Social Media

Social Media Mania... What is it? Does it work? How can you get in on it? How much time does it take? If you have been asking yourself these questions and more then read on.

Social networking can be rewarding if done correctly. The most important thing is to be consistent and add a little content daily. If you spend 15-20 minutes a day networking online, the dividends can be phenomenal. By simply leaving messages here and there you can make vast improvements to your bottom line.

You see, there are many different things that happen when you begin to post content online.

You will:

Reach people directly –The people that read your articles and postings will begin to develop trust and generally respect you as a professional (this of course depends entirely on you...)
Attain a higher page rank –Ask any SEO (Search Engine Optimazation) professional that is worth his salt and he will tell you that Google is the 800 lb gorilla of search engines and "Link Popularity" is the 800 lb gorilla of Google's page ranking system. More on this later.
Save Money –Paying an SEO company can cost big bucks with little or no gaurantee of any results. By utilizing online guerilla marketing techniques you can produce some serious results assuming you put in the time and energy.
Personalize your business –By using social media to publish your own messages in your own words, you give your business that personal touch. This can go a long way when somebody is making a decision. If there is a positive personal bond (even a slight one) that is often enough to tip the scales in your favor.
Become technically savvy –As a matter of course, by blogging, working on a Facebook profile, posting on forums etc... your technical prowess will increase almost effortlessly. Once you start to enjoy what you do online, you will just start "picking things up". With a little time, you will become ... *gasp* ... proficient...
Make friends and contacts –Yup. From all over the world. There's a lot of good people out there and you may be surprised at the aquaintances you may make. Perhaps even an old long lost friend...

Your results (at first) will probably not be significant as your readership will be low. However, over time, if you keep it up you will see things improve. Slowly at first, and then with more speed until it hits a "Critical Mass". Once it reaches that level your site will gain speed all on it's own.


This will not happen by itself of course. The keys to success are:

Do NOT use your blog/article to directly market business. This is a common mistake by many people when they are in a hurry and just want to get something out there, but people are pretty resiliant to direct online marketing. They have to deal with spam, popups, popunders, banners and a million other distractions. Take your time to be different.
Continuity –Post on a regular basis. Of course it is best if you post every day, but if this is not possible try to post at least weekly (though spend a little more time on it). A cobweb is a spiderweb with no spider... Don't let your blog/site become a cobweb. Maintain new a fresh content.
Be magnetic –Give them a reason to come back. Whether that is new information, photos/content, giveaway or a contest...whatever, just give them a reason to come back!
Be useful –If you take the time to write things that are informative or otherwise useful then you will make yourself an asset to others. This will do a number of things:
Cause others to link to your blog/article thereby increasing the rank of your blog/article.
Based on the increased ranking of your blog/article any links to your actual Web site from that page will have a higher link popularity value ...
The higher ranking will provide your pages with more visibility, which will attract more readers, which will start the whole cycle all over again.
Social Networking is a powerful tool through which you can market your Web site and you business in a cost effective and efficient manner. It is not magic though... It takes persistance and dedication. Just stick to it, spend 20-30 minutes a day, and you will be pleasantly surprised at how rewarding it can be.