Can Social Media Intelligence Really Help Your Business?

The answer is yes! But first let's understand what social media intelligence is all about. It is essentially the information or data that is gathered from various social media sites relevant to a particular business (both intrusive and non-intrusive). For small and medium sized businesses, can be a beacon of light to guide them through various business related decisions.

The next step is to use the correct tools and knowledge to apply the available information in a relevant manner. Let's look at some of the ways the businesses can use this data to make their decisions.

Audience selection

Any kind of business would require knowing their audience thoroughly to execute the proper campaigns. Using the correct tools is the first step towards this. For example, through Facebook Insights, one can gather enough market intelligence along with social media intelligence to gain information like the age, gender and general preferences of a potential consumer. This information will, in turn, help the business to target the right kind of audience for their product and focus their campaigns accordingly.

A soft drinks company launched a drink in 2009 and soon saw that young men loved the product while women were having mixed opinion and were not particularly fond of it. They found that young girls and women expressed their disdain freely on social media sites. Through this market intelligence, they slowly found out that they were actually opposed to the TV ad promoting the product, and not the product itself. The company, thus, changed their campaign accordingly to better target the respective audience.
With proper social media intelligence at your disposal, you can also locate your audience and understand where the best engagement is coming from to make better decisions. For example, Hootsuite's link shortener, ow.ly, will allow you to track the number of clicks you are receiving from your links.

Understand audience sentiment

Another advantage that comes with gathering enough market intelligence from social media sites is to track what your consumers think about your product or service overall. This can be done on various platforms, be it Facebook or Twitter. Consumers, these days, resort to various digital platforms like these and express their opinions on the products they use. These opinions also become a point of decision for other consumers who wish to buy that product or utilize the service. Thus, to avoid losing any potential customer, businesses can screen these comments, likes, and opinions and take the necessary steps. This kind of information will provide a business with the proper guidance on how to plan its next move to provide better service.

Engaging the audience

Creating a successful business is all about making the client feel valued. And nothing does it better than putting in a personal touch. With the proper social media intelligence at your disposal, you can arrange for events that will not only promote your product, but also give you an idea as to which section of the audience to target next. Social media intelligence helps you identify the sort of events that are likely to engage the highest number of customers- be it a poll, or a giveaway, or some sort of contest. A case in point is the recent launch of smartphones by Xiaomi. The brand, which is virtually unknown outside of China, managed to sell a few million devices in just a few months by the simple method of promoting the product via social media and making it mandatory for customers to register to obtain the product. Not only did it help generate a huge amount of publicity, it also made it possible for the company to estimate beforehand the sort of figures it was looking at.
Thus, social media intelligence is the way to go for any business that aims at targeting the right audience. After all, it is publicity that sells the product. With the right sort of intelligence at your disposal, you will know just how to create the right sort of noises.

by Reeya Bose

Article source: http://goarticles.com/article/Can-Social-Media-Intelligence-Really-Help-Your-Business/9929776/

If you would like to master social media marketing for your business, collect 4 free ebooks at: www.methodsocialmedia.com 

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The Biggest Change

Post by John Assaraf.

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Using Social Media To Make Official Communication Informal

Social Media is a buzz word that everyone wants the opportunity of being a part. But many people are very skeptical on the impression it may have on a serious customer about the positioning and image of a business. Social Media Websites are often seen as informal and unofficial hangouts for people and businesses alike. In the recent past more businesses are seeing social media as a tool to reach out to their target market where they are most likely to be noticed. This article highlights some ways in which businesses use social media in an official capacity, yet maintaining a friendly and informal approach.

Customer Support



We know many businesses who use Twitter and Facebook to provide customers with constant updates about their service. A world famous DNS and Proxy service uses Twitter to Report Service Outages across their global data centers. The company posts frequent tweets about maintenance and migration activities and also posts brief updates on server faults and restoration. Some Hardware and Laptop manufacturers now offer technical support on Social Media websites. They handle customer grievances and also provide contact details of their nearest service centers through tweets or posts. Many banks and financial institutions constantly provide safety tips and security reminders to their customers. While these reminders can be annoying for some, the constant nagging may really help people to take security of their account seriously. Although this type of support maybe limited only to forwarding the complaint to the concerned technical team, it offers the customer a quick and easy way to get support by short circuiting a lengthy support process. This can be pleasing for the customer, but can be quite a task for the company to manage.

New Product Launches



A famous Automobile Manufacturer has started posting inside updates and a sneak preview of their latest designer cars. In past years they used to "leak" this information only to a few car magazines which demanded a high price which only a few could afford. Running a teaser campaign for a new product can be done best on social networks, especially due to their brevity and instant nature. You can slowly release bit by bit of the campaign and let it unfold instantly. The beauty of it is that you will be able to get instant feedback about the response and how well it has been received so that you can plan your next campaign or next revelation accordingly. This can also be detrimental to your image if you run a lousy campaign or do a shabby job. You will immediately know whether your campaign was a success or a failure. This is something only possible with social media. In the past many companies have successfully created a pre-launch hype on social media to attract the attention of potential customers.

Informal Banter

Many companies indulge in small talk and entertain inquisitive visitors to their pages or feeds to keep

their page active and buzzing. While a bit of such informal talk is fine, when businesses go on a tangent on Social Media, it can get quite intolerable for the people following or subscribing to their updates. Sharing a joke or running a riddle campaign can be quite interesting and may generate a lot of publicity for your business if done well.

Educative Material

Pushing out educative material or academically interesting content can give your business a well needed boost. It not only creates more content for search engines to index, but it also shows your customers and prospective clients how much of relevant knowledge you have about your business. Almost all large corporations either have a YouTube Channel, or Blog or Facebook Page or Twitter Feed constantly buzzing with useful information which is aimed at catching the eye of a potential customer.

By By Alex H D 

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Using-Social-Media-To-Make-Official-Communication-Informal&id=8849669

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5 Tips for Making Social Media Marketing Work

For businesses today, it's not uncommon to have multiple social media accounts, across various platforms. For any business wanting to be at the top of their game, it's a must. Unfortunately, many businesses are lacking the ability to utilize their accounts to their full potential.

Business that are not online-based can find social media marketing especially difficult to navigate. Traditionally, marketing has been all about pushing products and the newest thing. In today's increasingly social environment, this simply doesn't work anymore.

If you want to get past those product-centric tweets and self-advertising status updates, try these five ways of making your social media marketing more successful:

1. Link your accounts and promote.
Social media accounts can all be linked together, so if you're posting on one account, you can easily post across all your other ones. Social media platforms like Tumblr, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter allow an easy, one button sharing system so you can make sure all your accounts are being utilized with every post. It may seem funny to tweet to your Facebook account, but everything is interconnected now and people will be able to see where else they can follow you. Adding your online social media information to your printed or digital correspondence, including business cards, will also expand your reach.

2. Don't turn yourself into a spammer.
It's good to post on a steady and regular basis, but don't overdo it. Posting constantly will make your newsfeed look more like spam and followers may end up deserting you. Anything over three or four posts a day is bordering on over posting, and you need to make sure that all your posts have something useful in them for the followers, not just a product advertisement.
  
3. Inform and provide value.
Instead of trying to get followers to buy something, show them why they should. Rather than selling to them in every post, give them some content with value in it, and explain to them what your product can do to help them or how it can make their lives easier. Showing them is better than telling them, and informing them is a step in the right direction. They will start to believe that you care about them, rather than just their spending dollars.

4. Interact with your clients & potential clients.
Successful social media means actually being social with your followers and customers. Answer questions in a timely manner, and with more than just a one-word response. Be polite and helpful, and don't forget that even comments can be responded to. Never before have businesses had the ability to have such an open line of communication with their customers, and the customer is the one checking in. Being able to give your customers personal attention and high quality responses is an amazing opportunity that's not to be wasted.

5. Stick around and be consistent.
Your competitors aren't going anywhere, so if you take time off, they will get ahead of the game. Effective social media marketing is consistent. If you go away and come back a month later, your followers may have left you to follow more active businesses.
Keeping your followers engaged and your social media accounts active can be time consuming but it's an integral part of social media marketing. If you are struggling with it, don't give up and let your accounts dry up -- consider hiring a social media marketing freelancer until you can pick things up again.

About Out of the Office Virtual Assistance:
Since 2006 Out of the Office, has offered ideas and ways to increase your productivity, decrease your workload, and work more efficiently. We nurture a successful business relationship, while continuing to grow as your business partner. We are focused on streamlining your administration, social media planning and execution, and offering creative solutions for your business success. Schedule your free 30 minute consultation by visiting our website.

By  Denise Dukett.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Denise_Dukette

If  you would like to master social media marketing for your business, please collect 4 marketing ebooks at: www.methodsocialmedia.com

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13 Effective Facebook Advertising Tips You Can Start Implementing In Your Business

With over a billion active users monthly, Facebook is an avenue for social media marketing that is simply too huge to ignore! However, with the increasing diversity of this social networking website, leaving an impact becomes all the more difficult. Nonetheless, do not fret! With the right set of skills and just enough creativity, devising a strategy in order to get the maximum benefit out of Facebook becomes easy!

Listed here are some Facebook advertising and marketing tips that you can use to boost your performance for your business in a scalable way. Through my Facebook Advertising Tips, you will learn how to choose your campaign objectives, understand the benefits of using of a variety of Facebook advertising formats and begin devising a better way to market what you have!

#1 Take advantage of Facebook ads while keeping your own page appealing and up-to-date!
While it is important to advertise your business, it is just as important to maintain, if not increase, your credibility. Many businesses focus so much on Facebook ads that they actually begin to overlook their own page. Bear in mind that the page updates are just as fundamental to your marketing efforts as those clicks that you generate via ads!

Ads work best when coupled with an excellent timeline. After all, social media is not a simple matter of attracting attention. Social media is all about engaging people! And what better way to do that than having the perfect ad to the perfect page!

#2 Bring creative rotation into play.
Creative rotation allows you to generate better performances through continuous A/B testing. For those who are not familiar with A/B test, this where you simply test multiple ad copies, pictures and landing pages against each other. By making use of this technique inside the newsfeed, you can refresh messages, increase the click-through rate (CTR) and keep up with the impression amounts! Therefore, if you intend to rapidly boost your campaigns and make the most of your Facebook efforts, I'd suggest you set up a system based on a steady refresh of advertising messages.

#3 Utilize the proper page post format.
Each page post format has its own set of strengths and weaknesses. When choosing the most appropriate format to utilize, bear in mind the objective you wish to achieve. If you aim to generate site conversions or sales, choosing a "page post link" ad would do the job excellently. If you intend to compel brand connection as your campaign goal, a "page post photo" ad just might do the trick.
Page post link ads enjoy a higher percent in terms of conversion rate as opposed to page post photo ads. This is because you do not waste money on clicks by people clicking on the picture. Instead, a page post link drives your visitor straight to your landing page. On the contrary, I have found page post photo ads generate a higher CTR as opposed to page post link ads. By understanding the difference between the two formats, you can even combine them to get the best out of both worlds!

#4 Set your goals and appropriately choose your line of attack.
The multitude of ad opportunities provided by Facebook can help you accomplish your goals once you have clearly set out the things you wish to achieve. All that's left to do after determining what you want to reach is to get working. If your main objective is to manufacture brand awareness so as to cultivate a fan base, you may want to begin with standard marketplace ads. Standard marketplace ads are linked directly to your Facebook page and allow Facebook users to like your page straight inside the ad unit. If you have a considerable fan base, you might also want to attempt the use of a sponsored story, in which case an ad comes up to friends who have liked your page.
No matter what goal you have set your mind upon, or what method you have chosen to use, just make sure that you are positioned to calculate success!

#5 Set a target population.
Targeting a particular population or group with Facebook ads allows your promotion to proceed much more smoothly. By setting a target population, you can promote to the correct users based on their actual interests, thereby increasing your success rate. A target population need not be limited however to only those individuals whose interests are in line with your business. You can also target the friends of Facebook users who have previously liked your page. If you would like to advertise a specific post from your page, such as a unique offer or a significant news story, you can even make use of page post Sponsored Stories to switch your post into a newsfeed piece.

#6 Select photos that are simply superb.
Catchy images will always attract attention! The photos you select for your ad are perhaps among the most significant aspects of grabbing the viewer's interest. When choosing an image to use, do not limit yourself to your company logo. Consider looking outside the norm but within the scope of what you are offering.

In selecting photos, I have found the most excellent images for conversion are well-cropped headshots. Just a tip. Do your best to stay away from archetypal stock photos. Rather, try to make use of more natural images. Also, ensure that the photos you choose present themselves with colors that are distinguishable from the blue color format of Facebook.

#7 Use Call to Action (CTA).
Just because your ad can consist of up to 135 characters, doesn't mean you are required to use them all! Believe me, a lengthy ad does not necessarily entail a lengthy list of customers. From time to time, a shorter line can work much better! So, at appropriate situations, use a call to action (CTA) that persuades fans and users to click your ad. This way, not only does the ad deliver a short and convincing message, but it also enlightens the users as to what action you expect them to perform when they get to your landing page.

#8 Produce and experiment with several ads.
Do not simply run a single ad within each campaign! Diversity can do you wonders! In fact, even the smallest alteration in the words you select or the graphics you utilize can have an outsized effect on the CTR for your ad, so it's best to make numerous adaptations of your ad and experiment with them to find out which ad gets the best response.

#9 Quotes rock! Make use of them as you deem necessary.
What could be warmer than a post to lighten up the day? Posts involving inspiring or life-affirming quotes often perform very well, so don't be afraid to use those heart-warming words of wisdom. To spice things up, you can even attach a photo to your quote - even better, do Pinterest-style image/quote overlay. A great free tool I recommend for creating eye catching picture quotes is a website named Canva.com. People eat that stuff up!

# 10 Allow users to insert their own photo captions.

Asking for users to provide a caption to an exciting or laugh-worthy photo is a smart way to drive interaction and engagement. And it hits two birds with one stone! It catches the user's attention and allows you to assess the effectiveness of your marketing strategy.

# 11 Give incentives! Share some exclusive content to your Facebook fans. 

Posting special, top secret content visible only to your fans on Facebook adds a sense of exclusivity and belonging. Posting information or tidbits that could not be found elsewhere gives a certain incentive to the fans and it can even make them feel special.

#12 Ask questions! 

Let's admit it. If there's one thing common among Facebook users, it's the fact that they love to let their voices be heard. When making posts, try incorporating questions or surveys. Just a piece of advice though. Keep the questions simple - no one wants to fill out the SATs on Facebook.

# 13 Lights, camera, YouTube! In other words, don't restrict yourself to pictures.
Videos have crazy high engagement rates so use them in your posts to get some serious attention. Make sure to get the right ones though - those with just the right amount of funny and the right amount of "I'm trying to make a point" in them.

Gerard Hall is an avid blogger, marketer, and online entrepreneur. As co-founder of http://gerardandchrisonline.com, he is committed to helping others achieve success in Life and Business.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gerard_W_Hall

Swipe these 12 untapped profitable niches to build an online business

http://tiny.cc/12niches

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LinkedIn Marketing - How to use LinkedIn for business

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Put the Old Dog Down

Put The Old Dog Down?
Inbound Marketing for Small Business
Old Dog Vs New Dog

When do you determine its time for a trusted old friend to go? Here's the dilemma. Marketing for small business and professionals has undergone significantly change during the last decade. In general, business has begun to move away from 'old dog' traditional marketing to a 'new dog' inbound marketing. In this two part blog post we'll cover what this new style of marketing is and why it works.

Traditional Marketing The Old Dog
Lets begin by defining "traditional" marketing. Old dog traditional marketing relied primarily on sending one-way signals to get the attention of consumers. When the consumers attention was peaked it then pushed a message onto the consumer without knowing whether the consumer had interest in receiving the message. And for many years (we're talking a century) this type of marketing seemed to work.

The delivery of the message is still important to the process of marketing, but with the adoption of the internet as the main communication channel (between sellers and customers) how the message is delivered and how it is received has changed the foundation of modern marketing.

Inbound Marketing The New Dog
Inbound marketing is a form of digital marketing designed to get customers to find the message. With inbound marketing a message is crafted to elicit the interest of a customer. When the customer 'wants' to hear a message they search to find the message. When the customer is returned your message you've been found digitally. The customers desire to hear the message increases the odds the message will resonate with the customer. Through this process of finding, receiving, and resonating messages a customer may start to develop a bond of trust with the sender of the message and begin to view the sender as an authority figure on the subject.

The message is not the only incentive for choosing the new dog over the old dog traditional marketing.

The digital delivery channels open up possibilities for two-way communication with potential customers. This two-way communication dramatically alters the formatting possibilities for delivery of the message. Instead of relying on the onetime one-way message of traditional marketing it encourages two-way communication between the sender and customer.

The inbound message is crafted to inform, support, and enhance the customers knowledge on a subject. And because the digital delivery channels allow two-way communication the message may help the customer engage with the sender of the message.

There is another important element that doesn't get much attention. And that is proactive outbound marketing. This outbound marketing is the response actions taken to 'further' qualify and engage with potential leads obtained from inbound marketing.

Marketing Definitions
Traditional marketing is signaling for a customers attention and then pushing unwanted messages onto unsuspecting customers. We define inbound marketing as the origination of a digital action to elicit interest or engage with potential customers e.g. on page seo, blog articles, reports, white papers, and social media messaging. Outbound marketing is defined by any proactive action to 'further' the engagement with the potential customer. This would include proactive marketing initiatives such as off page seo, email marketing, local search management, online meetings, and social media interaction.

Networking Similarities
Inbound marketing in its most rudimentary form, existed long before the modern term arrived. When I first began in business a form of inbound marketing was known as networking. In networking (we're not referring to MLM) people earned respect and trust by engaging with others and this trust advanced mutual benefit. Because there was an element of trust involved these relationships could, did, and do drive considerable business.

To be clear, the two are not exactly the same. On the contrary, one begins on a personal level while the other begins through digital interaction. The point here is there are similarities between the two. These similarities provide a better point of reference as to why inbound marketing is thought of so highly today, and why it works. Networking is still around and going strong, but is slowly being supplanted by inbound marketing. The the way parties meet and the style of earning trust changes with inbound marketing. But the core principals of networking, relevant two-way communication, trust building, and authority status development exists in inbound marketing.

How Companies, Brands, And Non Profits Communicate

The internet has changed the way companies, brands, and non profits engage with others and conduct business. I'd be willing to place a bet that at some point in time you've run across a blog post or article that interested or repelled you so much you left a comment, or if you didn't you wanted to leave one. This engagement with the senders message ( with or without response) is the way companies, brands, and non profits develop relationships with customers.

There is power in being able to move people into action whether this is a positive or negative reaction. The relationships (where there exists a positive connotation) that develop have a greater chance of turning into trusted relationships once the customer has granted authority status to the sender of the message for the subject matter.

Like in networking, when trust is established the customer is more open to hearing the message and the call to action. Likewise, if the customer and sender enjoy a reciprocal relationship there exists some probability the call to action will be heard and possibly acted upon. Taking it one step further, with a relationship based on trust the receiver of the message (customer) may now also influence the original sender of the message with their own mutual benefit call to action.

Relevance Core To Inbound Marketing
Relevance is the core competency in inbound marketing. If a company, brand, or non profit can deliver a relevant message to a prospective customer then an opportunity exists for both to receive mutual benefit. There's not much more to say about relevancy except to say without it you will not reach the parties you wish to reach. This places limitations on marketing actions that could be detrimental to inbound marketing efforts. Keep your message relevant and you'll likely find success.

Quality Over Quantity
A relevant well crafted message will help you get good traction in inbound marketing. An excellent crafted relevant message will rock! When considering content always remember that the quality of the content should remain steadfast over the quantity of the content. If given a choice between 100 good articles Vs 10 excellent articles don't hesitate to choose the 10 excellent articles.


Inbound marketing differs from the 'old dog' outbound marketing because of the way the message is sent, received, and in the manner parties can communicate. There are many additional benefits inbound marketing offers over traditional outbound marketing. Some are process related, others financial. So now that we've had a chance to diagnose the dilemma are you ready to put the old dog down? In part two we'll discover how small business can equal the playing field with their larger competitors and develop new customer relationships with inbound marketing.


For a well organized overview of inbound marketing Vs outbound marketing you can view this infographic originally posted in Mashable http://mashable.com/2011/10/30/inbound-outbound-marketing/

By Christopher Telles

Article source: http://goarticles.com/article/Put-The-Old-Dog-Down/5806123/

Christopher Telles is founder and CEO of inboundOut Small Business Marketing Platform. Chris has 20+ years experience as a marketer and sales professional building entrepreneurial companies in B2B markets. InboundOut http://www.inboundout.com is an All-In-One full service marketing platform for small business and professional service providers in B2B and B2C markets.

If you would like to master marketing with social media for your busines, please collect 4 ebooks for free at www.methodsocialmedia.com

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Social Media Fails Whilst Drunk? Fear No More

Go Home, You're Drunk

At some point in your life, you will be in a situation where you have had one too many sherbets, whilst also holding a technological device. This is called a disaster in waiting, and many social lives have fallen foul to social media blunders whilst under the influence. But worry no more.

Source: hookmedia.com

In fact, a range of apps are becoming available to protect you from yourself, and they can keep you from making any unwise phone calls, texts, Facebook posts, and tweets.

Android users can now download an app called Drunk Locker, which is specifically designed to prevent you from creating destruction on social media when you are on a night out. For many, the temptation to hit social media whilst drunk is too much, so this app will prove invaluable. The app allows the user to block Facebook, Messenger, SnapChat, Instagram, Tumblr and Twitter for a time period of their choosing.

When planning a night out, you can lock yourself out of these dangerous platforms for up to 10 hours. How on earth are you expected to cope? Even worse, if you set the lock, you will be unable to have a sudden change of heart. You will be locked out of society for an unbearable amount of time. You will be disconnected with the rest of the world, and will eventually feel alone and scared.

“We want to protect you so that you don’t make a mistake that will affect you for the rest of your life,” the site’s website dramatically declares.

“We know that social media runs the world and we want to protect your reputation.”

Source: theantisocialmedia.com

The app has been subject to critical acclaim, generating an average score on Google Play of 4.8 stars out of 5. Again, fear not Apple enthusiasts, as you can use Social Lock, which asks you to perform a test of your motor skills before giving you full access to your social media accounts. If you stumble or your fingers fail to move in the required way, you will be effectively refused entry to your own information.

On the way, there is a host of “drunk dial” apps, that will prevent you from calling or texting your contacts when on the verge of paralysis through alcohol.

So this is it. The end game. All this technological progression, and we as a species have finally reached the summit of our potential. We can now rest easy knowing that even in our most embarrassing states, out phones still have us covered. I suppose it is a contemporary first world problem that needs eradicating, just like world food shortages, economic inequality, and racial division.

By Alex Smith

Source: http://www.socialmediafrontiers.com/2014/11/social-media-fails-whilst-drunk-fear-no.html#.VGwgqckXLgU

If you would like to master using social media for your business, please collect my 4 free ebooks on marketing at: www.methodsocialmedia.com 

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Internet and Social Media Marketing Companies: A Perfect Mix for Success

Every now and then we feel that need to give ourselves some time off to unwind and socialize, yet we unconsciously brush that part of our lives off due to our priorities and busy schedules. Daily interactions are important especially when you are doing business, and one of the best gifts technology has bestowed us is the internet. With the convenience of internet, people have managed to develop platforms as avenues for interaction, sustaining communication with loved ones located halfway around the world, and building communities. One of the advantages the internet has brought is the way it paved a road for aspiring entrepreneurs and established businesses to expand their marketing methods.

Since social media is one of the tools in creating and maintaining effective communication with people around the world, social media marketing companies have mastered how to use it to establish their brand as well as their clients. Seeing that online presence is one of the factors that we need in order to be recognized all over the globe, this has proven to eliminate the hassle and hindrances that may put a damper on people's desire to interact virtually.

But how is this efficient for people who aspire to build and grow their business?

With the help of social media marketing companies, they will help you set up the building blocks to your success. These experts are able to provide you with good marketing tools and strategies to prepare your brand and business for success. They will assist you in constructing the best technique to come up with a useful and effective advertisement. These marketing companies will help you make the best sales offer that is unquestionably appealing and it is confidently tailored to your target market or niche. The best thing about getting the services of social media marketing companies is that they know the correct formula to make your products and services go viral. They know what strategies are effective and they are knowledgeable on how to establish your online presence and make the most out of it. it has the possibilities to be shared and become viral, if your content is fresh or interesting enough.

Even though social media marketing companies are available anywhere in this time and age, you must take your time to find the right company to work with. You can't just jump on the first one you stumble on or find in the internet, that's not a very wise decision and could cost you not just your time but your hopes, money and chances on being successful as well.

Before you choose the marketing company, make sure you have done some research and read up on reviews from their previous clients. This will help you a lot in deciding which suits your needs and which company offers value for money!

By Thomas Vadec

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Vadec

If you would like to master social media for your business success, please go to www.methodsocialmedia.com
 

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The Vital Importance of Social Media for Small Wineries

Social media has been a standard part of our culture since the mid 2000s. At that time, many industries first started to recognize the possibilities of using the internet for marketing. And while some consumer product producers found great opportunities in social media, the wine industry and many wine businesses were really slow to incorporate online social networks into their marketing programs. This was likely a result of them being both skeptical of the platforms, as well as uncertain of the potential return on investment (ROI).

But over the last few years more and more wineries have found great success with social media. Such successes include better brand awareness as well as greater conversion of fans and followers into customers resulting from the type of relationship building that only social media can provide.
There are, of course, many different types of social media, including social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Google+; blogs and web 2.0 social sites; video platforms such as YouTube and Vimeo; review sites like Citysearch & Yelp; as well as mobile "check-in" platforms like Foursquare and Foodspotting. And that's just for starters.



Why is Social Media a Good Pairing for Wine?
Wine is often talked about as an "experience" product, meaning that consumers usually need to interact with it before knowing if they actually like it. With well over 10,000 producers represented in the US market alone, wine can be especially confusing. That's why so many consumers rely on wine-savvy friends or professionals to help them with their wine purchasing. In decades past it might have been books or magazine articles or newsletter that helped them learn and make decisions about wine, but in the age of the internet, consumers are increasingly turning to the web for education and advice on just about everything, including wine. In fact, wine is one of the most searched terms on Google when it comes to consumer products.

Wine Social Media Has Grown
Consumer consumption of social content related to wine has increased significantly over the last several years. In a study conducted back in 2010, approximately 700,000 people searched for and viewed wine related videos on a monthly basis. There are over 8,000 wine related tweets per day and nearly 500 iPhone apps related to wine. According to their own internal data, 90% of wine drinkers engage with Facebook between 6 and 8 hours every week. And, according to a Google Analytics report in 2012, wineries are the third most popular subject on Pinterest. There are between 1500 and 2000 active blogs on the subject of wine at any given time, and even more bloggers who include wine among other subjects they cover. Wine is clearly on the radar of a huge portion of the internet's population.

Tips for Launching a Wine Social Media Strategy
While many major wine industry players have now embraced social media as part of their strategy, small wineries have remained slow at fully implementing social media into their overall marketing strategy. Without a dedicated staff member, it can often seem like an overwhelming task. But the fact is that by dedicating a short amount of time on a consistent basis, any small business (including small wineries) can develop a strong social media presence. Here's how:
1) Pick one or two platforms and become an expert at connecting with fans on them. Don't get distracted by thinking you need to be everywhere online.
2) Create interesting, engaging, and valuable content that will get people to interact with you. One sided content, like a photo with a caption saying "we're out in the vineyard today dropping fruit" just won't get people involved. Instead, try caption contests or ask provocative questions.
3) Include a call to action with every few posts. The idea of social platform marketing is to relate, but also to feed your business with new purchases or new clients. Make sure you don't miss opportunities to get them to buy from you.

Putting it into Action:
Do you want to learn how you can increase leads, build trust & authority in your niche, and maybe even create passive income streams for your business? Get Free Instant Access to David Baer's Video on the 3 Marketing Essentials you must know about.

And if you want to learn what "not" to do, then you might want to grab a copy of the Free Report, "7 Mistakes Most Local Businesses Make With Their Advertising"

Brought to by David Baer - Demystifying Internet Marketing for wineries, wine retailers and other small business owners.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=D._Baer

If you would like to master social media for your business, please collect my 4 free ebooks at:  www.methodsocialmedia.com 

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How Facebook Could Be Influencing Election Day

Political Apptivism 

It was the mid-term elections in the United States this week, and America's many Facebook users logged in to discover the 'Megaphone' voting announcement. Appearing on top of user's news feeds, it pushed them to go and vote. This is not the first time that Facebook has used its influence to tempt its users into voting. Another version of the Megaphone appeared in 2008, but this year they have tweaked the algorithm so that the feature reaches out to all users old enough to vote.

The exciting feature lets you see which of your friends have voted or are planning to vote. For those unsure about where to go, especially first time voters, Facebook will point you in the direction of your nearest polling station. Once you have voted, you can post on Facebook: "I'm A Voter" or "I'm Voting."

Facebook is working under the assumption that if you see that your friends have been voting then you are more likely to vote. But what are Facebook's real intentions? Could they be influencing the end result? A Facebook spokesperson has stated that: "Our effort is neutral, while we encourage any and all candidates, groups and voters to use our platform to engage on the elections, we as a company have not used our products in a way that attempts to influence how people vote."

In this case, it seems that Facebook's intentions are pretty clear: to ensure that people do their civic duty and go vote. However, in the future, Facebook could become an important political tool. Over the summer, Facebook had, controversially, influenced what users saw on their news feed to see if a load of negative posts would make people feel sad and vice versa. Facebook could potentially influence who people want to vote for by making one political party more visible on News Feeds than others.

However, Facebook is promoting social engagement and should be applauded for their efforts. More often that not, young people won't cast their vote, meaning a large chunk of the population remains unrepresented. Facebook is a large part of young people's lives and so it makes sense that it should be used to push people into casting their vote. Social media should play a large part in promoting social engagement and political activism because it is the space where most people spend a large amount of time. 

How to get  young people to go vote? Maybe social media is the answer.

by Laura Veit

Laura is a recent graduate from University of East Anglia in Film and Television Studies, currently interning as a content writer but hoping to one day live off her writing. Follow her @LauraAtSMF.

Source: http://www.socialmediafrontiers.com/2014/11/how-facebook-could-be-influencing.html 

If you wish to master social media for your business,  please collect my 4 free ebooks at  

http://www.methodsocialmedia.com/

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LinkedIn Improves Its Job Search Engine

LinkedIn has redesigned its job search engine to make it easier for job seekers to find a career suited to their expertise, with a deeper Advanced Search option and the ability to save jobs for later inspection.

“Here at LinkedIn,” says Vaibhav Goel on the LinkedIn blog, “we want to help you find your dream job and the new LinkedIn Jobs experience has been completely redesigned to connect you with the right career opportunities and tools to help you take advantage of those opportunities.”

The advanced search at the top of the page – which has been redesigned for easier navigation – allows users to narrow down their search by country, industry, zip (post) code, job functions and salary. A “More Options” buttons gives users even more search parameters.

Beneath the search bar is a list of jobs that users may be suited to, taking into account experience and expertise, with sponsored jobs at the top. Hovering over a job with the cursor will reveal a star: by clicking on the star, job seekers can save the job in a tab on the right of the job search.

There is even the option to save previous job searches, so that new jobs that fit the search criteria will show up on the job search page. Job seekers can also opt in to receive email alerts if any jobs fitting their search criteria get posted on LinkedIn.

Perhaps the most interesting new feature is the “Discover jobs in your network” category at the bottom of the page, which displays career opportunities in companies that employ the user’s connections.

On the blog, Goel describes the networking category as a “brand new feature that highlights opportunities at companies where you have an ‘in’ such as a first degree connection who can refer you and help you get your foot in the door”.

LinkedIn has also introduced two new features specifically for Job Seeker Premium subscribers: an advanced search feature to find salary specific jobs and “embedded tips to help you make the most of LinkedIn for your job search”.



by Will Sigsworth

Source: http://www.socialmediafrontiers.com/2013/02/linkedin-improves-its-job-search-engine.html

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Social Networks Asked To Hand Over Terrorists' Data

Online Privacy Discussion Causes More Controversy

The terrorist group ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) have been known to spread their message and ideals through social media. Social media, in this case, has been used to the full extent from tweeting and posting propaganda videos on YouTube to using social media networks to recruit new followers. Facebook, Twitter and Google have been quick to react and most of the terrorists' content is removed and their profiles deleted. However, the UK government feel that they are not doing enough, as images like the one below are still filtering through.

source: chainsoff.wordpress.com

On Sunday, representatives of various social media networks will be invited to Downing Street where they will be asked by the UK government to hand over all data relating to ISIS terrorists accounts on their websites. This includes IP addresses, usernames, emails and names. These websites already remove the bulk of the inflammatory and illegal content posted by extremists but only hand over the information relating to the accounts when specifically asked by the police. The UK government now want the social media giants to hand over this data automatically, about the content they chose to remove from their website.

Facebook, Twitter and YouTube will also be asked to take down all extremist material relating to ISIS. This crackdown does not only include illegal content such as bomb making or extremely violent videos but also propaganda videos used to recruit Muslims all around the world.While social media networks always do their best to take down all illegal material, they previously chose to leave the less inflammatory content up. This not only informs the general population what ISIS's message actually is but also enables us to criticize it and come up with a way to counteract it.

Is it really beneficial to us to remove all content provided by ISIS? I do think to some extent that it is healthy to be able to see for yourself two sides of the story. Of course, all illegal, explicitly violent content should be removed without question, but what about the other videos or tweets that do not necessarily incite violence? If it is possible to remove it all, how can we form an opinion? All our information would be second-hand, provided by the media that love to only tell one story. In this case, the government are worried that any propaganda could be used to recruit British Muslims.

source: belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Facebook and Twitter are understandably reluctant to comply to all these demands, fearing that their reputation will be on the line, or that they will be named 'police informants'. Furthermore, the UK government seems to be ignoring freedom of speech in the name of fighting terrorism.While in ISIS's case, the UK government's position is easy to understand, as having access to all this data could lead to arrests in England, we should take a step back. What if any government were to ask the same thing of Facebook and Twitter but not to fight terrorism but to get rid of content that explicitly criticizes that said government? To get information on all and any dissidents? Would that still be acceptable?

By Laura Veit

Source:  http://www.socialmediafrontiers.com/2014/10/facebook-and-twitter-asked-to.html#.VEsyKckxguc

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Waterstones Under The Bridge

Occasionally, internet dwellers remind us that social media is more than just a tool to allow desperate trolls their fifteen tweets of infamy. Sometimes, we get lucky enough to hear about something that makes us smile - instead of just leaving us shaking our respective heads about the future of mankind. Today, I'm pleased to report on the internet's latest tale of feel-goodery, and it comes from the most unlikely of sources: an empty Waterstones store in central London. Or, at least, a central London Waterstones that should have been empty.

Just after nine last Thursday, David Willis, a Dallas, Texas resident holidaying in England’s capital, walked downstairs in the Waterstones store in which he was watching an author write a book (or whatever reason people still go to bookstores now we have the internet). But instead of the welcome site of an open door leading to a grim London night-time street, he was greeted with this:

source: dailymail.co.uk

Unbeknownst to Willis, store workers had assumed the place was empty and shut up shop for the night, leaving him trapped. So he did what anyone in his situation with a device capable of calling the police would do: he turned to Twitter for help.

His initial tweet, which was to Waterstones' social media team, adorably ended with "Please let me out". This first contact has since received 12k retweets and over 8k favourites, and I like to think that after he'd sent it he sat cross-legged on the floor, stared at the door and patted himself on the back for a job well done. When all you have is 3G and a smartphone, what else can you do?

Due to Willis making the tweet public, it quickly gained traction. Soon, thousands were following his tale of woe, (im)patiently waiting for updates.


But it didn't all go to plan. Willis was unaware that a few hours earlier, Waterstones’ social media team had tweeted their last message of the day. They were now safely tucked up in their beds, and weren't set to return until 9am the next morning. Cue mass panic, and thousands of Twitter users campaigning to free Willis. No-one knew if Waterstones' social media marketing team would ever see his plea, or if they'd care enough to help (it was past 5:30; it wasn't their problem anymore). Would Willis be freed before he was forced to eat his own thumbs?

Two hours later, Waterstones’ Twitter account finally announced Willis' rescue. Cue sighs of relief, retweets of satisfaction and a confirmation tweet from the man himself, which has been shared by thousands.

source: dailymail.co.uk

The story shows the ability of social media to capture the public’s imagination in ways that simply weren’t possible before. In the space of a few short hours, an unknown tourist became a household name (at least to the Twitter-literate). It also goes to show that, for the most part, people like seeing the internet used as a tool for good. Although he was far from a celebrity or a person of interest, social media gave Willis’ plight tonnes of exposure, and Twitter's users did all they could to help grab Waterstones’ attention. Dozens even contacted the police to try and help.

While he would have eventually made it out without the help of the internet, Mr. Willis’ story would never have become such a public talking point without the communal atmosphere of Twitter. From Waterstones’ perspective, it’s also a good example of how to turn public attention into great marketing. By dealing with the situation in the way they did, and sorting it in such a good-humoured way, Waterstones used social media to hugely improve their public perception without spending a penny.

Not bad, considering they weren't meant to come back online until 9am the next day.

by Emile Cole

Source: http://www.socialmediafrontiers.com/2014/10/texan-tourist-trapped-in-uk-bookstore.html#.VEcogsk0-So

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Secret Social Media Strategy Used By 7 Figure Earners

Article by Edward Liew

I do not usually talk about social media as I am not an expert in this niche. However, I learnt something very valuable recently during a mastermind session with fellow internet marketers. I was told that this strategy is what all the 6 to 7 figure income earners are using on their social media platform.

By using this strategy, I hope you will reap higher success in your social media. So, what is this secret strategy?

"Talk About Yourself"

Well, you may have heard that the way to build a following on social networks, for example, Twitter, is to promote other people's work. People don't want to hear you talk about yourself all the time, right?
This advice is well-meaning and sounds good on the surface. But, it's also wrong.

Promoting other people's work and sharing links to interesting articles is fine, but do not expect that merely doing that will help you gain followers or attention. People follow you (or your business) because that's what they are interested in - You.

For example, I follow "Mr X" tweets and posts because I am interested in what he has to say. If he spent all his time talking about other people and mentioning his other fans, I would not as interested.
What should you talk about online? It's simple: Talk about yourself and your business. Really. If people do not like what you do or say, they can unfollow you, but chances are that you will gain far more followers than you lose.

Finally, remember that online social networks are merely reflections of what is happening elsewhere. Want more Twitter followers? Then do something interesting... away from Twitter.

In other words, what you do offline can affect your online success in social media. Share with your fans on your life and your business. Tell them more about yourself and your family. We are, after all, humans and humans like connections.

Connect with your fans on a superficial level and you will reap superficial results. Connect them to your heart and your results will blow your mind away!

Beside Twitter, the other popular social networks platform used by the high income earners, include Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Facebook and Instagram allow photo to be posted. YouTube allow videos to be uploaded. But if you are an introvert and is shy about letting the world see you, you can skip YouTube for now.

by Edward Liew

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Secret-Social-Media-Strategy-Used-By-7-Figure-Earners&id=8726435

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5 Ways to Win With Social Media

Make Social Media Work For You

Let's face it, if a marketing tactic doesn't serve to somehow influence sales, then the time and money invested in it is down the drain. Social media can drive sales, but it's easy to make mistakes and waste your time.

Here are five examples of those who succeeded:

Social Media Examiner: Michael Stelzner kept going after his vision of an online magazine devoted to social media, even after friends and business partners told him the Web did not need another social media blog. He got the website ready, then took a video crew to a couple of major events where he had access to some of the biggest names in social media. He then broadcast those videos on the website and backed them up with several articles each week. Now it is recognized as the best social media magazine in the world. “All we did was rely on social media to grow this,” Stelzner said.

Lesson: Don’t worry if everyone says you can’t when you know you can.

On Track Tips: Just a couple of years ago, Jason Wiser was struggling to get his company off the ground and figure out who his ideal customer was. Today, he is one of the most-followed and trusted small businesses on Google+. He also maintains a strong Twitter presence, a well-trafficked blog, YouTube presence, and hosts a podcast. Jason’s big leverage point:Repurposing content. He uses Google Hangouts On Air (HOA) to interview rock star gurus like Guy Kawasaki and Chris Brogan. Jason and his team then turn each HOA into a YouTube, a podcast, and a blog article. No one delivers more value or gets more out of each tactic than Jason Wiser. His next project: A general contracting site for getting online.

Lesson: Get the most use of out every piece of content you produce.

Culinary Connection: How does a startup school with no building and no teachers get started? Taking their unique idea to train chefs by placing them in the kitchen with those already excelling at the culinary arts, Culinary Connection visited top restaurants in the USA, then parlayed those visits into partnerships and testimonials. From there, word of mouth via social media — primarily Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest — led to a mention on the Larry King Live show. Once potential clients see the wisdom of a the programme, the sale is almost a given. It’s getting the word out that is important, and social media, coupled with regular articles on their own blog, drives the message.  

Lesson: Great ideas need to be announced – social media can help you do that.

 Source: theconversation.com

StuKent: When Stuart Draper attended college, there was just one class in Internet marketing. Five years after graduation, that scenario hadn't changed much. That prompted Draper to create his own coursework and offer it to colleges as an online option. Stuart relied primarily on Twitter and Twitter Chats to begin getting the word out and build buzz. He then personally called department heads around the nation to get their buy-ins for the course. StuKent is changing marketing education at the collegiate level.

 Lesson: Develop a plan for your social media work — always have a goal in mind.

Debbie White Agency: After setting sales records for Fortune 500 companies, White took her brand of low-pressure, high-results sales to clients on the speaking seminar circuit. After teaching some of the most influential speakers in the world how to sell, she began focusing her efforts on directly helping professionals and executives realize that everyone, even lawyers and bankers, is in sales. Debbie had little luck with Facebook, but found her best place for client mining to be LinkedIn.

Lesson: Use the social media sites and tools that best fit for YOUR audience.

The wise use of social media can propel your company to success. You should avoid fake accounts, pseudonyms, and any deceptive practices. Using your real name can open you up to online pirates, so be sure to take steps to protect your name and brand. Never, ever slander another company to make yours look good. Play fair and let the world know what you have to offer.

Written by TeamSMF
Source: http://www.socialmediafrontiers.com/2014/10/5-ways-to-win-with-social-media.html#more

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