5 Essential Marketing Skills Every Person Should Know

Anyone involved in a business has a role to play in marketing. In today’s highly competitive world, marketing sits across every function of a business, and it’s not just down to ‘The Marketing Department.’ If you work for yourself or run a small business, sales and marketing will be as much a part of your working day as everything else that has to be done to make a profit.

Marketing can be a very complex subject, but anyone can develop a few of the core skills and see the results of their efforts. You may feel it’s something best left to the experts, but there are some essential marketing skills that can make a huge difference to your success in business.

The Pareto Principle (80/20 rule)

1. Understand the 80/20 Rule

Everyone’s heard of the 80/20 Rule, but you may not realise how important it is in the world of marketing. Also known as Pareto’s Principle, in business the rule tells us that eighty percent of your sales come from twenty percent of your customers. The actual percentages may vary, but essentially it means that you have to recognise where your profits come from and specifically target those customers. Your marketing and advertising budget should take account of this, or you will be wasting time and effort.

2. Customer Segmentation

Taking the 80/20 Rule a step further, you should understand the different types of customers you deal with and tailor your approach to them. There are hundreds of ways you can segment customers, and only you can decide which is right for your business. For example, you could segment customers based on their age, how they trade with you, their average monthly order, or even their geographical location. Once you have segmented your customers into groups, you can develop strategies for the best way to deal with them.

3. Marketing Communications

Communication is everything in marketing. If you can’t get your messages out to an audience, your business will shrivel and die. Marketing communications is about understanding the needs of your audience and finding the best way to talk to them. It may be a mix of face to face visits, email marketing, newsletters and press advertising, or it could be something far more simple. Good marketing communications tell a story and use emotion and personal examples to stimulate interest.

4. How to Make Your Company Stand Out

Most markets are saturated with similar products and services, and the way to beat the competition is to make your company stand out. A very small difference could put you streets ahead. The obvious approach is to be the cheapest, but customers are more sophisticated nowadays, and other strategies can work better. Take a look at successful companies like Apple, and consider what makes them stand out from the competition.

5. Social Media Marketing

Just a couple of years ago social media marketing was seen as a passing fad. Sites and services like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are now part daily life, and they are incredibly powerful marketing tools if used in the right way. Social media can be used to identify and market to very specific customer groups for very little cost. Sites like Facebook allow you to develop conversations with customers and prospects, and you can capture feedback and ideas in an instant. Social media allow you to develop your company’s brand and to establish yourself as an expert in unique and interesting ways.

Technology and the way we do business has changed beyond recognition over the past decade, and marketing has had to adapt at a rapid pace. Traditional marketing skills still have value, but the modern marketer has to develop new skills to respond to change.

Three tricks get out of the social weeds

Q1 is such a great time of year for me. I am so full of energy. Ready to tackle new challenges. I am full of hopes of new customers, plans to connect with them and strategies to engage with them. So hopeful. So hopeful, indeed. It isn’t until about midway through Q1 that I start to notice that as a group, we tend to get mired in the weeds and details. Sifting through content calendars, blog posts, social updates and Twitter responses. We became very busy with how things are worded and legal approvals. And before the smell of spring is in the air, we are so standing so close to the proverbial tree, staring so intently that we are getting a bark imprint on our face.
It is so hard to not get mired down in the weeds of all of the details of marketing a product or service. We have goals and directives to meet. Lead generation campaigns to launch, marketing automation branches to define. Emails to write. But we will never meet any of our directives or goals if we are standing right up on top of the tree.
We need to remember the forest of customers. It is the customer that makes achieving those goals and directives possible. Because when we step away from the tree and the minutia of delivering marketing, we are able to see better where we can add value to the customer AND meet our goals. The bark of the tree is your brand. The forest is where your brand answers a consumer need and if we are busy with the tree all the time, we will miss the opportunities of the forest.
So, here are three ways for you to step away from the bark:

Hear her.

While you are busy reading posts about your brand, it is very easy to only hear your brand name. When you read it again, remove your brand from the comment and really hear her. What is she saying? Does she need answers? Is she comparing you to others? When you really hear her without the burdens of your brand, you can begin to form an understanding what she needs. When you hear her and understand her, you can give her information and tools to be successful. That is if you have those tools or that information. If you don’t, you now know what you need to do to help her and make her an advocate for you.

Stop marketing…just for a second.

Marketing is selling, really. Maybe soft selling, but it is part of the funnel. And when we are our most honest, we admit, people do not like being sold to very much. When we are in the weeds, we are focused on driving sales, or leads, or engagement. Basically, we are trying to get other people to do something they would not naturally do. And when you’re in the weeds, that’s what it is, but, when you stop marketing for a second, you can see the forest for the opportunity it holds and can see ways you might be able to add value. Adding value is selling today and it works. When you’re in the weeds, stop marketing and start looking for ways to be a helpful resource to her. People like helpful. They buy from helpful.

Take off your brand hat

When I am in the weeds with some marketing project and I am totally stuck, I ask myself would I do/use/buy/click/register? If the answer is “no”, I need to revisit the strategy as a person, not a marketer. I think about what I would need in this product and how I would use it and what I would pay for it. It is a good starting point, but in order to do this, you have to remove your brand hat because that clouds the judgment a little. If you are unable to do this, call your best friend or mom and ask them. They can give you some insights that you might not otherwise get.
Too frequently we are so close to the brand tree bark that we forget that we need to meet a consumer need and if we are not meeting that need, the brand will languish. Being a nimble marketer is important and if you can remember to get out of the weeds every now and then, we will see greater success for our brands.

14 Top Marketing Pros Give Their Best Tip For 2014

At Firebrand Group, where I work, we consistently meet with prospects and clients ultimately interested in one thing: marketing success.


While we focus on powering marketing success day in and day out, I thought it might be nice to turn to my network of authors, strategists, social media executives, entrepreneurs and ask them one question:


“If you could make just one recommendation to companies to power their marketing success in 2014, what would it be?”


Here’s what they had to say.
1. Dorie Clark (@dorieclark), Strategy Consultant, Author of “Reinventing You”:


It’s time to create targeted content – now. As I’ve written about here and here, in a crowded media environment, companies must draw customers proactively to them. Ads are fine, but the benefit goes away once you stop paying.


The real secret is a robust content marketing strategy. It doesn’t have to be blogging; it could be a podcast or a Pinterest account or even a company song. But it does need to be something.
2. Ryan Holiday (@RyanHoliday), Director of Marketing at American Apparel, Author of Trust Me I’m Lying and Growth Hacker Marketing:


I think 90% of companies would see more “marketing” success if they focused that energy NOT on marketing, but rather on improving the product or the service. There has never been more media than before, so the market for interesting stuff is basically infinite.


Pitching is easy, marketing is easy. Doing something worth talking about is more difficult.
3. Ekaterina Walter (@Ekaterina), Co-founder and CMO of BRANDERATI; Author of WSJ Bestseller “Think Like Zuck”:


Nurture advocacy! And instead of creating marketing campaigns, build movements around your brand.


In the age of infobesity, advocacy becomes the most relevant brand marketing filter. And by advocacy, I mean the highest expression of brand love by a brand’s consumers, partners, and employees. What’s more, in the social era, the right form of advocacy becomes true influence.


True influence is not about numbers ; it’s about impacting behavior through passion, relevance, and trust. And genuine, organic love for a brand impacts behavior much more than a paid recommendation.


Only brands that focus deeply on building and nurturing long-term relationships with their true advocates will see sustainable business results.


We are entering an Age of Advocacy in which consumers are no longer buying brands; they are investing in them. Marketers will move from marketing to their fans to marketing with and through them.
4. Christopher S. Penn (@cspenn), Vice President of Marketing Technology at SHIFT Communications, Co-Host, Marketing Over Coffee:


The number one recommendation for companies when it comes to social media and marketing success in 2014 is to realize and understand that your audience is not something you own. At best, you are a temporary steward of your audience, but as countless examples have shown, one PR misstep and you can lose it all.


Your best defense against this is to clearly define your values and what your brand stands for, then rigidly adhere to those values in every aspect of your marketing.
5. Augie Ray (@augieray), Former Forrester Analyst, Finance Social Media Executive:


Focus on customer experience and how you can integrate peer-to-peer social media and recommendations into the product or service experience.


Brands like USAA, Amazon, Apple, and Google don’t succeed in social media because they have better content or social strategies, but because they offer great experiences and let customers do the talking for them.


Social media isn’t a bullhorn for brands; it’s a magnifying glass that takes what you are and the experiences you offer customers and amplifies the good and the bad online.
6. Ted Rubin (@TedRubin), Social Marketing Strategist, Keynote Speaker, Brand Evangelist, and Acting CMO of Brand Innovators:


Empower your employees…and they will power your brand! Every company can benefit enormously by recognizing the fact that social connection is an integral part of all of our lives now.


Remember that in today’s social world, every person has an extended circle of personal influence and an opportunity to build their own personal “brand.”


By helping your employees build that brand rather than squelching individuality, you could build an army of very powerful advocates. Most people, when given the opportunity, will advocate for their brands when they feel good about where they work.
7. Aliza Sherman (@alizasherman), Award-winning Digital Strategist, Author:


Stop doing what you’re doing. Unplug, take a step back, take a breather. Think about what you’ve done online over the last few years and what you’re thinking of doing in the new year.


Change it up. Don’t do “business as usual.” Experiment. Find a way to shake up the status quo. Take time away to look back with fresh eyes and ideas.


Disconnect to reconnect to what is truly important to you and those whom you’re trying to reach and influence.
8. Chris Ee (@RdLessTkn), Integrated Digital Strategist at Bajibot Media:


When it comes to anything involving numbers (think big data, analytics/reports, a/b testing & optimization) – while understanding its implications are important, ensuring the right person who is at the helm is just as important. Not every company needs to have a data scientist on staff, but they do need to be able to communicate their findings in a very succinct and impactful manner.


Data is not just about increased “ROI” per se: it is the key companies rectifying mistakes and identifying new opportunities.
9. Mark Schaefer (@markwschaefer), College Educator, Blogger, Speaker, Best-Selling Author:


Re-evaluate everything. Do you think you know who your customers are, what they need, and how they are getting their information about your products?


There has been a cataclysmic change in buying behavior over the past 18 months and it will continue to change. Businesses simply must continue to evolve quickly in this period of rapid technological revolution.
10. Lauren Hackett, Director, Communications & Social Media, Consumer Reports:


Find the line and walk it! In the age of data mining, social sign-in, and re-marketing, marketers have to be careful that they don’t cross the line and go from friend to stalker. If you’re looking for a one and done, then by all means, infiltrate all pockets.


But savvy brands know that they are forming a relationship with a customer, and that takes some skill and respect.
11. Peg Samuel (@socialdiva), Social Media Expert. Digital Strategist. Keynote Speaker:


Engage with your audience!


Social Media is not just a news broadcasting tool. Engage with your fan base: it is a blessing to have fans and customers, so treat them as such. Social Media is intended to be a two-way conversation, so if someone is reaching out or commenting on a post, comment back.


I’ve seen customers ask a brand about inventory or where an item can be purchased, without a response from that brand. That’s a big opportunity loss in both that potential sale and in building customer relations.
12. Ross Sheingold (@RossSheingold), Chief Strategy Officer at Laundry Service:


Stop talking about your big data and start putting it to use! As soon as possible, put a team in place that will work across departments to integrate your CRM and POS data with your content marketing initiatives across the digital space (social, email, web).


It’s time to take brand storytelling to the next level by using the data at our fingertips as a catalyst for more efficient and personalized marketing.


If you work in this field, you’re a data scientist!
13. Megan Berry (@meganberry), Head of Consumer at RebelMouse:


Just as in the lean product school of thought, marketers should get out minimum viable products and then test, iterate, and retest to improve their campaigns. Social media gives us real time data we can use to learn what resonates with our audience, allowing us to build out bigger campaigns from there.
14. Hillel Fuld (@HilzFuld), Tech Blogger; Startup Advisor:


Value. That is my recommendation. Stop self-promoting and start providing value. Stop asking for likes and start giving me a reason to like your brand. Value can be in the form of a blog, video, or any other content, but your marketing strategy should be to provide value consistently.


—-


How many of the above recommendations is your company already following? What changes do you hope to make in the coming year?


Either way, here’s wishing you plenty of fun challenges and even more success in 2014!

AVOID A SOCIAL CRISIS WITH ONE SIMPLE QUESTION

There is so much fear wrapped up in social media for brands. Fear from legal, compliance, leadership, sales, marketing, technology, you name it and they are all a little scared of it in some way. And I have found through so many conversations with people who want to do a good job at social that the fear is all around making a mistake. Brands are terrified of becoming the next <insert latest brand who messed up in social>. Fear in humans causes insulin to pump through our bodies and produces fight or flight. We react in dramatic ways to fear. We can dodge fists or throw them ourselves. But, fear in brands causes paralysis. And in social, paralysis might be worse than making a gaffe. Brands want a social safety net. It is the #1 reason real time marketing isn’t adopted en mass today. There is no fail-safe. But then I realized, I have the answer.

Before I get there, you should know, in my personal and professional life I have a rather famous retort for people who say dumb, offensive, racist, sexist, or generally tacky stuff to me. It’s called “The Out-Loud Voice”. It goes like this: “Tracey, those glasses look terrible on you.” Me: “Oh, I’m sorry, but maybe you didn’t know. That was your out-loud voice.” It is shockingly effective in getting people to realize they should have considered an internal monologue for such thoughts. Because sometimes not everything that passes through the brain pan needs to be expressed externally. And as evidenced by years of experience using this retort, it totally works. And I realized, with the help of Nichole and Falls, that this should be a concept employed by social media community managers everywhere. Let’s call it: The “Out-Loud Voice” litmus test. And with that, a social media fail-safe is born!

In real time, the Out-Loud Voice litmus test it is a quick affirmation that could be the last check before something is posted online. And let’s be honest, what you post on social as a brand is very much out loud even if it is only written word. And without a doubt, most branded social media gaffes could have been prevented with this test. If the last person to read a post before it was approved and went live, took a look and said; “Hmmm, if I said this out loud in the middle of Manhattan (Kansas), would I offend a segment of the population?” If the answer is “Yes. Yes it would offend a segment of Manhattan, Kansas.” Or even if it is a “It is possible that if I said this out loud a segment of the population would be offended.” Then, it doesn’t go live.

It is a simple test. Takes 30 seconds to implement and can save lives! OK, maybe not lives, but it could certainly save jobs! The Onion, Home Depot, Kenneth Cole…the list goes on and on, but, had any of these brands applied the out-loud voice test, they may have saved hours of time apologizing for their poor taste and the damage to the brand. Not to mention the countless blog posts calling them out on a large-scale #fail.

OUT-LOUD VOICE TEST PRIMER

When to apply the “Out-Loud Voice” test:

All. The. Time. You should apply this test to any update, response to a customer, blog post, tweet, email, LinkedIn group comment. Basically, it is the old American Express slogan of social media posts. “The Out-Loud Voice test, don’t use social without it.”

How to apply the “Out-Loud Voice” test:

You see, as more and more brands adopt real-time marketing; the out-loud voice litmus test is an incredibly valuable tool. For example: You’re a community manager. You see something that is happening in pop culture and it might be begging for a quippy, even snarky social media post. You craft a post. Then, you re-read the post and ask: “If this were in my out-loud voice, would I offend a wide swath of our customers?” And then post accordingly.

Who should use the “Out-Loud Voice” test:

Everyone. Community managers, leaders, interns, customer service and agencies should all be using this test to manage their communications with customers. Basically, the entire world could benefit from this short test. Let’s be honest, this is not just good for brands, it is good for people too. I would be very happy to never, ever read another insane rant from someone I went to high school with, but I digress. The point is the Out-Loud Voice test is good for everyone and would make social media a better place.

The Out-Loud Voice test: Love it. Use it. Live it.

The Effect of Images on Your Brand

In the past, marketing through social media was all about content. Of course, it is still about content; however, it is also about images which truly serve to enhance the concepts of whatever you are sharing with your audience.

Affecting a balance
There are many social media channels (and they are becoming more and more popular) that are completely based on images. The list includes Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr. Of course, the other popular social media channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter) have image capability and in those cases, it is very simple to combine effective words with effective images. Many people have begun to realize that they need to take their business to the next level and make the images one of the focal points of their message. This works very effectively because many audience members are visual and the images appeal to them a great deal.

How to effectively use images in branding
There are several different ways in which you can incorporate images into your branding to yield positive results. First of all, you need to make sure that whichever images you choose to accompany your content, that people will be able to share them easily. As you are in the selection phase of the images, you will want to choose the images that you feel will touch your audience emotionally in the most profound manner. As you are probably aware, human beings react with their feelings. If you manage to get through to them emotionally, they will respond in a way that you can work with and so that you can start to form a relationship. As you are working on selecting images, it is a really good idea to look closely at your content to figure out which types of audience members you are trying to reach. Your images will be connected to that concept. Once you have been able to identify that, it will be much easier for you. It may also be helpful for you to analyze your metrics to determine what appeals most to your audience so that you have a solid direction in which to go.

Watch carefully
Paying close attention to your online results is extremely helpful and will really take you very far. However, it is important for you to recognize that this may be challenging when it comes to images. Most analytics tools pay attention to keywords, not images. There are companies, however, that monitor the metrics for images and it will probably be well worth your while to use one or more of them. All feedback is essential for your business's success. You may find that, at times, you learn more from negative feedback than positive feedback. In any case, you cannot afford to ignore the negative just because it doesn't make you feel good. If you can get past the emotional reaction and really listen to what the feedback is trying to say, you will do well.

Gather ambassadors
One of the best ways to spread the word and elicit positive feedback is by getting other people to sing your business's praises. In fact, other people are the only ones who can do that for you. You will never be able to do it yourself because your word will not come with the same credibility. However, it is completely appropriate for you to encourage other people to praise what you are doing on your behalf. On the other hand, if someone else has taken your images and has altered them for a negative effect, they are infringing on your copyright and you are completely justified in fixing the situation to the best of your ability.

Conclusion
It is still true that "Content is King"; however, images will take your content and make it even better and even more effective. It is extremely important for you, as a business owner, to understand the power that images can have for your business and make sure that you leverage them for all they are worth. You will start to see results and you will not remember a time when you didn't have them as a part of your brand. Because many people are visual, it is an excellent idea to use your images as a familiar trademark for your brand, including familiar figures and colors in the images. People will remember them and associate them with your business. Sometimes, a picture really is worth a thousand words!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7926384

Facebook Introduces Mobile Ad Unit to Promote Apps

Just a few weeks after introducing its first mobile ad unit, Facebook has launched another one, this time designed to help mobile app developers market themselves.

Facebook is testing the new unit with a “limited set of beta partners” Vijaye Raji, a software engineer at the company, wrote on Facebook’s blog on Tuesday. The units drive users to new apps. If a user clicks on an ad and they don’t have the app already, they’ll be directed to the App Store or Google Play to download it.

The unit is automated; to buy an ad you merely have to fill out an online form and delineate which demo you’re trying to reach and what your budget is. Once you buy a unit, you can use Facebook’s analytics tools to assess its performance.

As Raji notes, there is clearly an audience for such a unit: In the past 30 days, Facebook has sent customers to the Apple App Store and Google Play 146 million times.

The introduction comes after Facebook introduced Sponsored Stories for the News Feed in June. A few independent studies have deemed the ads more effective than traditional desktop ads. Despite such success, investors appear skeptical of Facebook’s odds of maintaining its revenues via mobile ads.

Tips for Social Network Marketing

As a small business owner, the idea of social media marketing can appear intimidating or overwhelming. Many businesses dive right in and try to do everything at once. Unfortunately this approach can end in frustration and lack of results.

Fortunately, there are a few tips that can keep your social media strategy on track and keep your business focused on results.

Focused intensity gets results. It's easy to get caught up in the hype of all the social networking and marketing opportunities out there. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, the list goes on forever. There's no way you can be manage all the social media platforms at once. But by picking one or two and focusing your efforts on them, you will start to see results much more quickly.

Personality draws an audience. Many businesses set up their social media profiles as a professional entity and try to remain professional with all interaction. That's great if you're a fortune 500 company, but small to mid-size businesses need to let their personalities show through. People connect with real people. The more genuine your company appears in its online interaction, the more people will connect with your brand. Letting them see the personal side of your business helps them feel more comfortable interacting with you, your brand, and the business as a whole.

Sell, Sell, Sell! No, wait - Don't, Don't, Don't! Don't make the mistake of using your social media platform(s) to constantly sell or push your products. Nothing will turn your audience off faster than spammy ads all day, every day. In fact, if you want to guarantee your audience will never buy from you, just use your online profile as an in-your-face selling machine. If you want to keep your audience and grow your fan base, however, keep your direct selling and promotions to no more than 25% of your total social media interaction.

Selflessly promote... others. It sounds counterintuitive to promote someone else in order to see results with your social media marketing efforts. Won't that send people away from your website or social networking site? For a short time, maybe. But when your audience sees you selflessly promoting, they'll notice that you're not selling yourself. And when the business or person you're promoting notices, they'll be inclined to return the favor. Receiving praise from another business with a different audience means more exposure for your business.

Following these simple tips will help your business avoid the common pitfalls of social media marketing and gain traction with your online marketing efforts. More traction means less frustration, better results, and more time to focus on the other areas of your business that go hand-in-hand with your marketing plan.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7115436

YouTube, the Future of Business Marketing

With YouTube having announced in January that it is now receiving well over four billion daily video views, the popularity and power of web videos has become increasingly apparent, as a shift has occurred towards the internet, and more specifically web videos, as a primary source of entertainment. What may not be so apparent is the effect that this growth spurt will have on the future of business through web video marketing. Web videos are quickly becoming a major promotional strategy, and businesses that don't hop on the band wagon will soon be left by the wayside.

Now, the real issue is how to make your videos stand out against a throng of billions. YouTube also revealed last month that there are more the eighty-six thousand videos being added each day, a number roughly equal to Hollywood producing around three-hundred thousand feature films per week. One interesting example of the variations of content, which also illustrates the marketing power held by YouTube, can be seen in a pair of Star Wars related videos. Two weeks ago two videos were added to YouTube on the same day. One, titled Star Wars Uncut: Director's Cut, is a two hour film put together by several filmmakers working separately and then combining their clips to make the final video.

The second video added that day, entitled The Bark Side, is a VW web marketing video which lasts one minute and shows a group of dogs barking out the Star Wars theme song. In their two week run, Star Wars Uncut has accumulated a noteworthy two million views, while The Bark Side has brought in a staggering eleven million. Given the quantity of views that can be produced by such a simple video, one would suspect that companies would be climbing over one another to join the video marketing trend. The numbers say differently however. Stats show that 99% of those four billion daily views go to about 30% of the site's total videos. Of that 30%, only about 10% is made up of sponsored web marketing videos.

That small 10% represents nearly seventeen thousand hours of video each day. Because web video as a marketing strategy is such a relatively new idea, companies seem to be aware to make use of it. This won't last however. It's only a matter of time before promoters begin to realize that full potential offered by using web videos. However, for those looking to begin marketing their companies online and branding themselves through web video, now is the time to do it. Once the benefits of such a strategy are realized by the rest of the business world, video hosting sites like YouTube will never be the same.

By acting now you have the chance to stay one step ahead of the competition and branch out into the limitless marketing potential offered by web videos. The success of VW's The Bark Side is just one example among many of the advertising power of a viral video. The proof is in the numbers, and the numbers say that web video marketing is the future of both the internet and advertising.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6917134

Marketing and Facebook: A Potentially Profitable Combination

Facebook: The social media network that many advertisers and marketing companies see as their ticket to riches. It's a feasible theory; with citizens of all areas of the social graph being users of Facebook, a marketing company can easily cater to an extremely large amount of demographics very easily. On top of that, Facebook is essentially accessible from anywhere with the mobile digital world becoming only bigger and bigger. So what is the true, definitive way to advertise on Facebook, appeal to members of every area of the social graph, and get a more than decent social media ROI?

To begin with, the advertiser ought to make sure that the advertisement is eye-popping. Seeing a woman smiling with the product is not at all appealing to people of today's day and age. Most users of Facebook are easily stimulated. They like quick flashes of info, sudden flashes of color, whatever will quickly satisfy their never-ending hunger for fast stimulation. So how does one achieve stimulation on a marketing level? With an absolutely ridiculous amount of color. For example, say that a French art museum wants to advertise its wonderful art collection on Facebook. Rather than showing off some simple, polygonal painting in black and white colors, show one of the more ridiculous abstract pieces, one absolutely dilated with color and insane images. The more ridiculous and unusual, the better. Because that is what users of Facebook look for. They want things to be so incredibly outrageous that even a typical boring, lazy lorry driver will find them interesting. So that's the first key- ridiculousness, stimulation, and a whole lot of color.

And then there's the idea of product descriptions. Typically a Facebook ad is a boring picture located above a boring description of whatever the picture advertises. It's all very drab and unappealing to the common eye. In today's society, when it comes to reading, readers want one thing and one thing only- Humor. There is nothing that makes a Facebook user happier than getting a good laugh out of something stupid. Even the cheesiest, corniest humor in a description will increase the appeal of the product, guaranteed.

So in the end, what it all boils down to is quite simple. Lots of color, lots of stimulation, and a bit of dumb humor. With these keys, an advertising company is guaranteed to increase their social media ROI and their product sales with ease.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6951475

Twitter Tutorial For Business: 10 Tips

When you are looking at working with Twitter, There are a couple of ways to use it: the right way and the wrong way. Your posts, or tweets, need to be kept brief, 140 characters or fewer, and they should be beneficial or helpful. People aren't interested by what you had for lunch, or that you just brushed your teeth. These kinds of things will get people to stop following you pretty quickly, even if your breath does smell good.

After using Twitter for quite a while here is a list of the top-10 things I've learned (not necessarily in order, but maybe) are most effective when taking part in the Twitterverse.

Tweet Regularly: I'm not saying you have to post daily tweets, however doing so wouldn't hurt. You should show up regularly. Kind of like when you were in school - if you hoped to pass, you at least had to come to class. Become a contributor your followers get to truly know and anticipate your Twitter posts. As a business person you probably don't have time to do this easily. If this is your case, there are services that help you schedule tweets ahead of time. My personal favorite is Social Oomph - the link is at the end of this article.
Retweet Other's Posts: When you notice Tweets published by other Tweeple (Twitter+People) you believe your followers would enjoy, retweet them. It takes only a single click, and you'll also be building relationships with other Twitter users simultaneously. When you retweet, you can include your own thoughts or opinions before posting it.
Be Helpful: Remember Twitter is a type of social networking, so social relationships are important. It isn't all about you. Anytime the opportunity arises to respond to a question, take part in a questionnaire, or help fix a problem, do so. This way you are taking part in the community. This may help your brand and image when other people know they are able to rely on you for support or comments.
Don't Follow All Followers: Do not follow everybody who follows you. This might be my greatest issue in regards to Twitter. A lot of people turn this function on to auto-follow people who follow them. Why do this? I would rather have those I follow be individuals and subjects I have hand-picked, rather than random followers who might be ranting about things I don't have any interest in. Be discerning in whom you follow or your Twitter stream could rapidly fill up with spam. To find quality people within your industry or interests, check out Twellow - the link is below.
Things to Tweet: Be sure that the tweets you publish are helpful and/or informative. Recent news relating to your industry, along with any special offers or sales you might have taking place are usually excellent topics. If you discover anything you believe your followers would really like, share it. Additionally, if your twitter posts are great, it can motivate other people to retweet them.
(Ideas: Funny Tweets, Inspirational Tweets, Helpful Resources, Questions and Opinions, Quotes, Leads and Opportunities, Blog Posts or Your Website)
Comment: Participate in the community by writing comments on other people's twitter posts. If you're able to respond to a question, do it. It never hurts and folks will really appreciate it whenever you take time to reply to what they may have to talk about. It shows them that other people are in fact listening to what they've got to express in the "Twitterverse".
Your Mother Was Right: When somebody takes time to retweet one of your twitter posts, be sure to thank them. Just like offline, manners rule online - especially in the social realm, and they will like that you noticed the retweet and took some time to show some appreciation. It might even motivate them to retweet even more of your tweets down the road.
Be Personal: Once more, people really don't want to know what you had for supper, but from time to time you ought to show your human side with an innovative idea, quote, or any other statement. Show your followers that you're "real" and not simply all business. You should tread gently in this area. Being overly personal is overkill, but a little bit might help in creating a relationship with your followers.
Post Photos and Videos: Don't forget, Twitter isn't just for text messages. It is easy to publish brief video clips, and photos as well. It is nice to change things up a bit and share content in other forms too.
Talk About More Than Yourself: Don't make all of your tweets one massive promotional message, for example only tweeting about your most recent press release, blog posting, or report that was published. Nobody will want to follow you if all you are is a commercial. Sure, some of this can be good in small amounts, but you should walk a fine line and mix things up with helpful, intriguing topics.

Now it is time for you to begin putting these suggestions into motion. Social networking is dependent on taking part and listening to what other people have to say. It is about creating and giving information as well as becoming part of the community. Should you approach Twitter like this, it won't just be more enjoyable, but your followers will enjoy you and value you - and if that doesn't enhance your brand name, nothing else will.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6299824

Social Media Marketing in 2012

Social media marketing is such a broad term that many people who are looking to boost the image of their company ask "What is social media marketing?
Social media marketing defined as the process of gaining website traffic or attention through social media sites such as facebook, Twitter, youtube, etc.

Doing business today is very different & challenging from the days of old, What worked earlier that doesn't necessarily ensure success today, nor can you get by just with extensive knowledge in one particular arena. Today is about keeping your eyes and ears open and bringing value to others in new ways.

Today is about re-inventing and expanding and building relationships across a wide open sea of Social Media. It requires a passion for learning new technologies, a willingness to immerse yourself in uncharted waters and a genuine capacity for generosity.

People are engaging in conversations. Conversation is the new marketing. Tapping into these conversations shows where your audience is spending time online, and what subjects and issues are of interest to them. To reach your consumers successfully, you need to move your marketing activity from the traditional "push" method, where you broadcast your messages to thousands via the media, to a "pull" strategy, where you make it easy for people to find your information, whenever and wherever they want it.

"If searching for the news was the most important development of the last decade, sharing the news may be among the most important developments of the next."

Therefore it is very important to have a presence on social networking sites. Social networks not only give the marketer a place to express themselves but it also provides with a unique platform to interact with their customers and help them serve better. And ultimately fulfilling the sole cause of the business i.e. Customer Satisfaction.
This can also be a great starting point for the marketing to go viral and pick up a grassroots effort.
Marketing of social media through various social media platform

Twitter
Twitter allows companies to promote products on an individual level. The use of a product can be explained in short messages that followers are more likely to read. These messages appear on followers home page. Messages can link to the product's website, Facebook profile, photos, videos, etc. This link provides followers the opportunity to spend more time interacting with the product online. This interaction can create a loyal connection between product and individual and can also lead to larger advertising opportunities. Twitter promotes a product in real-time and brings customers in.

Facebook
Facebook profiles are more detailed than Twitter. They allow a product to provide videos, photos, and longer descriptions. Videos can show when a product can be used as well as how to use it. These also can include testimonials as other followers can comment on the product pages for others to see. Facebook can link back to the product's Twitter page as well as send out event reminders. Facebook promotes a product in real-time and brings customers in.

As marketers see more value in social media marketing, advertisers continue to increase sequential ad spend in social by 25%. Strategies to extend the reach with Sponsored Stories and acquire new fans with Facebook ads continue to an uptick in spend across the site. The study attributes 84% of "engagement" or clicks to Likes that link back to Facebook advertising. Today, brands increase fan counts on average of 9% monthly, increasing their fan base by two-times the amount annually.

These platforms are not only used for marketing social media but also help in social media monitoring.