When you start off, you are building Brand Awareness within your network. Once you have earned the trust of your network, then you have positioned yourself to offer your products and services. Just as the sales call or unwanted knock at the door rarely leads to a sale, abusing your network leads to a shrinking network.

Let’s start with the basics and lay a good foundation for your social media campaign.

Process (Sales vs Awareness)

We examine  how the social process works and some of the benefits. We also define expectations of your social media efforts.

• While sales will come, you are building brand awareness with social media
• Define your target audience and expand it
• Develop a social media update schedule for 12 months (stick to it)
• Develop an outline of updatable topics that you can start to build content for
• You should have content on your website or blog that pertains to the update prior to pushing out the update
• Social involvement should be on all print and online materials (email signature, business cards, voice mail etc.)
• Be prepared to become active in your social campaign whether you handle it internally or outsource it. It’s not something you can pay for and set it adrift only to look for sales to increase. You must help craft the topics, write supportive information and provide suggestions. No one knows your company and or industry better than you.
• This process is like a marathon and not a sprint. It takes time, adjustments, effort, vision, patience and investment of time and money to succeed

Tools (Quantity vs Quality)

We define what tools we use and how we will use them. We also will discuss optional tools that can be added if so desired.

• Setup accounts with full account profiles
• Identify the kinds of updates that can take place on each network based on their character limitations
• Develop update schedule (day and time)
• Install a social widget on your website to show the latest update
• Identify optional services to expand your social network and traction such as social bookmarking, email blasts, video channel and blog development
• Create location to provide a click-to from the update
• Install tracking code for measuring updates effectiveness
• Prepare to grow your website and / or blog as you begin the social campaign
• Advertise that you are now on social networks and what type of information you’ll be providing

Performance (Fact vs Fiction)

We discuss how we define, measure, adjust and re-engage parts of the campaign. We set goals and milestones.

• Examine: Look at statistics to monitor traction
• Examine: Revisit your products and services from a client’s point of view
• Examine: Compare your architecture against your competition
• Examine: Have you done everything suggested in Process and Tools
• Adjust: Define and develop content for your top 10 products and services
• Adjust: Revisit your goals of social networking (sales vs awareness)
• Adjust: Take a moment to remember why you are doing this
• Engage: Implement adjustments based off of tracking and performance
• Engage: Are you as active as you could be with your social network?
• Engage: Promote your social network involvement at every turn

As you can see, it’s much more than just having an account. Social Architecture is about having a plan, the right content to educate people and the objectiveness to adjust to reach people in a new advertising medium. Social networking is just like in-person networking, you get out what you put in to it. Investing time, effort and yes even money is the best way to grow your network.

Welcome to Social Media Networking. Allow Studio490 to help you as you take the first steps toward growing your company.

Customers are using social networks and expect businesses to use it too. If Americans are spending most of their time social networking, shouldn’t companies want to be a part of that world as well. Customers believe that companies should incorporate social networking into their regular marketing strategies.

Back in time, most businesses didn’t have a website to promote their product or service. Now, the majority of businesses have at least a basic web presence. The website is considered to be part of their standard business. So, it will become with social marketing. Social marketing will be a part of the standard way to do business.

Social marketing doesn’t require lots of time. If the company implements the social networking as a part of its marketing strategy, social marketing can be an easy marketing activity to achieve on a daily basis. By integrating the company’s website and social networks, time spent on social networking can be minimize.

By using social marketing,  the company is able to reach thousands of viewers daily. Your business is not just waiting to be found by its website. Now your company can promote your business through other social networks, which brings awareness to your target audience.

With the use of social networking, businesses are able to connect and communicate with its customers and potential customers. It improves the company’s web visibility and increases search engine rankings.

Now is the time to incorporate social networks into your marketing plan. This will not only enhance your online presence, but reach new prospects and meet your current customers’ expectations.

Contact Studio490 today to discuss your social marketing strategies.

TJ and Dana Todd

Studio490