Social Media Networks and the Impact on Small Business

There's been an interesting debate of recent times about social media networks and their impact on the search process. With the increasing number of people using social media sites to communicate with other users, research brands and receive advice via their social network, forum or blog sites, have they abandoned the traditional search process in favour of social networks.

That's looking from the consumer side, and I've not doubt that in the future, we might well see some movement in current searching trends, given the amount of advertising now appearing on Facebook and the other social networks, but what has been the impact of social network sites on small business and owners?

I've been monitoring this for some time now and whilst the social networks do have an influence on consumers, they don't appear to have any real impact on business. In a new survey released by the Citibank/Gfk Roper group, over 76% of small business owners have not found social networks to be helpful in generating business leads or for expanding their business, during the past year. 86% of the business owners surveyed also responded that they had not used social networking sites to get business advice or information.

The survey of 500 small business owners across the US, found that despite widespread consumer use and the increase in marketing efforts by larger corporations into sites such as Facebook,MySpave and Linkedin, small business appears to have largely ignored the social networks.

The survey found that general search engine sites such as Google and Yahoo trump social networks, small-business-focused sites and general business destinations where business owners go to seek business advice or information. Some 61% of respondents say they still rely on search-engine sites to get business information.

Additional survey findings:

42% of small business owners and managers reported that in the past year they have made greater use of their company's website to generate business leads and sales.
Among companies with 20-99 employees, this percentage rises to 57% reporting they have made greater use of their website.
Survey respondents are using email marketing (28%) and online advertising (25%) to generate business leads and sales.

One interesting result from this survey, is small business has finally realised the need to inject funds into their web sites, making them both SEO and consumer friendly.

The survey suggests that small business owners are still finding their way with social media, particularly when it comes to using these tools to grow their business. This  might be all about to change though, with marketing advisers to small business now cutting the more traditional forms of marketing and advertising and using lower cost, on line marketing to save money.

In my observations working with business, social media's growth in the past 12 months has completely overwhelmed them, and combined with a lack of knowledge on how to use this medium in their business, they have ignored it, hoping it might go away. The problem for small business with this, is if you don't start to adopt social networks, you do face the prospect of becoming irrelevant to your customers.

They are moving faster than you are, so at some stage they will be so far ahead, they won't need you anymore as they will impacted by advertising and consumer advice and reviews on brands and purchases, via their social network.

Author Mike Andrew is a technology consultant to small business and operates a web consultancy that covers areas such SEO, social media strategy and Internet marketing.

You can visit Mikes web site on Internet marketing/SEO/Social Media Strategy for more articles and information at http://www.mikeandrewconsulting.com

Properly Engage in Social Media Networks: Business and Personal Life

The Rise of The Modern Social Media Network

Social Media has become an integral part of modern society. Members on certain sites number far more than populations of most nations in the world. Before the pillars of the social media market of today existed (Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn) there were many social and business sharing platforms that paved the way for their efficiency. In 1979 Usenet systems allowed online communications between newsgroups, Bulletin Board systems (BBS) came shortly after, along with forums. Originally these systems had to be dialed into by one user at a time. After BBS, came "online services" such as CompuServe and Prodigy, these were the first corporate strategies online. In 1985, a subsidiary of General Electric actually developed the next set of systems called Genie which ran through 1999.

Blogs then started developing as people started spending more leisure time online and less time strictly looking for information. As sites became less boring and rudimentary, people started really getting involved socially online through dating sites and websites, like Six Degrees, which was launched in 1997 as the first modern social network. However, Friendster was the first really modern style social network and it was launched in 2002 allowing users to do the things they do today on Facebook like post pictures and comments and find other friends within the network. Facebook, originally Facemash was concocted on October 28, 2003, Twitter was launched publicly in July of 2006, and LinkedIn on May 5, 2003.

Promoting a Business Properly in a Social Media Network

Fast forward to 2010, the Biggest "do" regarding social media for business is to get involved. Never underestimate the power of these sites for businesses. One can establish their business among a wide variety of prospective clients through social media networks. Creating a business presence on these sites also helps to shape the integrity of the business while expanding its customer base.

The biggest "don't" for social media in business is getting involved before one knows what they are doing. All of the newer ways to advertise online can be so exciting for a new or developing business once they are introduced to the idea that some people dive right into setting up their profile before they understand how exactly the sites work. Before devoting time into these sites, one should familiarize themselves first with the good and bad aspects of getting involved so that detrimental mistakes can be avoided. A business can run a very smooth social media campaign fairly easily when the proper precautions are taken initially. Remember, there is no social media insurance.

Personal Profile Do's and Dont's for Social Media

The biggest "do" for social media for personal use is to have fun. Before diving in, and experiencing all the leisure and exploration that the sites provide, please take the time to do a few things that may help to avoid a bad situation later on. Here are a few things that everyone should be practicing online to protect themselves from fraud and other criminal concerns: change passwords frequently, adjust privacy settings appropriately, be selective when adding friends, be careful when clicking on things that are unfamiliar, get familiarized with privacy and security settings, learn how to report a potentially compromised account, pay attention to what is appropriate for business and personal life, and more importantly where the line is drawn for adding friends that are family or coworkers to a personal profile.

The Future of Social Media Networks For Business

According to Nielson Reports, as of June 2010, Americans are spending 22.7% of the time they spend online engaged in social media networks. Money that companies spend advertising within Social Media is forecasted to hit about $1.7 billion this year, and $2 billion in 2011. Social media shows no signs of slowing its involvement in both the business and personal lives of people young and old around the world. Placing ads within Social Media sites is extremely effective. Facebook, for example, allows companies to place ads based on users demographics (i.e. Users age, martial status, likes, etc).

This is very powerful as a business owner can ensure that their ad is being placed in front of their target market. Say for example, a business sells wedding cakes, they can place an add in their region to appear in front of women in their mid to late 20s that have a status of engaged. This is very effective because these engaged young women are the perfect audience to be marketing wedding cake services. If you are a business owner, it is recommended that you consider a social media strategy if you want to remain competitive in our ever changing world of communication.

Expert Author, Christopher M. Castillo, is the CEO of Aeutus Marketing and is a top internet marketing guru who works with industry leaders in developing the best tools to market businesses and making money online. Christopher M. Castillo is an expert in Marketing holds a BBA and MBA in Marketing and has decades of experience in Marketing for corporations, small business and non-profit organizations. To learn more how Christopher M. Castillo and his team of Marketing Mentors can teach you to make money or online today, visit them at http://www.HomeMarketingGuru.com To learn how he can help you market your business online, please visit http://www.AeutusMarketing.com

Use of Social Media Networks for Effective, Active and Improved Business Marketing

Marketing plays a very significant role in the organization's overall success and development. Some of the main marketing activities are advertising, promotions, sales, customer service and relations. It is very important for an organization to market their product or service before and after its introduction from the customer's perspective. The marketing strategies and functions carried out in order to market the products to the customers and boost its sales, understanding the preferences of the customers must be creative, effective and cost-effective.

The most common form of marketing is through advertising. Creative and effective advertising targeted at the intended customers can boost the sales, and improve the performance and popularity of the organization and can make stronger presence among the customer base. However, with the advancement of technology, internet and social media, they have paved in way for newer, advanced and active marketing.

The popularity of the social networking among the internet users and with the number of people joining and using the social media and networking services to communicate among themselves increasing each day, it has got a lot of attraction from the marketing professionals and has kindled in their thoughts to make use of it for effective, active and result-oriented marketing.

The Social Media Marketing (SMM) is a latest of its kind, in which the social media, sharing and networking sites and platforms are interactively used by the organizations to promote their products and services, by sending across mails, messages (with text, audio, video and other media contents), online ads to the users, and posting the same on online discussion boards, blogs, groups, communities and other online forums.

Some of the social media networks are face book, twitter, YouTube, MySpace, Digg, Blogger, wikis, podcasts etc. In this way, the direct customers are targeted, bringing about a greater awareness of the products and services among the customers. This is an active marketing strategy, in the sense that the customers can give reviews/responses and opinions on the products and services, triggering a row of discussions, conversations and comments from the customers online.

The response information from the users, can be effectively used for better understanding the preferences and choice of the customers and consider them to improvise the products and services, as also the same can be used to develop the business of the organization.

The advantages of the social media marketing are: they directly involve the communication with intended customers, provide information and understanding of customer preferences from which organizations can devise better business strategies, increase its presence and reputation as brand and it is cost-effective.

Though the social media marketing involves greater challenges, innovation and creativity, the power of social media networking and internet along with the effective marketing ideas and approaches can take the businesses to greater heights of success. Its time organizations go online with social media marketing, to promote their products and services, and attract and retain the customer base.

Erwin Felicilda is an Entrepreneur, Social Media & Internet Marketing Consultant. You can visit his blog at http://erwinfelicilda.com, which presents unique interdisciplinary views of Entrepreneurs on experimentation in lifestyle advancements in the digital age and where he also share his passions, ideas & knowledge

Ecommerce - How Social Media Networking Can Help Online Business

Social media websites are becoming increasingly popular. These networking sites bring together like-minded people from across societies, even geographies, to share views, interact and exchange information. E-commerce website marketing executives recognize the potential of marketing on these portals to increase brand awareness. Currently, over 25% of display advertisements are posted on social media websites.

Strategies used by e-commerce developers on social media websites

E-commerce developers use the following strategies on social media websites to develop and promote their internet business:

Display advertising

Display ads can be developed for a target audience, include information on offers, discounts, coupons and deadlines to make the customer act urgently. Display ads can clutter up a website's landscape, so make sure they are targeted to make them relevant to the website's context.

Increasing brand awareness

Since these sites are interactive, e-commerce developers can engage users in discussions of the brand. They can demonstrate quality and expertise to the potential customers and build the brand's image.

Spread the word

A lot of customers post their opinion of brands on social networking sites. E-commerce websites should encourage their satisfied customers to spread the word by sharing their feedback on these sites.

Building a user community through the e-commerce site

The e-commerce business can begin building a user community on its own website. The web site should be designed to link their user community to various social media sites. User forums are an excellent source of feedback on the e-commerce business' products and services.

Monitoring discussions of brands

Just as positive feedback of an e-commerce business' products and services can enhance the brand image, negative feedback can damage it. E-commerce developers should closely follow any mention of their products on social networking sites and address misconceptions and complaints. This builds a customer friendly image of the brand.

Advantages of using social media websites to promote e-commerce business

There are many potential benefits of using social media websites for e-commerce development:

Widened customer scope

Social networking websites are popular and their membership is rapidly growing. By placing ads on such sites, e-commerce businesses expand their customer outreach. Display ads should attract the attention of interested members. A click on the display ad should immediately take the customer to the page on the e-commerce website where they can finalize the sale.

Increasing brand awareness

Social media websites allow e-commerce display ads to be viewed by a large section of people who share some common interests. Display ads that target this customer segment will have better chances of getting through to this community, increasing awareness of the brand.

Influencing brand reputation

Social media website members will share their opinion of brands. This influences the brand's reputation, and improves sales if the customers have something good to say. Even bad opinions can be altered or at least improved by following up with the dissatisfied customers.

Social media websites are opportunities for e-commerce businesses to expand their clientele and improve their brand image. By their very nature, social networking sites have a strong impact on the reputation of a brand. E-commerce developers should understand the merits and demerits of marketing through social networking websites and make the most of this advertising opportunity.

Daljeet Sidhu is at TradeSeam. Read our Ecommerce website blog. Compare ecommerce shopping cart quotes.

5 Benefits of Social Media Marketing For an Internet Home Based Business

Social media marketing is something new in the business scene, though it is extremely useful if put to work properly. Let's say you have an internet home based business, and you need to get the word out. There are a number of ways that you could spread the word of your products, but how far will that word go? Television advertisements and billboards will only go so far, and by now, you probably understand that you need to do some internet advertising. The only question however, is what type of internet advertising.

Many people have turned to social media marketing simply because of the benefits the service offers. There are a number of different social networking sites out there, and all of them allow advertisement on a certain level so long as you do not abuse it. That being said, let's talk about a few of the benefits related to using social media marketing for your internet home based business:

1. You will gain quite a bit of exposure due to the number of people that use social networking websites. Though you might start out small, you will most definitely grow to be a larger business, drawing in clients and spreading the word.

2. You can spread word of your business in virtually any way that you see fit. For instance, you could choose to utilize viral advertising, or you could go with a standard advertisement. Either way, you are sure to be noticed by thousands of people.

3. You can be a member of several different social networking sites at once. This will give you quite the advantage as you will be able to advertise on a number of different fronts. You will gain the maximum exposure, and will undoubtedly sell your product.

4. Advertisements can come in many forms, and when you are doing your advertising on a social media site, you can actually advertise through games. The best part about advertising through games is that you get a chance to spread your ad virally, through something that people can fall in love with. This is one of the greatest perks associated with social media networking.

5. Social networks have many users, and those users have their own network of friends. Through that, you will be seen by many different people, and there is a chance that some of them will buy your product. The ability to share, and see information on different user's profile is something that you can use to your advantage. Best of all, it's free!

These are just a few things that you need to know about social media networking. It is free, and it is an effective way to get your message across. Once you start using it, your internet home based business will soar, and you will wonder how you ever did without it.

Aviroop Nag is a recognized expert in doing research and reviews of the most profitable internet home based business ideas in the industry today. Click here to visit his website.

Are Your Social Media Efforts Hurting Your Business' Credibility?

Many businesses have, by now, ventured into the world of social media in one form or another. But have those efforts paid off; I can most assuredly say that in most cases, it has likely hurt their credibility.

Below are 6 Tips that will make sure your efforts grow your business and don't undermine your strategic goals.

1) Choose the right network: There is no value in being the first to market on a social networking site. So you haven't missed the boat. Ask your customers or search for their email addresses before dedicating the time to set-up a page for your business. The main goal of social networking is 1) to engage your current customers and 2) entice new ones.

2) Make the commitment: Social media networks have an overabundance of small business profiles that were created and updated for a short period of time, only to have the administrator shortly thereafter lose interest for whatever reason. Social media is not a quick fix and certainly takes a level of commitment to generate the desired result. If you don't have the time or the patience, it is better to not have a profile, than to have one that is incomplete or not cultivated.

3) 5 times per week: Update your profile, change your status update, or ask a thought provoking question at least 5 times per week. This is a minimum! Try not to exceed 3 updates per day because you are trying to engage and stay Top-of-Mind, not monopolize their day. But you must continually bring something to the conversation if you want your followers to pay attention to you.

4) Add value: Utilize links, highlight non-competing businesses that are of interest, post comments that naturally elicit responses. Unless it is part of your business culture, stay away from partisan posts. And not everything you highlight or comment about has to do with business. Just be interesting.

5) Listen: Nobody likes the person at the party that won't stop talking and only talks about themselves. Don't be 'that guy.' Social media is a two-way street. Listen to your fans. Comment on their posts; be sure to respond to them when they comment about you or your posts. Engage your customers and they will reward you.

6) Speak as an individual: Do not use stuffy language and don't present info as though it was filtered through a copywriter or lawyer. Speak with your voice. No one wants to talk to a company; they want to talk with the individual behind the logo.

7) Do not 'collect' fans: It is not a contest to see who has the most followers or fans. Do not 'blast' invites to the world if the people that you are targeting are not strategic targets for your business. Smaller can be better in terms of your following, if you keep those people engaged and interested. This will grow your following in a slower more methodical fashion. But this will help you determine what is effective and help you develop your 'voice.'

This is just a 'jumping off point,' but if you can follow these simple tips, your small business marketing efforts in social media will be much more effective. If you have a profile that does not adhere to these suggestions, it is not too late to change. Institute these for a few days and you will see a drastic difference.

Nicole Emerson
Marketing Communications Director
Gabriel Standard
http://www.gabrielstandard.com

Using Twitter, Facebook and Other Social Media Networks to Generate Leads to My Website or Business

One of the most important tools in modern Internet marketing is the social media platform. However, many people don't know how to get started or even, exactly, how these tools can possibly be utilized to get the word out about their products or services.

First of all, "social media" refers to networking sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. There are, of course, a myriad of smaller networking sites out there, but most people who use the Internet have an account on at least one of the aforementioned sites - in fact, recent studies have shown that participation on social networking sites is the second most engaged in activity on the Internet, only behind surfing the web in popularity!

A savvy business owner knows that where the people are, an advertisement campaign should be operating. Using social networking platforms as a basis for advertisements can be a little bit difficult, but once you gain familiarity with how they work and how to appropriately harness the possibilities that social networking platforms offer, you'll be off to the races!

Even better, the utilization of social media platforms is free. Here are some basic tips to get started on the path of using social networking to benefit you and your business.

First, keep in mind that social networking is based largely off of "friending" people. Many beginners try to friend hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of people at once, which makes them look desperate and therefore many people turn them down. Instead of "mass-friending," simply work off of twenty or thirty people or groups at a time. Wait for them to reply to your friend messages, and then build up your basis from there.

Remember to friend those who have similar interests to you, as they're more likely to respond to you. Also, before you make any sort of announcement on a social networking site, remember to ask yourself if it's an interesting post or not!

Do you need a strong social media marketing program for your business or more traffic to your website from social media? Contact U.S. Image Design. We are a Internet Marketing Company based in Atlanta but we can serve you Nationwide. Or if you need any form of internet advertising, give us a shout.

Social Media Networking Tools and Small Business - What Does it Mean to You and How to Get Started

We all witnessed the fiasco that was United Airlines vs. Dave Carroll - and we all saw just how social media can impact business. It really put the whole array of social networking tools squarely in the mainstream discussions of business owners and entrepreneurs.

In the months following that, a whole lot has been written from self-proclaimed business gurus to internationally known media critics. My take here is a basic, nuts and bolts, plain English breakdown from a nerd/business owner.

Before we get to the plan, we need to define "Social Media". At its core, social media is a category or range of tools (including websites and widgets) that allow their users to connect with each other to share information or files. Just like connecting with people face to face, there are rules (etiquette) that differ from community to community and from social group to social group.

If you go to a business networking event to eat the food and race through the room handing out your business cards without actually connecting with anyone, whose fault is it that you didn't get any clients? If you go to an industry event for green business owners and start promoting penthouse condos starting at $2 million, whose fault is it if that doesn't net you business? Does it mean that networking doesn't work? No. Does it mean those groups are not bringing people business? No. It simply means your strategy didn't take into account the other people's needs and interests. You didn't use the tools and opportunities properly.

So how do you manage to get the most out of the time you spend networking online?

1. Take the time to develop your social media plan. Don't start something if you don't have the time to do it properly. You don't have to have every possible account all at once, leaving half-finished or abandoned business profiles littering the web. It just plain doesn't look good.

Realistically evaluate the time you are going to be able to dedicate to social media for your business. Is there someone in your organization who can do it better - and of course, someone you trust with your brand? Can you leverage content you are already creating and port it to these other channels? Are you reading and tracking or clipping news items for your industry anyway - where your list would be of value to either the public or others in your sector?

Investigate what people are already doing in your sector/industry. Find out if and where you are already being discussed. If you are being discussed, you have a natural point to wade into the discussion - but resist the urge to jump in with both feet until you have had the chance to: (a) calm down if what they are saying is negative, (b) consider your response and overall approach, and (c) evaluate the tools that are available to you.

An example: if people are talking on Twitter about how much your company sucks, then clearly, you need a Twitter account. Right now. That's not so that you can get defensive and start telling "your side" of the story, but rather so you can be seen to be interested in your customers and in getting their feedback (and not in a "why don't you say that to my face" manner). Remember, it's a conversation, not an argument.

Next you need to assess which tools are right for you. One of the fun things about social media is that even within a particular medium, there may be multiple tools that let you manage your profile - and some that let you span media (channels).

Imagine you search Twitter and no one has ever mentioned you. Do you need to use this particular social media tool for your business? It depends. Go back to your earlier findings. Watch the trending topics over the span of a couple weeks. Are people talking about key components of your sector? If your business is considered "green" then definitely. Health is another good sector. If you are in the entertainment sector, that's a no-brainer - you need to be there.

Check Facebook. Check Technorati. Do a comprehensive set of Google searches (or whatever your favourite search engine is). Where are your best customers congregating? What are they talking about?

Really, the only way to figure it out is to see what other people are talking about and decide if you can realistically contribute something of value to the existing community - or to create a community if none exists. Don't be afraid to ask your competitors to participate; that is how industry associations get started, plus it adds value to your clientele.

Beyond this, my suggestion is to ask someone who is using the tools for their opinions:

Are you happy with your choices?
What tools are you using to manage that account? Is it the main website or a third party add-on or application? Are you using anything to be able to repurpose that content elsewhere (e.g. embedding their tweets on your website)?
What is missing from this tool? I.e. in a perfect world, what features would you add?
If they were to start again, would you use the same tool?
How easy is it to switch and keep your content?

Some rules of thumb:

Plan to tweet (post to Twitter) at least twice daily, even if it's a retweet of interesting content someone else posted, or a link to a relevant news item.
Facebook Fan Pages are way more functional than groups (though I wish they were named something else). You can embed RSS feeds that keep fresh content going through without a whole lot of additional work (make that the landing page).
A really good original content blog post is going to take at least 45 minutes. (This one, which started out in my head as 5 simple bullet points, took over two hours.) You can use a mix of original content and pointing to news items of interest to build a comprehensive blog on a topic, or you can use your blog to be a news aggregator. In my experience, the former strategy is the better for keeping people returning to your site because the second strategy leaves you open to imitators, competitors, and things like Google News Alerts replacing your function (and doing it better). Additionally, new content makes your site valuable to other bloggers who can link in and send you more interested visitors.
Use aggregators, dashboards, and directory sites. Prep multiple descriptions of varying length for each project and have them at hand to cut and paste.
Look for interesting ways to reuse the content across platforms - we originally started tweeting on one of the sites as a faster way to creating a custom list of news items appearing on all pages of the site - editable by the entire team. It was easier to make a twitter account that all editors/writers in house could update (trusted, clearly) rather than have to train them on the CMS. Plus, if people direct an item of interest to us we can quickly retweet it and make it appear.

2. Social media is not an advertising channel. That should be clear from the first point, but I really want to reiterate that. Advertising is pushing your message out to the audience. "Marketing", on the other hand, is every single thing you do that interacts with your clients and potential clients and influences their opinion of you (including advertising). Social media may be part of your marketing plan, but if you start advertising through these channels, expect that part of your plan to fail.

3. Consume more than you create. Are you familiar with that adage in the construction/renovation industry "measure twice, cut once"? Well in using social media as a way to engage your market (notice that I didn't say "advertise your business"), the adage should be: post sparingly, monitor constantly.

To be a legitimate part of the community, you need to be reading and interested in the opinions and postings of other members - even if that is a select, high-end, few. Read what others are saying and comment: blogs, tweets, Facebook updates, LinkedIn news, etc. Use the search function. Find and save the links that let you track current hot topics of discussion. Using the tools properly and saving the search results as bookmarks will save you time and let you go straight to what interests you.

4. Social media is not a 9 - 5 proposition. Just because you are out and about on the weekend doesn't meant the conversation has stopped. There are tools that will let you have messages that are targeted specifically to your username sent to your cellphone - and let you reply by sending a text message back. Sure, it's fine not to be monitoring it in the middle of the night. But for days on end? Enlist a friend or hire and intern or a Virtual Assistant to check in periodically.

Monitor, monitor, monitor. I have seen so many large corporations (the kind that should know better - and that have employees to actually monitor this) start groups and let them get taken over by spammers in the discussion areas, comments, shared links. When you go to the trouble of advertising that you are cutting edge and embracing new technology, nothing say, "we really don't get it" louder than the same spam message posted in every thread and a links section full of affiliate program spam.

5. Separate your real world friends from your business friends. In my universe, Facebook is (primarily) for friends, LinkedIn is for business. Odds are I won't friend you on Facebook and you should not take that personally. My real-world (meat-space, IRL, whatever) friends span the gamut from hackers to drag queens. They all get along very well with each other when they mix, but they enjoy making double entendres out of almost everything I say or flat out making conjecture as to where I was last Saturday night. (For the record, I was in the new office space removing some built-in tables. Not very exciting.)

For a while I was using the Privacy Settings to give business acquaintances a very limited access version of my profile; now I just point them to LinkedIn.

If after reading all of this, you are still offended by that (because you really need to have 5000 Facebook friends to promote yourself effectively), then perhaps social media isn't for you.

Who am I to be giving this advice? My name is Gisela and I am Manging Director of pixcode - creators of NaturalHealthcare.ca, CanadaEventsCalendar.ca, CanadianFoodies, BusinessPartnerships, and Wellergize. Our blogs are on top picks in HR and Wellness including the Delaware Employment Law's top 50 Wellness, Women's Interests, and Work-Life Balance Blogs. We've just deployed an enterprise-wide Twitter strategy using CoTweet and are in the process of migrating to our new headquarters in conjunction with launching our new eco-friendly education space called GreenInstead.

I have personally been working with telephony and Internet technologies since the late 80s and developing in the web space since 1993. I am also a former Associate Director of the byDesign eLab at the McLuhan Program in Culture and Technology (University of Toronto).

Use of Social Media Networks for Effective, Active and Improved Business Marketing

Marketing plays a very significant role in the organization's overall success and development. Some of the main marketing activities are advertising, promotions, sales, customer service and relations. It is very important for an organization to market their product or service before and after its introduction from the customer's perspective. The marketing strategies and functions carried out in order to market the products to the customers and boost its sales, understanding the preferences of the customers must be creative, effective and cost-effective.

The most common form of marketing is through advertising. Creative and effective advertising targeted at the intended customers can boost the sales, and improve the performance and popularity of the organization and can make stronger presence among the customer base. However, with the advancement of technology, internet and social media, they have paved in way for newer, advanced and active marketing.

The popularity of the social networking among the internet users and with the number of people joining and using the social media and networking services to communicate among themselves increasing each day, it has got a lot of attraction from the marketing professionals and has kindled in their thoughts to make use of it for effective, active and result-oriented marketing.

The Social Media Marketing (SMM) is a latest of its kind, in which the social media, sharing and networking sites and platforms are interactively used by the organizations to promote their products and services, by sending across mails, messages (with text, audio, video and other media contents), online ads to the users, and posting the same on online discussion boards, blogs, groups, communities and other online forums.

Some of the social media networks are face book, twitter, YouTube, MySpace, Digg, Blogger, wikis, podcasts etc. In this way, the direct customers are targeted, bringing about a greater awareness of the products and services among the customers. This is an active marketing strategy, in the sense that the customers can give reviews/responses and opinions on the products and services, triggering a row of discussions, conversations and comments from the customers online.

The response information from the users, can be effectively used for better understanding the preferences and choice of the customers and consider them to improvise the products and services, as also the same can be used to develop the business of the organization.

The advantages of the social media marketing are: they directly involve the communication with intended customers, provide information and understanding of customer preferences from which organizations can devise better business strategies, increase its presence and reputation as brand and it is cost-effective.

Though the social media marketing involves greater challenges, innovation and creativity, the power of social media networking and internet along with the effective marketing ideas and approaches can take the businesses to greater heights of success. Its time organizations go online with social media marketing, to promote their products and services, and attract and retain the customer base.

Erwin Felicilda is an Entrepreneur, Social Media & Internet Marketing Consultant. You can visit his blog at http://erwinfelicilda.com, which presents unique interdisciplinary views of Entrepreneurs on experimentation in lifestyle advancements in the digital age and where he also share his passions, ideas & knowledge

Properly Engage in Social Media Networks: Business and Personal Life

The Rise of The Modern Social Media Network

Social Media has become an integral part of modern society. Members on certain sites number far more than populations of most nations in the world. Before the pillars of the social media market of today existed (Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn) there were many social and business sharing platforms that paved the way for their efficiency. In 1979 Usenet systems allowed online communications between newsgroups, Bulletin Board systems (BBS) came shortly after, along with forums. Originally these systems had to be dialed into by one user at a time. After BBS, came "online services" such as CompuServe and Prodigy, these were the first corporate strategies online. In 1985, a subsidiary of General Electric actually developed the next set of systems called Genie which ran through 1999.

Blogs then started developing as people started spending more leisure time online and less time strictly looking for information. As sites became less boring and rudimentary, people started really getting involved socially online through dating sites and websites, like Six Degrees, which was launched in 1997 as the first modern social network. However, Friendster was the first really modern style social network and it was launched in 2002 allowing users to do the things they do today on Facebook like post pictures and comments and find other friends within the network. Facebook, originally Facemash was concocted on October 28, 2003, Twitter was launched publicly in July of 2006, and LinkedIn on May 5, 2003.

Promoting a Business Properly in a Social Media Network

Fast forward to 2010, the Biggest "do" regarding social media for business is to get involved. Never underestimate the power of these sites for businesses. One can establish their business among a wide variety of prospective clients through social media networks. Creating a business presence on these sites also helps to shape the integrity of the business while expanding its customer base.

The biggest "don't" for social media in business is getting involved before one knows what they are doing. All of the newer ways to advertise online can be so exciting for a new or developing business once they are introduced to the idea that some people dive right into setting up their profile before they understand how exactly the sites work. Before devoting time into these sites, one should familiarize themselves first with the good and bad aspects of getting involved so that detrimental mistakes can be avoided. A business can run a very smooth social media campaign fairly easily when the proper precautions are taken initially. Remember, there is no social media insurance.

Personal Profile Do's and Dont's for Social Media

The biggest "do" for social media for personal use is to have fun. Before diving in, and experiencing all the leisure and exploration that the sites provide, please take the time to do a few things that may help to avoid a bad situation later on. Here are a few things that everyone should be practicing online to protect themselves from fraud and other criminal concerns: change passwords frequently, adjust privacy settings appropriately, be selective when adding friends, be careful when clicking on things that are unfamiliar, get familiarized with privacy and security settings, learn how to report a potentially compromised account, pay attention to what is appropriate for business and personal life, and more importantly where the line is drawn for adding friends that are family or coworkers to a personal profile.

The Future of Social Media Networks For Business

According to Nielson Reports, as of June 2010, Americans are spending 22.7% of the time they spend online engaged in social media networks. Money that companies spend advertising within Social Media is forecasted to hit about $1.7 billion this year, and $2 billion in 2011. Social media shows no signs of slowing its involvement in both the business and personal lives of people young and old around the world. Placing ads within Social Media sites is extremely effective. Facebook, for example, allows companies to place ads based on users demographics (i.e. Users age, martial status, likes, etc).

This is very powerful as a business owner can ensure that their ad is being placed in front of their target market. Say for example, a business sells wedding cakes, they can place an add in their region to appear in front of women in their mid to late 20s that have a status of engaged. This is very effective because these engaged young women are the perfect audience to be marketing wedding cake services. If you are a business owner, it is recommended that you consider a social media strategy if you want to remain competitive in our ever changing world of communication.

Expert Author, Christopher M. Castillo, is the CEO of Aeutus Marketing and is a top internet marketing guru who works with industry leaders in developing the best tools to market businesses and making money online. Christopher M. Castillo is an expert in Marketing holds a BBA and MBA in Marketing and has decades of experience in Marketing for corporations, small business and non-profit organizations. To learn more how Christopher M. Castillo and his team of Marketing Mentors can teach you to make money or online today, visit them at http://www.HomeMarketingGuru.com To learn how he can help you market your business online, please visit http://www.AeutusMarketing.com