Lead Generation, Lead Nurturing and Conversion through Social Media Marketing

Networking is still the No. 1 business technique for quality referrals and lead generation. Social media marketing takes networking a step further into the online world where you don’t waste time or money in commutes and memberships.

As business owners we join Chambers of Commerce, BNI Groups and other business networks so we can establish credibility and effectively market our services. The goal is to become the “Go to” person for our customers. The only hurdle is the cost of membership or attendance and making the time to travel to meetings.

In contrast, you don’t pay to join social communities like LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and others. Yes, it still takes times to do this effectively, but the results and rewards more than compensate for that. If your business is an auto repair shop, you want to be the online “Go to”  person when car owners are searching online for topics like, “How often do I need an engine tune-up?” or “Why should I get my SUV’s HVAC cleaning done if it seems to be working well?”, or asking similar questions.

Wear the "Expert" Hat, without paying the world for it!

Does this mean you need to have your own website with a blog page? Not necessarily. Just like the credibility boost you get when a co-member at your BNI gives you a reference to meet his boss or colleague at work, your “expert” opinion on an industry blog or online forum can prove more valuable than your own site or blog.

No longer are online profiles meant for young, mostly single people wanting to upload pictures and find friends via the Internet. What your LinkedIn or Facebook profile says about you and how comprehensive your online network is, can have a huge impact on how customers and prospects perceive you. You may think it’s unfair that your personal profile should be so closely linked to your professional career and image, but that’s reality. Effectively managing online perceptions is perhaps, the biggest advantage of Social Media Marketing. This is the reason why it happens to be an integral part of Online Reputation Management (ORM) as well – reputation is built on perceptions!

Social Media Optimization and Social Media Marketing – 2 sides of the same coin

Very simply put, Social Media Optimization (SMO) is a way to garner publicity using social media, online communities and community websites. Related and critical to the success of Internet marketing, is Social Media Marketing (SMM) which aims to deliver branding and communication goals - being involved in social media networks (MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn), social bookmarking (Digg, Stumbleupon), social media sharing (Flickr, YouTube), review/ratings sites (ePinions, BizRate), blogs, forums, news aggregators and virtual 3D networks (SecondLife, ActiveWorlds). The purpose of all of this activity is to attract high volumes and quality of targeted customers and encourage them to convert.

Make sure you aren’t missing out on the social media buzz and losing out on opportunities to market your business through referrals and word-of-blog. Give me a call at 636.244.0565 or fill out our contact form for more information.
 
Let’s talk about giving your business an enviable “social life”.    
 

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