Getting Started With Social Media? Beginners Tips For Small Businesses - PART II

Blogging For Reputation - Your Website to Sell

1. If you don't have a website up and going, start your own with WordPress - but not the free one! This way you have total control of it and can change and update at will and keep your opt-in names as your own!


2. Create a blog on your website. Be sure to update it at least 2x a week, with material that your "audience" or customer will find valuable. You are the expert, so share that expertise - solve their problem.


3. Blogs expand on deeper information of the area of expertise that you have. Show your depth of knowledge, and your passion!


4. Keep building and adding fresh content!


5. Always have a call to action (CTA) at the end of your blog - lead them to another related article. Also invite them sign up for future emails that will have deeper content and updates.


6. CTAs can be to go to another page of your website, include that url and link them to it. Here is where the selling copy is now effective!

Build Your Strategy. "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."

1. Without a strategy or a social business plan, you are stabbing in the dark and social media will turn into more work without the payback. Also realize that doing social media is now a part of your TOTAL marketing plan! Not just a fun thing on the side! Without inner-connecting you become just a "bill-board" and not relatable.


2. Your social media sales funnel gets stronger and deeper if built-in with a progressive plan.


3. A twitter post of interesting tidbits. Some will have a call to action to go to your Facebook page - When on Facebook, topics expand and curiosity is built up. An initial relationship is being nurtured where you will begin to engage more with your audience.


4. Facebook is where you will invite your audience to participate in offering their comments or opinions or help you with what they need. You are still in the listening mode, and you are pulling in information of what your audience tells you of what they want to know more about.


5. With information in hand from your audience, build a product or a platform of more knowledge for your audience to go after - but now, they will follow the CTA to go to your website/blog! Here they have already found you and trust you and are willing to take your suggestions or read more.


6. Keep offering fresh content!


7. On your website you have permission now to invite them to BUY! From being their expert, you've become their product or service provider! You gain a loyal fan base or customer base. They will recommend you to others and will bring more customers to you.


8. Invite people to come to your social media through links and references to Facebook and Twitter and your Blog in your emails, direct mails and store signage. Hyperlink the links too!


9. Short cutting this strategy will only make the finding of new customers on-going and your job more difficult because you didn't develop loyalty. It is harder to find new customers than to keep your old ones.

Create a SOCIAL FOCUS and you will grow a great social media marketing plan!

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