by 6S

Social Network Marketing And What It Can Do For You

Most people ask the wrong questions when talking with marketers: “How can you make money off social networks?”

The value is placed on social networks such as MySpace, Orkut, Friendster, LinkedIn, Mixx, Stumbleupon, Reddit, Twitter and Flikr, while ignoring the real reason these networks were setup and how you can use those ideas to help your business

The top social networking websites which are Myspace, Orkut and Friendster were founded as a way to stay in touch with friends and family and to meet new people online that all share the same ideas. LinkedIn has a similar slant – it is great for entrepreneurs and professionals who want to keep track of their contacts for hiring / outsourcing. Flicker is just a blindingly simple tool for sharing photos.

The success of social networks marks a dynamic shift in how people are using the Internet. We have evolved from just searching for information to creating and participating in social spaces with other individuals through the Internet. This model is based upon the hive mentality where people identify themselves as part of a group with similar likes and interests that draw them together.

Social networks make viral marketing and word-of-mouth marketing much easier than before. The best use of social networks is not to make money ‘directly’ off them, but to harness their marketing potential and to use them to market your own business. The best way to do that is to optimize your website (including the process of link building) for your target keywords.

Online social networks present an efficient platform for you to use in the spread of your marketing message. In addition, they are also a great tool for getting tons of visitors and thousands of page views to your site.

What this all means is that you need to devote more of your attention towards how you can leverage the traffic you do receive from these sources. To do that, you should allow your visitors to create their own social network centered on your niche topic. The power of this cannot be missed since social networks allow for multiple points of connections between almost anyone on Earth, giving them the ability to find, share, enjoy, and track anything and everything that tickles their fancy.

Social network marketing works in the exact same fashion, except people choose to provide your link without being asked to do so, and places like del.ici.ous, Digg, Blogpulse, and Technorati give them the ability to do that. In offline terms, that means turning towards your friends and family to ask for their opinions. Online, it means turning towards a group of trusted people whose opinions and recommendations you value.

In fact, in lots of cases, you’ve probably done some research on your own, using the traditional search engine marketing model and then turned to a social network that you’re a part of to validate your findings and complete your research by getting their experiences and opinions about the topic. This is social network marketing at work in its purest form.

Online social networks provide the platform needed to speak out (if they are so inclined) or to simply watch the conversations as they happen.

Optimizing Your Social Network Marketing Efforts

Most people ask the wrong questions when talking with marketers: “How can you make money off social networks?”

The value is placed on social networks such as MySpace, Orkut, Friendster, LinkedIn, Mixx, Stumbleupon, Reddit, Twitter and Flikr, while ignoring the real reason these networks were setup and how you can use those ideas to help your business

The top social networking websites which are Myspace, Orkut and Friendster were founded as a way to stay in touch with friends and family and to meet new people online that all share the same ideas. LinkedIn has a similar slant – it is great for entrepreneurs and professionals who want to keep track of their contacts for hiring / outsourcing. Flicker is just a blindingly simple tool for sharing photos.

The success of social networks marks a dynamic shift in how people are using the Internet. We have evolved from just searching for information to creating and participating in social spaces with other individuals through the Internet. This model is based upon the hive mentality where people identify themselves as part of a group with similar likes and interests that draw them together.

Social networks make viral marketing and word-of-mouth marketing much easier than before. The best use of social networks is not to make money ‘directly’ off them, but to harness their marketing potential and to use them to market your own business. The best way to do that is to optimize your website (including the process of link building) for your target keywords.

Online social networks present an efficient platform for you to use in the spread of your marketing message. In addition, they are also a great tool for getting tons of visitors and thousands of page views to your site.

What this all means is that you need to devote more of your attention towards how you can leverage the traffic you do receive from these sources. To do that, you should allow your visitors to create their own social network centered on your niche topic. The power of this cannot be missed since social networks allow for multiple points of connections between almost anyone on Earth, giving them the ability to find, share, enjoy, and track anything and everything that tickles their fancy.

Social network marketing works in the exact same fashion, except people choose to provide your link without being asked to do so, and places like del.ici.ous, Digg, Blogpulse, and Technorati give them the ability to do that. In offline terms, that means turning towards your friends and family to ask for their opinions. Online, it means turning towards a group of trusted people whose opinions and recommendations you value.

In fact, in lots of cases, you’ve probably done some research on your own, using the traditional search engine marketing model and then turned to a social network that you’re a part of to validate your findings and complete your research by getting their experiences and opinions about the topic. This is social network marketing at work in its purest form.

Online social networks provide the platform needed to speak out (if they are so inclined) or to simply watch the conversations as they happen.

Social network marketing has become a fixture in the promotional plans of many businesses with every indication this trend will continue to grow. Online social networking is being adopted at an increasing rate by businesses located both on and off the internet. Although there is an investment of time required to be effective when using online social networks for promotional purposes the benefits are well worth it. Like any other component of an effectively run business you do want to get maximum results from any time invested when using social network sites for business purposes.

Here are 5 strategies to use to make sure you are getting the most out of your efforts when using social network sites as part of your online marketing strategy.

Keyword Use

Online social networking involves the use of text. If you are conducting business any content whether it is information, links or websites should contain the proper keywords. Just like any other areas of your online marketing strategy keyword use and placement is just as important when ‘visiting’ social network sites.

Create Compelling Bios

Consider your profile or the bio you create at any of the social network sites more like a banner ad. You want to create curiosity or interest but also maintain a professional tone or at least a tone applicable to what your business is. The use of a picture is also recommended since this helps put a ‘face’ on the person in the profile and serves to personalize it.

Remember these are social sites first so treat them as such!

Connect in ‘Key’ Locations

Online social networking does involve the investment of time so consider this when choosing those sites you want to work. Spread your self around as much as time will allow (but not too thin) to popular/key sites that best fit your application/needs.

Connect With ‘Key’ Players

With so much content ‘racing’ thru the system it can be easy for yours to be overlooked. Establish a connection with some of the more formidable and identifiable figures in your field. Your connection with them gives you a second chance at exposure and makes it harder to be overlooked – this also tends to increase your credibility within the field thru your ‘association’ with key figures.

Encourage Others to Share Your Content

Remind people that if they find your info interesting perhaps their friends will also. Do not forget the power behind viral marketing and remember these are ‘networking’ sites so network!

Social networking marketing has embedded itself deeply into the fibers of businesses both on and off the internet. The ability to reach a global audience involving little cost other than time has helped to explode the popularity of online social networking. Making the best use of time however should not be overlooked for any business using online social networks. The 5 strategies offered above should help to better optimize the time invested and the results you get using social networking as part of your online marketing strategy. After all for any business time is money!

The Ultimate Guide to Social Marketing | Ugsm
Exploit The Power Of Social Marketing using the Tips, Tricks, And Cheats Of Getting Ahead In The Popular Social Networking Game. Learn to Drive a Stampede of Traffic to any Web Site Free. Converts Very Well On all major Social Sites.
The Ultimate Guide to Social Marketing | Ugsm

Social Media Policies Toolkit
Define the rules at your company for the proper use of social media platforms such as Blogs, Twitter, Facebook and Youtube. Ensure your users are spending their time productively and company resources are being used for the business.
Social Media Policies Toolkit

The Facebook Era: Tapping Online Social Networks to Market, Sell, and Innovate (2nd Edition)

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Question by l0st: How can I invest to take advantage of social marketing?
Which companies would be good investments to take advantage of the growth of social marketing and networking that is likely to take place in 2008? (Please list ticker symbols)

Best answer:

Answer by KD7ONE
Try Aurizon Mines AZK
Endeavour Silver Corp EXK
Goldcorp, Inc GG

Give your answer to this question below!