Virtual tips for the savvy business owner!

Don’t watch from the sidelines; get in there and participate in a meaningful way in the online conversations that are taking place. We’ve said it before: don’t just Tweet; listen to the conversation that’s going on and jump in by replying to others’ posts. Rule of thumb: don’t promote your company, products and services in your posts. It turns your audience off. Give them smart information that they are looking for. Figure out what solutions they are looking for and offer information that can solve them.

For instance, Champion Assistants blogs, Tweets and Facebooks about topics such as social media marketing, new shopping cart technologies introduced into the marketplace, how to sell online, and more. Our social media audience appreciates this valuable information and if and when they’re ready to employ our services, they seek us out. The others are just listening to the conversation and learning important information. That’s fine. As you grow your audience, you increase your pool of potential leads and customers. The more who listen, the more you have an opportunity to convert.

So, let’s refresh: Goal 1: Listen to the conversation that’s going on. Goal 2: Meet people and begin to build relationships. Goal 3: Develop a strong reputation online through these interactions. Now, back to attracting more visitors.

Distribute your content everywhere you can. Videos to Facebook, Revver and YouTube. Photos to Flickr. Presentations to SlideShare. Distribute your blogs and EzineArticles by linking them to your Facebook account, your blog, your Twitter page. Consider podcasts, ebooks, teleseminars, webinars and news releases. You will attract your target market if you provide them with relevant content they are looking for. If you do, they’re more likely to share it with others they think will be interested.

Test different calls to action in different places to see what works in different mediums. Blogs, industry news, videos are all viral marketing tools that companies use to spread their message. People who enjoy a video or blog or new tidbit tend to share it with others who in turn share it. Do not use social media to promote your business. Product information and free trials are not viral and are not of interest to your target market using social media. You can increase your online authority by talking about things that solve problems for your customers and prospects.

Filed under: Blogs, Marketing tips, Online Social Networking, Technology Tips, online marketing, productivity, viral marketing, viral marketing