Social marketing - don't miss the boat

Social Network Marketing is not something that many business owners think is profitable. "I just don't believe it works," is something I hear a lot out there in the real world. If they don't say it they show it by not doing it.

Below is a video by Sage Lewis. According to his bio on the Search Engine Guide blog: "Video blogger Sage Lewis keeps you up to date with what's hot in the world of search engines."

I'm not sure if I agree 100% with what Sage says about the real (realized) value of social network marketing but he has an engaging way of saying it. I believe video marketing has so much to offer that it will eventually catch up to and perhaps even surpass text marketing.

Yes, Facebook is populated by millions of younger people and some older people (like me). But are those people buyers of the products I offer? More often they are not.

But, I think businessowners need to take a look at social marketing and get a presence on the largest social properties. I am not saying they need to use a lot of resources to push a marketing effort there. Just get a feel for it, my small business friends.

Remember, if you don't believe in Hell, then you better be right! ;)

Enjoy!

Greg Cryns
Wahm Search Engine
The Mighty Mo Website Design and Small Biz Promotion

Advertising on Facebook

"Social Network Marketing: Advertising to Facebook Users"

By Merle http://www.mcpromotions.blogspot.com/

In the "old days", if you wanted to meet someone, you had
to get dressed up and drive to a public place. Not
anymore. The Internet has changed all of that with the
popularity of social networking sites. Two of the biggest
are MySpace and Facebook.

Basically, a social network website allows you to register,
display photos and some personal information, then you
can invite others to become "your friends". You can
meet thousands of people right from the comfort of
your living room. How great is that?

Facebook has an audience of over 100 million people with
over 24 million active users. The majority of visitors
to the site are between the ages of 18 to 34. Next to
MySpace, it is the second largest social networking site
online. If you'd like to advertise on Facebook and reach
this young, highly targeted audience, now you can.

When setting up your ads, you can choose to target people
by age, location, gender, interests, education and more.
For example, you could choose to target 26 year old women
who are interested in men and are single in the U.S. When
making your audience selections, you'll be shown the number
of users who fit your chosen profile that will see your ad.
Facebook ads are displayed in the side column of almost
all pages. There may be up to three ads appearing on each
page.

You can also choose to buy ads on a CPC (cost per click)
basis, or CPM (cost per thousand) impressions. The title
of your ad can be up to 25 characters and the body text
up to 135 characters in total. A small image can also
be uploaded, but must fit inside a 110X80 box ad
format. You are also asked to select keywords that relate
to your ads.

If you decide to advertise on a CPM basis, the minimum
budget you can set is $1.00 per day, with a minimum
per one thousand impression bid of only $.10. They
will give you bid suggestions, but you are free to
set it to your needs.

If advertising on a pay-per-click basis, again, the
minimum daily budget you can set is $1.00, with the
minimum cost per click being one penny. Again, suggested
bid amounts are given. You can set your ad to run
continuously or only during specified times.

Facebook makes it easy to track your progress with
downloadable Excel reports. It's easy to see how well
your ads are performing at a glance.

There are three different types of reports:

1) "Responder Profiles"- This information is gleaned
from users profiles, and will tell you what types of
common interests people have who are clicking on
your ads.

2) "Responder Demographics"- This report tells you
the sex, age and geographic location of those clicking
on your ads.

3) "Advertising Performance"- Detailed reports which
show you impressions, click-throughs, etc. This report
can be broken down by month, week or time of day.

As part of their advertising program, you'll automatically
be subscribed to Facebook's newsletter which will keep
you up to date on news, updates and tips for best ad
practices.

Social network marketing is an effective way to reach
a highly targeted audience, and shouldn't be forgotten
when putting together a well rounded marketing plan.
If you haven't considered this type of advertising in
the past, now's a good time to take another look. Social
networks continue to grow in popularity as millions
of people continue to flock to this type of website
daily.

For more information see:
http://www.new.facebook.com/advertising/

To receive a hundred credits to advertise on Facebook,
check out this site at http://www.tinyurl.com/3h2fk0
=================================================

"Blah...Blah...Blog..Rantings by Merle"- The Blog that's
loaded with online marketing techniques and strategies
that will help you increase your website traffic and make
more money online. Tips and tricks for online entrepreneurs,
and marketers to grow your net biz. Visit today-
http://www.mcpromotions.blogspot.com/

Greg Cryns
Free Freelance Report
.

Our Living Christmas Tree (video)

Here is a video of our living Christmas tree. Can you hear my Chicago accent? I firmly believe that the change we will witness in the near future will be profound. Perhaps living Christmas trees will be part of that change?

I made this video 1/2 hour before I posted this entry. I used the FlipVideo camera. Very nice for its size and price.

Do you have your BIO ready?

I received an email from a new friend of mine who is trying hard to understand the web and to connect with people on the web. One of my posts spoke about having a full bio ready to send to people who ask about you.

<>

Hey Greg,

As I have already mentioned to you, I am really pretty clueless when it comes to on line marketing. I stumble around trying to get some stability on my feet in this business, but it is like most things that one dares to do, even knowing that one really doesn't know anything, is by trial and error.

I would love to write a bio about myself, as humble as it would turn out to be, but where should I publish it?

Frank (fictional name)


Dear Frank,

Who is Frank? I mean, really? Is he a businessman, an entrepreneur, a loving father, a restauranteur, a champion blogger, an exercise fanatic? Is he a guy who is focused on something interesting? Who exactly is Frank?

Publishing your bio. I would not push "publishing" your bio at this juncture. You need to refine it and rewrite it a few times before making a permanent decision. Have someone who does not know you read it and criticize the bio.

Always remember you are writing for THEM not YOU. My youngest brother always talks about his job, his problems, his dreams. Frankly, I think my brother needs to grow up. What people care about is themselves. But if you talk ABOUT yourself to much you put your audience into a temporary coma.

Almost every social network has an "About Me" page. Some, like Twitter, call it a "Profile" page.

I recommend that you sign up for as many social networks as you find. Below is a list to start with. Keep in mind that you will probably work Twitter, Ryze and Facebook the most. I would pick MySpace for my 4th at this time, but you don't really have time for more than one, with an occasional look-in at Ryze and Facebook.

Some people will contact you after reading your bio but mostly they just want to sell you something. I would take about 10 minutes a WEEK for each social network to respond to emails. Remember, don't try to sell them anything in the response but direct them to your BLOG.

At Twitter you have only 140 characters to state your Profile. The others have a lot more space for your full Bio. I would ask your contacts at Twitter and the others how they write their Bios.

Some will respond. Then send them a "thank you" and solidify the meeting. See if you can get the birthdays of the intriguing people and send them a card (though it's difficult to tell which ones will be worth the effort, figure 1 out of 10 if you are lucky).

I would not make my Bio more than 3 or 4 paragraphs, and make sure you say something interesting like "I own a chain of restaurants".

greg (who fully understands that he needs to take his own advice more often)

< /snip >

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Interview with Kimberly Palmer - money editor at US News & World Report

20 Ways To Make $100 A Day Online

Introduction

Kimberly Palmer is a senior editor in Money & Business at US News & World Report. Kimberly writes the AlphaConsumer blog and personal finance stories Kimberly said, "My goal is to help people make smart money decisions. I especially love writing and learning about how money can affect key life decisions, such as when (and whether) to get married, to have kids, to buy a house, or to switch careers. I hope to provide tools to help people with those decisions."


Q & A

Q: How important to U.S. News & World Report is online social media networking?

A: Definitely a high priority. Our blogs are all connected to Facebook - friend me and Twitter -follow me. I love that social networking lets me find other people with similar interests -- there are so many great blogs and websites out there.

Q: Certainly not everyone is sold on social networking for your company. What are the concerns of those who are not on board with it?

A: The main concerns are how much time they can take up! Sometimes it feels hard to be a full-time reporter when you also want to blog, twitter, and log onto Facebook. Our priority still has to be reporting and uncovering interesting stories; that's the service we provide to people. My problem is that since twittering and blogging offer more instant gratification, it can be difficult to pull myself away. So I try to set aside chunks of time each day for reporting-only.

Q: Which social network sites do you have a presence in? Which of those are more important to you?

A: I'm most addicted to Twitter, and then Facebook. I think Twitter is so great because it's so simple -- you have a thought, and you share it. And you can keep track of what others are doing and thinking, too. With blogs, you have to put a bit more thought into it -- at least I try to.


Q: Please explain the US News situation. Will the company be sending out a print newsletter? Will it take paid subscriptions for the web magazine?

A: Our magazine will be coming out monthly starting in 2009, so subscribers will continue to get the magazine, just a bit less frequently. Our website has always been free, so no change there. So come visit us at www.usnews.com


Q: What are the demographics of your readers?

A: My readers are pretty diverse -- I hear from grad students as well as retirees -- but the people who visit most often seem just like me: Interesting in saving money, avoiding debt, and being a smart consumer, which isn't always easy. Marketing and company outreach has gotten so complicated -- even retailers twitter, so it can take some effort to understand what's going on. There's a big push right now among retailers to customize products for example, which can end up costing more, but sometimes it's worth it. That's just not aomething our parents' generation was faced with. All of the enticing offerings can make it easier to spend money and go into debt.


Q: Have you found any case studies that show how social networking improved the bottom line for a large company?

A: I think Starbucks is a great example of this. They are really plugged in and respond individually to consumers via their twitter feed. So if I had a complaint I could tweet the company directly and would probably get a response -- I don't know how that's affected their bottom line, but I am pretty impressed by it.


Q: If you had to sell your boss to lay out some money for social networking, what would say?

A: Luckily, I wouldn't need to, because my boss is all for social networking. He writes one of our most popular blogs But if I had a different kind of boss, I would make the point that social networking is really part of the future of journalism -- it helps us stay connected to our audience, which is essential for survival.


Q: How do you use videos in your networking? Do you like the results of videos?

A: I definitely need to do more of this. I have taken a flip camera with me on some assignments, including when I interviewed Sen. Wyden earlier this year; you can see the results here It adds a fun dimension to the reporting experience but I obviously need to improve my filming skills.

Thank you, Kimberly, for taking the time to help us understand how social networking can work for large companies.


Greg Cryns
http://www.workathomeprofiles.com
Scentsy: http://www.scentsy.com/16684
http://www.wahmsearchengine.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/calgreg

iPhone - should I get one?

I need to preface this post by telling you I don't even own a cell phone. My wife owns one we both use. My kids live and breathe for their cell phones.

Me? I don't like to be found sometimes. When I am doing my daily walk with Brujita (my dog), I don't need a phone to interrupt my blissful outside thoughts and my daily planning that goes so well on the trail.

I get enough phone work in my office. Here's a secret about me: I am so arrogant that if you call while we are having lunch or dinner, I won't answer the phone. I mean, how important could that call be. If it is important, they will leave a message, right? If it is a life insurance salesman, he will hang up.

So, now I am reading Chris Brogan tweet about the joys of iPhone. Humbug! I say. Or am I wrong? Is texting next for me? OMG.

Why should I buy an iPhone? Please comment.

Maybe I should simply listen to the advice of my iPhone consultant here....




Peace out!

Greg Cryns (getting younger every day)
Greg Cryns

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The Secret to a Successful Online Business - It's All About Building Relationships

Guest post

The Secret to a Successful Online Business - It's All About Building Relationships

People buy from those they know and trust. Nowhere is this more true than on the Internet, where you may never even meet anyone in person. Establishing a trust relationship with your potential online clients takes time, but it is well worth the effort!

Think about the last time you bought a product or service online, that had a substantial positive impact on your work or life in some way. If you were spending a good chunk of change (and perhaps investing a good bit of your time) on that purchase, chances are you did some research first: reading online forums and reviews to see what others had to say about them; contacting them directly with questions and observing how quick and helpful (and polite) their response was; maybe even buying a smaller product or service from them first. All to determine if you could trust this online business to deliver what they promise.

Your potential online clients are no different! They are going to want to know if they can trust you to deliver, too. Here are three specific ways you can work on building trust relationships online, and how each will help your business:

1. Get to know your customers. This helps you more deeply understand what it is they need - making it a lot easier to tell them how what you are selling is going to meet their needs. Find out where they "hang" out, on discussion forums, social networks, etc., and get involved. Don't just schmooze or try to sell your product right then and there -- instead, add value to the conversation. If you are doing it right, you'll be doing a whole lot more listening than talking.

2. Connect with your customer on a personal level. Let them see you as a person, one who has some things in common with them. People will trust you, and ultimately buy from you, if they feel you are like them. This means being sincere and transparent - not pretending or making something up. If you can't make that trust connection with one particular person, don't force it - move on to someone else.

3. Keep up the trust relationship. The relationship doesn't stop after the sale! Clients who know and like you, and have benefited from what you have sold them, will tell others about you! It will be easy for them to recommend you because they are recommending a trusted vendor, not an impersonal business or product. If you've done a good job of providing them with something that makes their job or life easier, they won't be able to wait to tell someone else!

Terri Zwierzynski is a self-employed business strategist and marketing consultant to solo entrepreneurs, and a grassroots promoter of the solo entrepreneur lifestyle. She runs Solo-E.com, the resource website for the self-employed which attracts thousands of solo entrepreneurs and home business owners monthly from over 100 countries on six continents (2007 finalist for "Website of the Year" in the 4th Annual Stevie® Awards for Women in Business). Visit Solo-E.com and get our new ebook, "25 Surefire Ways to Capture More Clients, Get More Done in Less Time, and Make More Money -- in 90 Days or Less."

Greg Cryns
247 WEBSITE TRAFFIC TIPS: http://www.wahmsearchengine.com/traffic-tips-report/
Join a new community of Wahm folks. http://www.workathomeprofiles.com
Sentsy - Go Wickless! http://www.dad6.com/gowickless/

Workflow - Social Media Pastor

More from Chris Brogan

Workflow - Social Media Pastor

Posted: 30 Aug 2008 07:22 AM PDT

( cowritten and deeply inspired by Jon Swanson) Emilio rises at six and starts coffee. His RSS reader has many blogs to read, plus links to a “Bible in a Year” website that sends him daily updates. It’s no longer strange to be reading the Bible in his RSS reader. It just feels like another way to connect. Emilio is thinking of setting alerts for his community in general, plus for specific issues facing the people in his congregation.

Emilio has a personal blog for reflections, and a website for the Church, as well. Most recently, he’s added a section for using UStream.tv to show live sermons. Not that every house has a broadband Internet connection, but if this is another way that someone who can’t make it to the church can feel connected to the community, why not give it a try.

Other churches are putting up sermons and special events on YouTube and GodTube. Emilio has found ideas for sermons online regularly, or rather, ways to refresh his own ideas with the wisdom of others.

Some churchgoers in his extended online community are doing things like Twitter their local service. Others have been confronted for bringing technology into the church. In some affluent churches, there are even Second Life outposts, and online campuses. It’s a balance of concerns and considerations: are you still part of a community when represented digitally? Does God hear your prayer in pixel form? Emilio leans towards yes, but he knows that others aren’t as understanding.

Emilio knows that there are more challenges to taking religion into social media. He’s read and studied the book UNCHRISTIAN, by David Kinnamon. In this book, Kinnamon talks about what outsiders think about Christianity: hypocritical, focus on conversion, antihomosexual, sheltered, too political, judgmental. Emilio feels there’s a much greater risk of these concerns spreading in the online world, where some context is lost.

Emilio recently upgraded his cell phone, which allows him to receive email from people with questions, receive text messages from people seeking a quick check-in during a rough moment, and it’s allowed him to be able to take pictures and share them online with the larger community. As Emilio visits a lot of hospitals, he sometimes records quick audio messages with someone sick, to be able to store and play this message for a family member later on.

There’s still so much face to face that he does, and much that doesn’t require an Internet connection, but through these options, Emilio has reached out far beyond his local congregation. He feels friendship with people from all around the world, and he understands the larger struggles people are having through his exploration of other blogs and online media.

With so much more to do, Emilio is happy for his first steps, and looks forward to even more respectful contact with others.

—

How does this sit with you?

Visit Chris's website: [chrisbrogan.com]

—

These posts are made for sharing. Feel free to repost all or portions of this (as long as it’s not for profit). If you do post it, please make sure you kindly link back to [chrisbrogan.com] and give me credit. Thanks!

Photo credit, Chicago Eye

Greg Cryns

Work At Home Profiles

http://www.workathomeprofiles.com