One of the marketing advancements that is gaining grounds is social media marketing. This marketing style takes advantage of the internet to promote products and services.
The people's fascination and involvement with social media has made it the perfect tool to get people to notice the new products being sold and services being offered.
Social Networking sites are now not just for updating family members and friends about what's going on in a person's life. It is not just for communication. Today it is also for advertising.
Advantages of Using Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing offers has several edges over traditional marketing strategy. Its first edge is that the internet has taken over people's lives. Almost everything that people do is done through the internet - communication, education, commerce, and socializing.
The internet created a virtual world, a different realm where people are spending more and more time each day. It created a virtual society that has several virtual communities called the social media. These social networks are rife with marketing opportunities, opportunities that are just waiting to be explored and taken advantage of.
Social media marketing does not require a huge budget. One of the considerations of a company, especially a starting one with just little capital, is the budget. Using social media marketing there is virtually no additional money that needs to be shelled out.
What are just needed are a bit of skills and a whole lot of creativity. To capture a market, the interest of that particular market would just have to be piqued for it to subscribe to the product and service that is being sold.There is not a lot of fuss needed in social media marketing.
What is just needed is to put up a social network accounts or several social network accounts and run it. No need to do costly production, no need to undergo lengthy strategic planning, no need to prepare kits and materials, and there is no need to deal with several people. The job can be done by a single person, who could be the owner or an employee.
For the ecologically concerned people, social media networking is the best way to market a product. Number one it does not use a single paper. This means less garbage and would lessen the demand for paper, which would also translate to the reduction in the cutting of trees. Less tree cutting equals more oxygen and more oxygen means healthy ozone. That is why eco-minded people will be into social networking.
Making the Shift
Making the shift from one paradigm to another is not easy. It is also with using social networking as a marketing tool. For people who are used to using traditional means, shifting to social media marketing would be challenging.
However, it is a very effective tool for marketing. It is also cost effective. Small business enterprises and micro business enterprises would have more advantage in using social media networking.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7059522
Friday 25 May 2012
Wednesday 23 May 2012
5 Hidden Features of Facebook
It’s a little like Facebook’s version of the Easter egg extra you can find in a DVD of one of your favorite movies. Only instead of getting inside director’s jokes that you might not have known otherwise, these features are here to make the experience of having a profile on Facebook one you can customize deeper while still protecting the privacy of. And that’s saying a lot considering that not every Facebook user has yet to convert their home page to the timeline and tailor it to fit their professional and personal needs.
Maybe you already know about these options and maybe you don’t. But employing a “blink and you miss it” tactic can have you missing out on some great opportunities for your account.
1) Facebook Email
Under your contact info tab on your Facebook About page, you’ll find alongside any other email addresses you have featured one that features your public username followed by @facebook.com. Before you worry that there’s a special inbox to your Facebook email filled with messages that you haven’t been receiving, keep in mind that this address is for your Facebook messages inbox (that tiny conversation bubble sandwiched between the friend requests and notifications symbols at the top left hand corner of your page. Any messages you get to the username@facebook.com address will be added there with a little red number that will pop up as a reminder of how many you have.
You can also send messages to the @facebook.com address without using Facebook. Traditional email systems like Gmail can receive and send these messages. Responses sent out via username@facebook.com are formatted to look like they came directly from the social media site with your profile picture, name, and message all included.
2) Custom Username
We spoke about this one a lot in the first of the five hidden features. A Facebook username can be created by logging into your account settings tab and clicking on the bar marked “username” which customizes the web address for your profile, making it look a little something like (to borrow the name of the company I own) https://www.facebook.com/mycorp.
The trouble with the username is that you can only change it once. Until recently was the opportunity made available to switch it over a second time and it’s doubtful that third time will be the charm here. When creating a username for your account, it’s suggested to use a variation based off of your own name which makes it easier for friends to find you and to list your account on a professional networking website or on a resume. You can also use periods when creating said username.
3) Life Events
Yet another reason to make the switch over to the timeline if you haven’t already! On the Facebook timeline you have the option to write a status, post a photo, check in to a place, or create a life event. Life events are open to everything from the school you attended to the places you’ve travelled to and even with the relationships you have with other Facebook users. While you might not feel inclined to feature all of your life events that Facebook offers the ability to feature (first tattoo? new license?) you still have the option there to write about and share with close family members and friends.
4) App Settings
This one might not be a hidden gem on Facebook but it makes for an interesting timeline of its own to see just how many apps you’ve authorized to interact with your account. Under the account settings tab is where you can find and clean out the app settings if they no longer apply to being used with your profile. Kind of like viewing a blast from your Facebook past if you were really into the apps. Pieces of Flair or Bumper Sticker, anyone?
5) The Facebook Archives
Under the account settings tab, click on general settings. Underneath “language” you should be able to find a button marked “download a copy of your Facebook data.” Here’s where you can get a copy of your Facebook history downloaded featuring the posts you’ve made on your wall, the photos you’ve shared, the names and email addresses of your friends, and more.
There’s even an expanded archive download available that includes as Facebook puts it, “historic info like IP addresses we store about your logins to Facebook.”
Definitely far from a blink and you miss it moment.
Maybe you already know about these options and maybe you don’t. But employing a “blink and you miss it” tactic can have you missing out on some great opportunities for your account.
1) Facebook Email
Under your contact info tab on your Facebook About page, you’ll find alongside any other email addresses you have featured one that features your public username followed by @facebook.com. Before you worry that there’s a special inbox to your Facebook email filled with messages that you haven’t been receiving, keep in mind that this address is for your Facebook messages inbox (that tiny conversation bubble sandwiched between the friend requests and notifications symbols at the top left hand corner of your page. Any messages you get to the username@facebook.com address will be added there with a little red number that will pop up as a reminder of how many you have.
You can also send messages to the @facebook.com address without using Facebook. Traditional email systems like Gmail can receive and send these messages. Responses sent out via username@facebook.com are formatted to look like they came directly from the social media site with your profile picture, name, and message all included.
2) Custom Username
We spoke about this one a lot in the first of the five hidden features. A Facebook username can be created by logging into your account settings tab and clicking on the bar marked “username” which customizes the web address for your profile, making it look a little something like (to borrow the name of the company I own) https://www.facebook.com/mycorp.
The trouble with the username is that you can only change it once. Until recently was the opportunity made available to switch it over a second time and it’s doubtful that third time will be the charm here. When creating a username for your account, it’s suggested to use a variation based off of your own name which makes it easier for friends to find you and to list your account on a professional networking website or on a resume. You can also use periods when creating said username.
3) Life Events
Yet another reason to make the switch over to the timeline if you haven’t already! On the Facebook timeline you have the option to write a status, post a photo, check in to a place, or create a life event. Life events are open to everything from the school you attended to the places you’ve travelled to and even with the relationships you have with other Facebook users. While you might not feel inclined to feature all of your life events that Facebook offers the ability to feature (first tattoo? new license?) you still have the option there to write about and share with close family members and friends.
4) App Settings
This one might not be a hidden gem on Facebook but it makes for an interesting timeline of its own to see just how many apps you’ve authorized to interact with your account. Under the account settings tab is where you can find and clean out the app settings if they no longer apply to being used with your profile. Kind of like viewing a blast from your Facebook past if you were really into the apps. Pieces of Flair or Bumper Sticker, anyone?
5) The Facebook Archives
Under the account settings tab, click on general settings. Underneath “language” you should be able to find a button marked “download a copy of your Facebook data.” Here’s where you can get a copy of your Facebook history downloaded featuring the posts you’ve made on your wall, the photos you’ve shared, the names and email addresses of your friends, and more.
There’s even an expanded archive download available that includes as Facebook puts it, “historic info like IP addresses we store about your logins to Facebook.”
Definitely far from a blink and you miss it moment.
Monday 21 May 2012
Earning Using Social Media
New advances in technology have completely revolutionized the manner in which people interact. Physical presence is no longer a requirement to keep in touch with your friends and family. With a few clicks and keystrokes, one is able to view the most recent photos, find out the current location, as well as know about the latest developments in people's lives. Remarkable, isn't it? And all this can be done in real time. There is yet another advantage of the increased accessibility of information: you can earn income from it.
Social media marketing encompasses a wide range of marketing strategies. By definition, it is the process of employing social media in order to promote or sell products and services. You will later find out that it is not limited to computer usage.
Using social media marketing to promote your products has several advantages over the traditional means of marketing. For example, mobile phones can be used to disseminate information regarding certain services, after which the consumers can just as easily avail of the said services by texting in prescribed keywords. This is much cheaper than paying for a TV commercial or a radio advertisement, and is able to reach a much larger audience. Telecommunications offer the advantage of ease of accessibility and widespread coverage.
Perhaps the most significant medium for social media marketing is the Internet. The worldwide web has become an essential tool for us to communicate with each other. Thus, it's no surprise to see products and services being displayed all the time on social networking sites. You might have actively participated in disseminating information about a product, without you realizing it. Or perhaps you've seen them on your news feed, without thinking that they are indeed a form of social media marketing. You've probably encountered people who will ask you to disseminate the link for a certain website in exchange for the chance to win a prize. There are some who encourage you to write and submit an article regarding a set theme, and you receive the product in return. Indeed, these marketing tactics have become all too familiar.
But the most notable benefit of social media marketing is its tailored and individualized appeal that caters specifically to the demands of the target audience. Companies usually employ the strategy of setting up a fan page on the social networking site. Those customers who are interested in the product decide to follow the fan page. Because they chose to be updated, they will regularly receive information regarding the said product. It is an effective marketing strategy that keeps the consumers interested in the said service, awaiting any upcoming developments or events that are relevant to the commodities. And who hasn't heard of a promotional video that has gone viral because it advocates a specific cause, or propagates a central idea? Ultimately, the ability to gain worldwide attention is at the heart of social media marketing.
Gaining awareness and visibility of your product and service remains a powerful tool of social media marketing. By capturing the eyes of your target audience, you can be assured of online financial success.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7063135
Social media marketing encompasses a wide range of marketing strategies. By definition, it is the process of employing social media in order to promote or sell products and services. You will later find out that it is not limited to computer usage.
Using social media marketing to promote your products has several advantages over the traditional means of marketing. For example, mobile phones can be used to disseminate information regarding certain services, after which the consumers can just as easily avail of the said services by texting in prescribed keywords. This is much cheaper than paying for a TV commercial or a radio advertisement, and is able to reach a much larger audience. Telecommunications offer the advantage of ease of accessibility and widespread coverage.
Perhaps the most significant medium for social media marketing is the Internet. The worldwide web has become an essential tool for us to communicate with each other. Thus, it's no surprise to see products and services being displayed all the time on social networking sites. You might have actively participated in disseminating information about a product, without you realizing it. Or perhaps you've seen them on your news feed, without thinking that they are indeed a form of social media marketing. You've probably encountered people who will ask you to disseminate the link for a certain website in exchange for the chance to win a prize. There are some who encourage you to write and submit an article regarding a set theme, and you receive the product in return. Indeed, these marketing tactics have become all too familiar.
But the most notable benefit of social media marketing is its tailored and individualized appeal that caters specifically to the demands of the target audience. Companies usually employ the strategy of setting up a fan page on the social networking site. Those customers who are interested in the product decide to follow the fan page. Because they chose to be updated, they will regularly receive information regarding the said product. It is an effective marketing strategy that keeps the consumers interested in the said service, awaiting any upcoming developments or events that are relevant to the commodities. And who hasn't heard of a promotional video that has gone viral because it advocates a specific cause, or propagates a central idea? Ultimately, the ability to gain worldwide attention is at the heart of social media marketing.
Gaining awareness and visibility of your product and service remains a powerful tool of social media marketing. By capturing the eyes of your target audience, you can be assured of online financial success.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7063135
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