Technology has provided a powerful tools for marketing. Social networks, such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube have become common places for marketing businesses, promoting products and selling ideas. Many people don’t even recognize the techniques being used or how they can use them to drive traffic to their website.
The reason social media works is because you build relationships of trust with other people. Once you trust someone else, you will find that they are more likely to take advice from you. I watched my mother in the supermarket tell a stranger about this fantastic frozen pizza. He is not likely to buy it. I wondered why she bothered. She has no monetary incentive and no relationship with the man. It is a quality pizza that she is excited about and enjoys. However, the man she told most likely does not enjoy the same things that my mother does. That is where the relationship built over social websites becomes an advantage. When you find someone online that shares the same taste in music or art that you do, most likely if they recommend something, you will try it.
On Facebook, you add friends, write on their wall, make suggestions, post what you are doing at the time. You can send messages and share videos and pictures. Facebook also has an instant messaging feature to chat with a friend online. Thousands of people check their account on a daily basis. Facebook provides your friends with status updates. You can post a link to your own website to direct your Facebook friends to your business website.
Blogging is another form of social media. Many people blog about their daily experiences like they would write in a journal. However, blogging has the interactive feature of allowing your friends to read and post their comments. Blogging is free through websites such as blogger.com. However if you are looking to promote your business through a blog, it is most beneficial to pay for hosting. That allows you more freedom for creativity.
YouTube is a videosharing website. You can create your own video and post it on YouTube. Once you have created a video and posted it, you can link it to your own website. Others can comment on the video and click on your website.
Twitter is a microblogging website. You are limited to 150 characters. Therefore chose your words carefully. If your website is having a promotion. Simply state what the promotion is and provide the link to your website. If anyone following you is remotely interested, they will click on your link.
Writing online articles is one way to establish yourself as an expert. Using forums such as EzineArticles.com or HubPages will get you published quickly and easily. Don’t use the articles to see your product though. People are not looking to buy something from a product. They want expert advice. Use the article to demonstrate that you are knowledgeable in a certain field. Then include the link to your site in case they are further interested in what you have to say. Once you’ve gained someone else’s trust, they are far more likely to purchase something that you recommend than if you try to sell it to them right off the bat.
