Unless you've been living under a rock for the last couple of years, you already know that social networks are quite possibly the best thing that happened to online businesses since sliced bread (and SEO!).
With their help, you can develop your online presence, create brand awareness, interact with your audience and have control over your company's image. It's a great way to add to your SEO activities. To make the most out of the Web 2.0 opportunities, it's important to understand what different social networking sites have to offer, so you can use them in a way that best meets your business objectives.
However, before you do so, there's one thing to bear in mind, and that's making sure that your social media strategy involves the following:
Connecting with the audience that's directly relevant to your business.
Creating useful and engaging content that will encourage a debate.
Engaging with your audience - social media is about a two-way interaction - basically, to make social media work, you need to be social yourself!
Regardless of the nature of your business, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are definitely the best places to start your social media adventure. The much talked about Google+, although not quite ready for businesses, is also worth looking into.
This is a great way of reaching your audience - people who 'like' your page will automatically see your status updates in their News Feed. You can enhance your page by using additional features such as friends' recommendations, Facebook events, or promote it using Facebook ads(concentrate on Facebook Sponsored Story ads as they tend to be more effective than standard ads). An alternative to creating a page is using Facebook groups, however they are less valuable from the SEO perspective because they don't get indexed.
Pages Dos and don'ts:
Do:
Customise your page by creating a vanity URL (having a URL associated with your business helps your SEO).
Engage your fans - upload photos, talk about current business happenings, ask for their opinions.
Make sure that the 'About' text box and the 'Info' tab include your keywords - this, again, is for SEO.
Keep the page up-to-date - update it daily!
Don't:
Engage in arguments. If someone is posting abusive or rude messages, delete them and block the person if necessary.
Post too many updates - if you clog your fans' News Feeds with too many posts, chances are they will get annoyed and 'unlike' your page.
Twitter is a great tool for networking, keeping up with news and opinions in your field and, of course, interacting with your customers. For example, if you'd like to find out more about SEO services, type 'SEO' or 'SEO company' in the Search box and join the recent debate! Although Facebook updates are now shown in real-time, Twitter remains more dynamic and gives you an instant access to what's being said about you (or your competitors!) in a given moment. The fact that your messages can be up to 140 characters is a great way of ensuring that whatever you say, you remain concise and straight to the point.
Twitter Dos and Don'ts:
Do:
Creative an informative profile that clearly explains what your business is about. Twitter's bio box is indexed by Google so make sure you optimise it for keywords to help your SEO!
Constantly monitor your competitors and relevant keywords - this will give you a chance to get involved in relevant discussions.
Tweet only about things that are relevant to your followers!
Don't:
Start following people at a random in a bid to create a huge following.
Auto-Tweet - it's important to be engaging on a personal level!
Tweet too much or get too personal.
The biggest difference between LinkedIn and Facebook/Twitter is that it was designed with business professionals in mind. It basically lets you see who is who in the industry, who knows whom and who can introduce you to the people that can play an important role in your business. It's almost like being at a networking event, except you make business connections with a click of a mouse!
LinkedIn Dos and Don'ts:
Do:
Customise your URL so it includes your name, and include relevant keywords in your profile - such as the names of the companies you worked for or the services you offer - this will improve the SEO of your profile.
Keep your photos professional.
When it comes to the number of connections, put quality over quantity!
Join groups to connect with people - or create your own.
Don't:
Send generic invitations - people will be more likely to reply if you keep it personal.
Say anything that you wouldn't want your potential clients or business partners to read.
Google +
Although Google+ won't be ready for businesses until later this year, you can take advantage of the fact that Google indexes Google + posts - which means that they appear in Google search results. Links pointing to your site from Google + posts can help you generate more business awareness, while improving your search engine rankings, so it's good for SEO!
8 Simple Steps to Maximize SEO on Google Plus Grow Your Business With Social Media Marketing Create Your Facebook Business Page With 5 Easy Suggestions Modified Humans with High Tech Components Will Soon Thought Swap in Social Networks The Role of Social Networking in Marketing
Just received a cheque for $500.
ReplyDeleteSometimes people don't believe me when I tell them about how much you can earn taking paid surveys at home...
So I took a video of myself getting paid $500 for doing paid surveys to set the record straight.