Just want to share a couple of things about social media

[jamesray50]

I'm finding that unlike regular advertising where you just pay for an ad somewhere, whether it be a newspaper, magazine, TV, or radio social media advertising is a lot harder. You have to be proactive with it all the time. I find myself everyday logging into FB, Twitter and Linkedin to see what is going on and what I can retweet. I am constantly thinking of something to blog about. I am reading and commenting on blogs other people in my industry are writing.

But, what makes me think some of my efforts are paying off is that people are now asking me to connect to them on Linkedin. And they aren't just people who are new and trying to build their networks. They are people who are presidents or CEO's of major corps for products that my industy uses or companies that sells add ons for Intuit.

I have been able to start conversations on Linkedin that keeps a discussion going. One of my blogs was retweeted several times. And two of my blogs were linked to in someone else's blog.

On one of the groups on Linkedin there is a like exchange going on where you like a page and they will like your page in return. I have been liking some pages, if I really like them and I write a note on the wall about whatever their service or product is and ask them to follow my blog. (BTW - if anyone gets a chance, I only need one more person to verify that I am the author of my blog - my facebook address is listed below).

Seems like it takes me all day long to do all this. But, I actually like doing it. Is there anything I'm not doing that I should be doing?

[Patrysha]

I don't think that advertising in newspaper or radio is any easier...not if you are doing it well. In the beginning, at the very least, it can take considerable effort to get all the elements just right so that the desired result is achieved. Personally, I think social media is much faster in zooming around the learning curve and getting from meeting to relationship to sale quickly and efficiently. Once you have a system going with social media and other online marketing aspects it takes much less time. (and you'll have much less time because you will have more clients...so you pretty much have to become more efficient with it)

If you don't have one already, then a prospect/client newsletter or email list would be a great thing to add to your mix.

[greenoak]

well jo, whats turning into paying clients? thats the question i would ask.... [after a year not right away..]....
since im local mostly...i finally had to realize i was wasting time doing the things that a national blog should do.... like it would be great for my blog if i posted on 20 other blogs a week......but it just doesnt make sense for me..
.. the nicest folks i have met on line would never get here and be customers...and the blog is about the business mainly....and i dont want to put t hat much time into it....
so my social media goals are a lot more local than they used to be.... i would like to be known 1000 miles away but my money is probably going to come from a 2 or 300 mile circle... ..so ive pulled back on some things and tried harder at others...like facebook..
.i network a whole lot in the real world.... ...and get lots of referrals....
i might have joined linked in but never bothered with it.....
...and cant face twitter.
..back to my blog, i sure value the friends ive made from far away and i hope to keep some connecting with them...
i hear about facebook all the time in the store and they talk about the website a lot too......if i start hearing about twitter[in the s tore] i will probably get on that too...
what i think is hard is figuring our how to navigate facebook and google ads.... im absorbing the conversatioins here on it but its sure different..
i just dont get the hugly popular goal of exchanging facebook likes or website links..... ....for me... first i dont want to advertize for somone else...and second whats the point of being on a retail page 1000 miles away that i havent ever actually seen or been to and whos customers will probably never even get to indiana....... it seems like a waste of time...better to fish in the waters where your fish are....i see a lot of new stores wanting to trade links with other stores....... i think they would do better putting their efforts on getting their friends and customers to like them....for a store or resturant it might look nice to have 20 more likes even tho f ar away,,but you really need more in your area who might just come and enjoy your thing whatever it is....
i guess you just have to see where your time is the best spent.....im not selling stuff or services online so i know my view is different.... all i know is that a lot of common advice isnt right for everyone...
what i see happening for us is they see the billboard or an ad somewhere and cyber shop us then make the trip.....meaning our website brings them in ...our web is mostly about pictures...they say a lot in our world

[websonalized]

I have not gotten many results with social media. I have a website where I have the "like" button from facebook, and I've gotten a few "likes." I feel good to have some likes, I think it may be like a badge giving some authority to the website. But for social media where I have actively called out, and twittered out, and such, I have not gotten many results (no leads). However, I like hearing about other's experience. I am yet to read a sotry where a person actually got many clients through facebook, twitter or linked.

[Spider]

Likewise, I have heard no real success stories of social networking bringing new or increased business. I certainly don't have one. That is, apart from the people who are trying to sell me their latest e-book, program, service, widget or whatnot! They have some wonderful stories to tell!!

The closest I have heard is from our Ann, and even then I'm not sure if Ann has determined that the talk in her store is from new people who came because of her Facebook page, or from people who came as a result of other advertising who talk a lot about facebook.

I'd be interested in hearing some true-life success stories of people whose business has done well from Facebook and the like.

[AaronConway]

I manage social media for 8 small businesses and all have had varying degrees of success with it. One recent case was a customer who hadn't stayed at the inn for several years and decided to try it again because of our social media interactions. He was very impressed and will return again. This came from an unsolicited email we received from him after his stay. Social media works when you realize it won't happen overnight and it's not all about sell, sell, sell.

Aaron

[vangogh]

since im local mostly...i finally had to realize i was wasting time doing the things that a national blog should do

Many of the things a national blog does would also help your local one. It's true that reaching someone in California probably isn't bringing that person in as a customer to your store, but that person might know people in your area. More importantly that person might link to your blog, promote something you said on Facebook, Twitter, a forum, or any other place where people in your area might learn about you or be convinced to stop by the store.

But for social media where I have actively called out, and twittered out, and such, I have not gotten many results (no leads)

That's because when you spend too much time actively promoting yourself on Twitter and Facebook it comes across as spam and turns people off. With all social communities, including this forum, you get more out of the community when you spend your time contributing to it. I don't tweet or like my posts. I have buttons on the posts like you do and let other people tweet and like the posts. That didn't happen overnight. It happened as a result of me promoting myself in places and ways where it's more appropriate and by learning more about what makes a post more likely to be liked and tweeted.

Most people don't get anything back from social sites because they approach the site thinking how they can get something out of it and never think about what they can give to it. Most people also stop trying if they don't receive results in a short time. That's not going to work with social communities.

Give to the community and give the community time to give something back.

[Harold Mansfield]

I can't say that I have gotten any business directly from Facebook. I think having a Facebook pages has helped me get business since I do the occasional Facebook page for clients. But I don't run any special offers on Facebook, talk Wordpress or web stuff with others on Facebook, or advertise on Facebook. I don't even communicate with existing clients via Facebook, they just call or email me.
Actually the only reason that having a Facebook page benefits me at all is to have someplace to direct clients to join to keep them away from my personal page, and I do post an occasional help article there.

I have a bunch of Twitter accounts but I stopped actively using them a long time ago for anything other than posting new blog posts on 1 or 2, and the others are just on automatic to post information and autofollow those who follow me until I can find something to do with them, or sell them with the corresponding domain.

No matter what, I still find the most effective way to get clients for me is being found in search engine results by people who are looking for services, and being listed in a few service provider directories.

I have not found that people will scour Twitter or Facebook when they need someone to provide services. They go to Google or niche specific forums and directories. Now they may look at your FB or TW pages to see how professional they are..and they definitely will benefit you that way. Actually having a bad FB page ( if you are going to have one) will definitely hurt you. If you are going to draw attention to it, people want to see that you are better at this than they are or how professional everything is, or you are just hurting yourself. It goes to your overall presentation.

I don't look at FB or Twitter as a place to get clients anymore like I did 2 years ago. I look at them like a restaurant looks at coffee. You don't make any money from them, but you have to have them.

It should also be said that I don't spend any money on Facebook specific tools, games, programs, coupons or anything else for business. I'd rather have someone go to my website, than my Facebook page.

As everyone says, Social Networking is about building relationships and cultivating them to build trust and possibly turn those relationships into business. I don't have that kind of time to put into it. People go to Google, Yahoo, and Bing when they are actively looking for someone. If they find you, and like what they see...they contact you. It doesn't take weeks or months of cultivation.

I see other service providers on Facebook doing all kinds of things and interactions, but I have to wonder how much business it actually brings them They have a lot of followers, but they all seem to be people already in the business looking for free stuff, not people looking for someone to do work.

Personally, I just don't see Facebook or Twitter as the ideal marketing platform to get new business for service providers, as least not single handedly. Maybe as a part of a group or general community that encompasses many simular businesses, but not alone. For instance, I could see a plumber getting business if he were part of a local contractors page, but not as a stand alone business.

I still think SEO is going to be your best bet to get new business from your online endeavors and up until now , I have seen anyone or anything that says any different.

It should be said that I think FB is great for tangible products or companies that sell products, and physical businesses like a restaurant or clothing store. I also think it's great for entertainment businesses like websites and blogs, magazines, music, and so on.
But for us service providers, ( virtual businesses) I still think Google is going to be our best friend to get new business.

[vangogh]

Harold what you're missing is that what you do on Facebook and Twitter could and very likely does have a great effect on how well your web pages rank in search engines. Not everything we do to market our site is going to show a clear direct benefit.

SEOmoz recently looked at a lot of data about how Facebook and Twitter, influence search results. They found a very high correlation between pages that are shared on Facebook and how those pages rank in Google. So while people may not jump on Facebook to search for a service provider, having a visible presence on Facebook probably makes it more likely people will find you when looking for a service provider at a search engine.

Also people who ask a friend for a recommendation on Facebook aren't necessarily going to visit your site via a Facebook link (so your analytics won't show it) or even tell you that they learned about you through Facebook. They're more likely to say so and so told me you offer service x and recommended I give you a call.

Communities like Facebook are another way you can reach people, just like tv, radio, a newspaper, or magazine. Different communities have different rules and so require you do some things differently to succeed with them. They also share many things in common like people and so many of the things you would do to convince someone watching your tv commercial to buy from you will work equally well on Facebook or Twitter.

[HomeToHeather]

Aaron is right - it's not about selling but connecting. People like to do business with people they know, like and trust. Social media is great at accomplishing this as long as you're not trying to sell or broadcast your agenda. Sure, you can do that sometimes...but it shouldn't be your goal. Another thing that social media is great for is just for staying in front of people. Just because a sales doesn't directly come from a link clicked in your tweet doesn't mean you aren't getting results....they're just harder to keep tabs on. I've gotten several opportunities from twitter and I don't spend much time on it at all.

Eborg you should do well in that space because most people who use wordpress also use SM. Maybe you just need to change up who you network with?