Social Media: 4 Quick Tips for Getting Started

Any marketer that chooses not to embrace the changes encompassing digital media would be foolish. The truth of the matter is, search engine marketing and social media marketing have become one. People are likely talking about your brand online, or searching for your blog, and Google is indexing your Flickr page. In order to establish and maintain a strong online presence today, businesses big and small must embrace social media and optimize everything digital.

Here are four quick tips that will help you start establishing your presence on social media sites.

Start a Company Blog

Encourage employees to regularly write posts about the company, industry, products, services or events that are relevant to your business. Keep this blog updated and encourage consumer feedback. Your audience will feel as if they are a part of the conversation rather than someone being marketed at. And, ultimately, one of the main benefits of having a blog is that it provides indexable content that can lead to better search results for your company.

Establish a Facebook Page

Facebook is no longer a social outlet exclusively for college students. In fact, in 2008, Facebook had grown to 55 million users of all ages and backgrounds—and it’s continuing to grow. You can broaden your reach online by establishing a Facebook profile for your company, or by starting a group dedicated to the roots of your business, which will increase the likelihood of your company interacting with other Facebook users. By doing this, you are expanding your reach online and creating more indexable content that could help your search presence.

Upload Your Videos to YouTube

If you have an informational or interesting company video, upload it to YouTube and other video sharing sites. It’s another great way to gain exposure with your audience and improve your search results. If you don’t already have a video to upload, use the office camcorder to shoot an informative video, post it on video sharing sites, and be sure to remember to keyword tag your video. People from around the world can then watch your video and post comments on it, which encourages another form of valuable audience participation.

Start a Twitter Account

Twitter is an extremely popular marketing tool because of the opportunities and potential it has for brands. It is essential for your company to establish a Twitter account and to read and monitor what people are saying about your brand. More importantly, you need to become a part of the conversation. Twitter is great place to receive valuable feedback, and yet another way that you can improve customer service, products and offerings.