Many social media sites started out as personal sites but social
media marketing has become one of the most powerful online strategies
for businesses, online and offline.
In 2002, Friendster was launched in the U.S and then in 2003 MySpace began.
Next
to be launched was Facebook in 2004. Facebook was originally started
for students but quickly spread to be much more. Twitter was born two
years later in 2006. Pinterest, said to be the fastest growing site
ever, was launched in 2010.
All these sites, along with others,
have become powerhouses in social media marketing. As each year passes
the possibilities continue to grow and expand. There probably are not
many businesses left that do not engage in social media marketing.
These
social sites are continually growing, expanding and changing and it can
sometimes be difficult to keep up with these changes. Below are the top
ten tips to help your social media marketing in 2013.
1. Make
your posts more relevant - When people first started using the social
sites they were posting things like "Going shopping today with the kids.
Wish me luck!" The social sites have grown and changed. You need to
start posting more relevant information. Make it about your readers and
followers, not about you. Post solutions, inspiration, and interesting
facts that can be useful and helpful.
2. Utilize features and
tools - Social sites are increasing the possibilities for your business
with more tools and features than ever before. Take stock of all these
tools and learn to use them for the benefit of your followers and your
business.
3. Visual Marketing - Marketing is going visual and you
need to do the same. Embed text and your business info in relevant
graphics to post. Pinterest, using image sharing, has broken records
with its growth. Pictures are also the mostly widely used and shared
method of posting on Facebook. When people share your images you want
them to see your website link or other relevant info.
4. Help Your
Clients/Readers - No matter what business you are in, you cannot
provide solutions to all your clients' needs. Be willing to post links,
information and resources of other businesses that can help your clients
where you cannot.
5. Use Your Analytics - Review your analytics
regularly to see what is working and what isn't. Are people visiting one
social site more than others? When are people visiting your pages? Find
out everything you can from your results. You can learn a lot from your
analytics but you must utilize them to reap the benefits.
6. Host
Events - Hold regular events such as giveaways, seminars, chats,
networking parties, promotions, etc. Facebook has recently updated their
event feature so it is easier and more efficient.
7. Connections
Not Sales - Use your social media pages to connect with your potential
customers not for sales. You want to use social media to share
information, respond to questions and comments and to showcase what your
business is about. You don't want to continually bombard your social
sites with sales pitches and ads. Help your followers find solutions, do
not pitch to them.
8. Slideshare - Slideshare is predicted to be
the fastest growing social site in 2013. Slideshare will allow you to
share your presentations with millions. You can also share documents,
PDFs and videos. The possibilities are endless with this Slideshare.
9.
Google+ - Google+ will be more important to your business. By being on
Google+, you will be able to take full advantage of Google's many
services and tools. It hasn't the social power of some of the other
sites but it is a central part of Google and you should be a part of it.
10.
Use Fewer Social Sites - Concentrating your marketing efforts to a few
of the better producing sites is more effective than spreading yourself
too thin over many of the social sites. The time it takes to
successfully participate in social media is substantial so you need to
build a strong presence on the sites that deliver rather than trying to
dominate them all.
Social media marketing is expected to reach new
and unequaled heights in 2013. Don't let your business be left behind.
Become active with social media. Really get involved. Make new
connections and post relevant visual items. Make it about your followers
and clients, not about what cereal you had for breakfast!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7467039
An update to the iOS Facebook
app allows users to have the same features that have previously been
launched on the Facebook Messenger app on both iOS and Android devices.
