Develop a Knock-out Social Media Strategy!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) May 29, 2009 -- Our first blog entry on creating your successful social media strategy discussed some of the weaknesses of television, print and radio advertising. In the latest blog entry, THE MARKETING ANALYSTS write about how social media should be used to target new customers and strengthen relationships with existing customers. In addition to social media research, we also offer predictive marketing models, search optimization, professional translations in over 30 languages and a variety of online advertising solutions. Visit us at www.themarketinganalysts.com.

Positive Word of Mouth

Through social media, companies are actively developing powerful Word of Mouth marketing strategies. Whether your company is large or small, it has probably been discussed on social media web sites. So what do bloggers and social media participants think about your company? Pretend that you operate a house cleaning/janitorial service company. A consumer performing simple research on Google, Live or Yahoo may not find recommendations from trusted sources. Instead, they might find some web content that contains reviews that are likely company sponsored, biased opinions. However, a search on social networking sites may reveal recommendations people you know and respect.
Social Media = The Latest Marketing Tool
Social media research a fantastic method that you can use to connect and learn about your customers. When you follow online discussions about your company, you can easily find customers and potential customers, learn about their personalities, uncover what interests them and track the characteristics of other people who they converse with. Why is this important? Research suggests that people are five times more likely to buy a product if their friends recommend it.

While full customer contact details aren’t available on websites like MySpace, Linkedin and Facebook, there still exists a wealth of information that you can integrate into your marketing strategies. When you set up an account and ask to become friends with a customer, you will generally be accepted, if they have had pleasant experiences with your company. Through this connection, you have new opportunities to identify their friends and further strengthen your marketing efforts.
Be Honest About Who You Are
As part of your social media program, always avoid making unsolicited requests for friendships. Doing so can result in rejections, being banned from making future contacts and a negative reputation. Instead, concentrate your efforts on developing good content that you can send to friends. As more people value your posts, they will want to become your friend. Additionally, you might include open invitations on your website to join your friends network on myspace, facebook, Linkedin and other sites.

As a word of caution, always be transparent in your online communications. This is critical when building trust. Never try to disguise who you work

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