.

54. GoFreelance: Employers looking to boost their vendor base should check GoFreelance for professionals in the writing, design, editing and Web industries.

55. CareerBuilder.com: Reach millions of candidates by posting jobs on this must-visit site.

56. Career Journal: The Wall Street Journal’s Career Journal attracts well-educated professionals who are at the top of their game. Post a job or search résumés here.

linking people to your business

blog: christopher copywriter’s blog

The buzz surrounding Social Networking sites may cause media buyers to shy away from allocating budget to the social networking platforms. Those who are just now getting on board may be “showing up late to the party”, while the current advertisers are experiencing disappointing click-through rates. Despite the mixed reviews, there is still plenty of opportunity to become profitable through media buys involving social networks. The opportunity especially exists for local advertisers, and when it comes to advertising on social networks, local advertisers have the home field advantage.
When purchasing media, it is important to ask partners “what are your users’ demographics?” Every media buy should contain a clear and concise definition of the target audience. Let’s face it, reaching your target audience is the most crucial factor in any internet marketing endeavor, and targeting the right users based on their specific interest or behavior is critical in media buying.
We all know that users of social networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace, offer up their demographics through their user profile. This allows media buyers to reach audiences based on their specific interests, activities, relationship status, and of course, location. The plethora of user information eliminates the trial and error process of finding that “sweet spot” which is all too common in most media buys. This influx of segmented information enables a more time and cost effective purchase of media.
Historically, Social Networks have been synonymous with branding. Recently, the bigger brand advertisers are straying from social networks in search of niche specific sites. These niche sites are believed to create a more “meaningful” view for big brands. This shift leaves the door wide open for smaller, more localized advertisers to fill the void in Leaderboards and Skyscrapers. Local businesses recognize the fact that they need an online presence, and social networks extend the chance for these smaller businesses to get in the game.
Facebook, for example, does a phenomenal job of allowing advertisers the dynamic feature of targeting geographically. Local businesses can explore creative steps in order to reach consumers, while playing an active role in the community of wall postings, groups, and RSS newsfeeds. Of course, results will vary on a case by case basis and ads certainly need to be tested; but this obviously brings local advertising to the national websites.
Not only does advertising on social media give local shops the national appeal, it also maximizes ROI while allowing advertisers full control of budget. The average cost for one network cable spot ranges from $3,000 to $5,000 and the average cost for one premium network cable spot is $10,000. How much exposure could the same amount provide a local advertiser on a Social Site? Facebook’s Social Ads are priced on either a CPC or CPM basis – advertisers are able to choose a daily budget and a maximum CPC or CPM, and there is no set cost for these advertisements.
Social media consumers are often seeking specific information in a low-pressure environment. Studies show that contextual advertising can increase a campaign’s ROI in this medium. Facebook’s users are accustomed to this type of informative content which can turn casual browsers into serious buyers. Although these social sites may be the future of local advertising, it is still important for local businesses to spread advertising dollars across the old marketing mix. Using the newspaper, radio, or magazines to point consumers to their site will spike interest. This multi-channel marketing will also enable a more branded appeal while pumping up traffic to stores, and will ultimately lead to increased sales.
No matter if you are looking to purchase media for a local bookstore, bike shop, dating service, or night club, social networks offer the opportunity for local advertisers to roll with the big dogs and score the big sales!
References:
“B2B Buyers Dig Social Media” Marketing Pilgrim, February 24, 2009 ( http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2009/02/b2b-buyers-dig-social-media.html )
“Exclusive PMN Research: Brands Struggle To Reach & Engage Younger Gen Y’s Within Social Networks” Social Media Today, March 4, 2009 ( http://www.socialmediatoday.com/SMC/78154 )