Everyone that makes websites these days claims that they are an internet marketing company. They tell you how to use Facebook, Twitter just as they use to tell you that Myspace was the end all of all good things. Yet, like Myspace, their ability to keep up with the times is withered by their inability to understand that marketing - outreach - whatever word you want to use has some basic foundations that never change.
Much like in the early days of the dot.coms, people ran to and fro with unique ideas that ranged all over the spectrum of the basic to the ultimate in bizarre. Without a foundation though, most of the ideas failed immediately. Those that managed to survive took in money from investors keen to make a quick buck all while missing that there was no money actually coming into the business. From that idea the internet marketing people arose.
Facebook. Great tool, but it is just that a tool. Part of a well-rounded toolbox includes more than just a hammer because you cannot hammer in a screw. For that you need another tool. Yet IMC (Internet Marketing Companies) will sing the praises of Facebook. How it does this magic and that magic, only proper marketing - that basic idea is about gaining awareness. Nothing more. And what you are communicating on Facebook is as important as communicating.
Is there anything as nuts as someone that only tells you about their specials? Only tells you how to make money quick? Facebook is social media - social. Social means society - meaning connection. Businesses try to use it to connect to some extent successfully. But the greatest success is personal. Relationship oriented. In other words, showing who you are. Good bad and indifferent are keys to growing in the social environment. Facebook allows that within a role of friends. Overuse, i.e., here is the special of the week, ends up making your message nothing more than background noise.
So to properly market yourself on Facebook, tell stories about the day. Sometimes, even go so far as to tell truthful ones about bad situations and how you dealt with them. Real stories allow real interest to be invested - that is someone's time. Once you have that, they will more likely listen to your message.
Twitter. Nice tool. If Facebook is the hammer in the toolbox, then twitter is the screwdriver. It is a smaller, more precise tool. Connected in with Facebook it can provide you with short burst of communication. But like Facebook, for business and organizations, it can begin to enter into the overwhelming phase.
To use it properly, communicate together with in and Facebook. Because of the limit on the message size, you are kept short. Good for a lot of people (notice how long this blog is now). But the weakness is that your message can be misconstrued. So be mindful of what you are saying. How you are saying in and within the confides of your other tweets. Remember, you are only communicating with language that is always open to interpretation. So read, and re-read your tweets before sending.
Blogs. Yes, people still blog, if you have read this far you are still engaging in them now. Remember, blogs should be informative. Kept updated. And reasonably short. Make your blog something that people would find interesting about the organization. Tell stories and invite people to contribute. Combine your efforts by Tweeting your blog, through Facebook to your friends and people you want to reach.
Seems simple doesn't it? And it is. But this is just part of the toolbox. Those smaller, more precise tools still are needed. Later we will examine what other tools should be in your marketing toolbox. And of course, we would love to hear from you. Netminister.net is our address, and we serve clients of all makes and models, small or large. Give us a chance today.
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