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Social network marketing offers huge potential to merchants both online and off. The immense and growing popularity of social network sites has lead to a stampede of marketers vying for some of that traffic. Online entrepreneurs however need to develop and stick to some type of plan or strategy that will enable them to effectively promote their goods and services within any online social networking community.

Social network sites as a whole are ‘unstructured’ insofar as their main intent is socializing which leads to a more casual and undisciplined atmosphere. Online entrepreneurs therefore must have a workable strategy in place prior to entering these social arenas so that their efforts are more focused and efficient.

Here is a 5 step marketing strategy that can be used within the social networking community to help marketers maintain their focus and get better results.

Establish Your Objectives

Before entering into the social network ‘arena’ if you have the intent to conduct some type of business determine in advance what your objectives are. Social network sites can be a lot of fun but if you are there to do business this fun can also be a distraction to you. By establishing your objectives beforehand you will be better able to maintain your focus and minimize any time you may waste.

Your goals may be to simply create more exposure, conduct a survey or promote something to the site members. Whatever your objectives, by defining them beforehand you will be able to avoid getting sidetracked thereby making more efficient use of your time.

Identify Your Market/Prospects

Social network sites as previously mentioned are largely unstructured since they are ‘melting pots’ of different people with varying interests. Your business objectives will likely only target a particular type of person or group. Identifying this segment or niche beforehand will make it much easier to categorize them while working within any social networking community. This will help you to better focus your efforts on those ‘areas’ that will give you the best results.

Don’t Be an Annoyance

No matter how focused you may be as a business person leave that drive at the door or at least keep it under wraps. These are social communities and not ‘pitch-fests’ for online marketers. If you identify that your intentions are only business it will make it difficult for you to win friends and influence people.

Blend In - Interact

Social network sites have great traffic potential for marketers but effort needs to be invested gaining a relationship with your prospects first. You will want to take part in their discussions and even initiate some of your own. The more you inter-relate with site members the faster you will be accepted by them. Remember you are at the site to conduct business whereas they are there to socialize and this is a ‘divide’ you need to cross first.

Any way you look at it you will need to invest some time ‘cultivating’ the market you are developing on the site. Work prudently by identifying your market or prospects first and focusing your time and energy on them.

Keep At It

The rule of thumb you need to keep in mind when working social network sites for business purposes is to socialize first and be patient. You are a stranger to other members and they need to get ‘comfortable’ with you. It may take some time to gain members acceptance but considering the traffic potential of sites like Twitter or Facebook the investment of your time will be worth it.

Social network marketing is a viable approach with tremendous potential for promoting goods and services on the internet. Due to the casual and undisciplined environment of the social networking community however marketers must be on guard so as to not lose the focus of their intentions. By customizing and implementing the 5 step marketing strategy we spoke of above merchants can become more effective and efficient at social network marketing. Upon successfully implementing these marketing strategies one can reasonably expect a significant boost in their online traffic and overall sales. To learn how to automate your efforts and save invaluable time working on the fastest growing social network site Click Here!

The growth in the popularity of online social networking sites has attracted flocks of internet marketers to various sites. In fact the phenomenal growth of social network sites has likely been boosted by this attraction. Online entrepreneurs being an opportunistic bunch recognize the traffic potential these sites have. It appears however that effectively using these sites for marketing on the internet still seems to be in the developmental stages.

Let’s look at 3 common mistakes people continue to make when trying to use social network sites for marketing on the internet.

It’s a Social Community Not a Marketplace

Do not go into any social site with your marketing guns blazing away. You will likely find yourself shooting blanks. People do not like to be approached about buying insurance at a Christmas Party and social network members do not like to be assaulted with advertisements. The biggest mistake of all here is that little or no time is spent by many online entrepreneurs to develop any type relationship with other members.

Hiding Your Identity

Bad move right away! If you are on a social site but are reluctant to ‘reveal’ your identity you may as well move on. Perhaps a ‘mysterious personality’ is attractive to some however most people are understandably more comfortable knowing who it is they are ‘talking’ with.  

You can not expect a person to feel comfortable with someone that acts like they are part of a ‘witness protection program’ and therefore reluctant to reveal their identity. You will be received with all the warmth of a glass of ice water on a cold winter day!

Your first step when joining any of the online social networking sites should be to complete your bio. It is also a good idea to post a picture of yourself or at least a caricature if you are that shy.

Getting Expectations Too High

Yes social network sites can be used to help grow your business but relationships must first be built before significant and meaningful traffic can be generated. Online entrepreneurs should not rely too heavily upon these sites for immediate and targeted traffic needs since their origins are rooted in socializing and not commerce. Social networking is what spawned the popularity of these sites and it is unlikely that emphasis will change.

On the other hand these sites are a great compliment to your other traffic sources and contacts you make here can prove to be fruitful later on.

It is tempting to devote a lot of time ‘working’ social network sites for business due to the traffic potential and because they are ‘free’ to join. However time is money and you may find you are spending more time at these sites than they are worth at least from a business standpoint.

Online social networking remains to be a potential marketing bonanza but far too many online entrepreneurs continue to use inefficient and ‘anti-social’ techniques. Their mistaken attitudes and behavior only serve to make their efforts less effective. The 3 common mistakes we reviewed above serve as mere examples of the type ‘behavior’ most social network sites are not receptive to. In order to more efficiently utilize these sites for marketing purposes there will be a greater need for the use of finesse and patience. At that point the vast potential of these sites will then begin to be released.

Social networking sites offer people online a gathering spot to casually share their opinions and interests with other like-minded participants. Recent events however have indicated how effective these online communities are for breaking news on a national and international level.

Although interest or opinions may vary from group to group there still remains a common interest in national or world news. Considering these social platforms connect people from all over the world on a 24/7 basis you’re looking at their considerable potential as information sources.

What we’re focusing on here is the ability of these social sites to gather and circulate late breaking news. Compared with the more traditional syndicated news networks it can be argued that social network sites are in fact can be more efficient and expedient in delivering news to the public.

Take that CNN!

By passing information along through word of mouth using the speed of the internet news that travels this fast is hard to beat.

Let’s examine 5 reasons why a social network online can outperform the more traditional news broadcasting networks.

News Collected as it Occurs

Social platforms do not ‘assign’ people to gather news or information but instead are merely designed to share information or interests. Site members do however possess an insatiable and natural curiosity. Just through sheer numbers members combine to create a catch basin of global proportions. As a result they are capable of collecting information of little or great consequence anywhere in the world on a 24/7 basis.

Information Transmitted Fast

Any information picked up either through heresy or observation is usually immediately ‘released’ on the internet. To date there is no more efficient means with which to dispense information to the general public quicker than the net.

As is often said in basketball, ‘Nothing but Net!’

Syndicated networks for the most part still have certain ‘hoops’ thru which they must ‘jump’ before releasing information. This may tend to slow their process.

No ‘Red Tape’ or Protocol

Without the traditional ‘red tape’ or protocol that syndicated news networks contend with online communities hold an unfair advantage. The legalese involving fair play, accuracy, and ethics do encumber syndicated networks. The lack of such restraints however concerning online communities does ‘allow’ for information to be dispensed much faster to the general public.

Word Gets Out Quicker

News tends to flow from person to person and often time is simply broadcast to the masses. The net result is that information spreads virally and this word of mouth effect should not be overlook for its efficiency and speed. There is no ‘formal’ channel through which information is directed which means word is spread continuously, not at scheduled intervals. This process ‘increases’ both speed and just as importantly exposure.

No Regulated Responsibilities

Within any social network community there is no delegation of duties, responsibilities or authority. You are looking at a world-wide community with the capability of filling any role that may seem appropriate at any given time. From observing an event or translating its meaning to distributing the information this flexibility and spontaneity enables news to be collected and spread like a wild fire.

This lack of structure is built for speed but on the other hand can lead to occasional inaccuracies in reporting the facts.

Social networking sites have both the channels and the manpower to deliver late breaking news at lightning speed. Using word of mouth to spread information social sites possess the ability to transmit news unencumbered by any red tape further accelerating the transfer of this information. It is not suggested that online communities replace syndicated news networks as news source but merely that they can compliment them if needed. Social network sites based upon their prominence on the internet possess the potential to be much more than they were designed for and this should not be ignored.