Targeting Pro

Target Marketing - What Is Your Niche Market?

2011-06-15T11:14:00.012-04:00

There is a lot of hype out there about “Target Marketing” – and some of it can be a twisted road to follow. Hopefully this article will be helpful to those trying to navigate the ever-changing course of diverse target marketing and how you can make your brand work for you.

What exactly is target marketing? I took this quick clip from Wikipedia for a nice, raw definition:
“A target market is a group of customers that the business has decided to aim its marketing efforts and ultimately its merchandise. A well-defined target market is the first element to a marketing strategy. The target market and the marketing mix variables of product, place (distribution), promotion and price are the four elements of a marketing mix strategy that determine the success of a product in the marketplace. Once these distinct customers have been defined, a marketing mix strategy of product, distribution, promotion and price can be built by the business to satisfy the target market.”

What does that mean exactly – it is basically deciding what niche market you would like to offer your products and/or services to. Some people fall into the trap of saying: “Well I want to market to everybody! The more clients the better!” That is a good concept in its simplicity, but in today’s economic state and highly competitive online market – more and more businesses are finding that it is better to research who their target markets are and plan a marketing strategy around the bulk of their interested audience. If you were attempting to market the newest 3D video game – you might be hard pressed to find a senior citizen market that would be interested in it, wouldn’t you? (Hey, I’m not saying impossible here, just providing an example – I’ll be one of those gaming senior citizens one day!)

The point is, for a business to be successful it has to have successful marketing – and to have successful marketing you (marketing consultant) have to understand what your target market actually is. Do you track your website activity? Are your visitors global or local? What country are most of your leads coming from? Do you track your customer statistics? Are they mostly male or female? What age group? Do you offer bilingual services? Are you more modern and high tech or are you more class and old-school? These are just a few things to chew on, but things like these (and many more) are what make your product or service unique to you, your area and defines your target market.

It is becoming more and more important to show what you can offer the world. There may be a lot of people who do what you do – but they never do it quite like you, do they? Stand out! Bring yourself forward with your unique adaptations or your niche market specialty. Look at what Short Sale Specialists did for the housing market. Look at what Search Engine Optimization (SEO) did for advanced internet marketing. There are hundreds of examples of this today – which one are you in? Do you have a plan to successfully develop your target market? What direction is your company heading in? Have you already secured your social media outlets? Do you have uniform branding and product recognition in your advertising? When people see your face, your logo, or your product, you want them automatically recognize your company, quality and trust. Think about all of the recognizable products out there: The Nike swoosh - doesn't even need the name anymore. The ASPCA - invokes emotions. Coca-Cola - who doesn't know that logo? Even globally! What does your brand say about you?

Let’s face it – we all know not everyone can be a marketing specialist - we all know you have a job to do, and you do what YOU do best. If you need assistance to help you set your course for success, please feel free to drop us a line. If you have your course set but need help with Social Media Marketing, we have you covered there, too. Lest we forget custom brand development? Twitter secure? Facebook profile and Facebook fan page? Blog setup? LinkedIn profile? Don't let the internet be a stumbling block in your business, let it be an amazing power tool for sales...

Not sure what you want to do just yet? Feel free to bookmark this page, follow me on Twitter or friend me on Facebook - I look forward to networking with you!

PS: Want more social media marketing advice? Check out our last post about Facebook Zen - Don't Fight Facebook, Learn To Love It! We hope to friend you soon!

Email: TargetingPro@gmail.com
Blog: http://TargetingPro.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TargetingPro
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TargetingPro
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/TargetingPro

Hungry for more? Tune in for more target market information in upcoming articles – knowledge is power! If you need assistance in setting up or maintaining your social media outlets, feel free to contact me to discuss if Virtual / Remote Assisting or Social Media Ghost Writing is right for you!

Facebook Zen - Don't Fight Facebook, Learn To Love It!

2010-08-26T21:18:00.003-04:00

You heard that right - don’t fight Facebook – learn to love it! I understand a lot of people may be intimidated by social media, but it really is not anything to be afraid of. (I promise!)
Facebook is a great casual networking arena where you can interact with individuals, organizations, companies, like products, and partake in causes. In this dynamic interactive space, you can make many types of connections that not only enrich you the individual – but can also enrich you the professional, the business owner, the entrepreneur, the expert.

Just dive right in, I promise the water is deep and you won’t hurt yourself, go ahead and make an account (or you can have someone help set one up for you, like a Virtual Assistant). Once you have an account set up you can begin to familiarize yourself with it and get used to how Facebook functions. There are some great articles to help you get started with Facebook out there I highly suggest reviewing. One thing to note is your privacy, Facebook offers privacy settings but please be aware of your safety at all times and the kind of information you are sharing with others.

Considering it is hard for one to interact with themselves – your first step to take is to “find friends.” Trust me when I say this begins to get addictive! Start with family members, branch to close friends and then coworkers. This will give you an excellent foundation to building your Facebook network. You will be surprised at how many Facebook users you know that will help connect you with others or give you friend suggestions. Soon your connection network will branch out in every direction imaginable.

Now that you have a nice friend base, you can move on to what it is exactly you would like to DO with Facebook. This is where some people get a little fuzzy or things begin to blur. Is this a personal account? If you want to keep family and friends separate from business, I suggest creating an additional “professional Facebook account” – one that reflects your network of colleagues and associates, vendors and clients. Since this article is referencing Facebook for business, we are going to focus on how you can use this very easy social medium to your business advantage. Remember – if it is professional, keep it professional.

Photos are a lot of fun, and are a great thing to share about you, what you do, what you are involved in, what passions you have, what activities you partake in and a way to offer a piece of you with the world. They make great conversation starters, so don’t be afraid to post about the great things going on in your life!

Videos are another way to share yourself with others and can also offer a great marketing platform. Videos are highly indexed in the search engines, and when linked to other social media networks like YouTube, you have a great start at a viral video (and did I mention FREE?). (Don’t worry, “viral” isn’t a bad thing, it simply means that it spreads on the Internet because people enjoy sharing it by all networking and link sharing means, including Twitter, Blogs, Facebook, MySpace, etc.

Status updates – pretty straightforward. Update your friends on what you are doing, what is on your mind, a quote that inspired you, a link that interested you, etc. I would suggest trying to get these in once a day as a normal interval (which it is completely understandable if you are not able to do this) but no less than once a week. Having a stale account can sometimes be a bad reflection when a potential client comes looking for you. The great thing about Facebook is that once your business gets hopping and using social media to boost your search engine rankings begin to pan out, you can always ask a Virtual Assistant to help you maintain your social media websites on an as-needed basis.

Comments are a lot of fun, too – this is how you interact with your friends list. When you see your “feed” you will see posts, status updates, videos and photos of the people you know. You can place comments on these items to mingle with your peers. Let the real you shine through!

The “Like” button is also an easy tool to use when interacting with friends. If you don’t really have anything to add to the discussion you can simply “like” someone else’s activity. This is a great way to keep active even if you are running short on time, and lets your friends know you are still in touch with them.

Not to mention you can link your Facebook page to your Blog, Twitter and other networking websites to get all of those feeds spreading out from just a single source - that's online marketing efficiency!

Again, it is always a good idea to be mindful of your posts and comments – Facebook is indeed a public networking site, no matter how private you think your comments are. Keep everything professional and please also be mindful of your safety and do not offer information that is too personal.

See? Not so scary now is it? Go forth my friends – go forth and network the world! If you want a great place to get started, feel free to friend Targeting Pro, I look forward to networking with you!

“God bless the Geek, for they shall Internet the earth.”

Email: TargetingPro@gmail.com
Blog: http://TargetingPro.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TargetingPro
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TargetingPro
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/TargetingPro

Stay tuned to the Targeting Pro blog for my upcoming articles that will delve deeper into each aspect of social media – we will be really getting into the meat and potatoes of what it takes to be top in your field. If you need assistance in setting up or maintaining your social media outlets, feel free to contact me to discuss if Virtual Assisting or Ghost Writing is right for you!

Search Engines Are Hungry

2010-07-21T14:48:00.004-04:00

What are you feeding them?

Internet users are growing by the day, websites are growing by the day – that means that more and more of the world’s population has internet access. What does this mean for websites? Competition.

A website should not just simply “exist” – a website should be a living and breathing thing that is always changing and always growing with a business. It does not matter if the website’s purpose is to sell fine china, provide real estate services or simply to offer the public information – they all have the same goal: to be seen.

Having a static web page that never changes and never updates information will have a hard time competing in today’s online market. Everyone is fighting and fighting hard for a slice of the pie to make a living. The economy is currently in a state to push a website to the top, or push it out of the way – depending on where it wants to go.

If you build it, they will come, and no phrase could be truer for the web. Offer something no one else does, provide a unique service or fantastic product and market it correctly. Slapping up boring text on a website will have a hard job of drawing in people, it must be interesting, captivating and believable.

If you are ready to vamp up your website and turn it from bland to grand – leave it in the hands of a pro. Not a website expert? You don’t have to be! Targeting Pro offers flexible website plans for any budget and frees up your time to keep running your business.

Email: TargetingPro@gmail.com
Blog: http://TargetingPro.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TargetingPro
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TargetingPro
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/TargetingPro

Technology - Are You Up To Speed?

2010-02-05T20:54:00.013-05:00

We are in the heart of the Information Age, where innovation can take you to the top of your industry, where unique ideas are key and clever business plans can boost you above your competition. Business has become a challenging marketplace, and especially so for the hard economic times befalling the Real Estate market.

There is no “magic strategy” or “secrets to success” in this market - it is hard work, innovative ideas and putting the time into your business to reflect the revenue you want out of it. It really does not matter what other agents in your area are doing and what makes them successful - what matters is what makes you different in your field. What do you offer that other agents don’t? What services do you provide that other agents lack? What kind of guarantees do you offer for your services or products that bring comfort and security to your clients? Are you leveraging technology in your favor to get an edge on your competition?

Being successful in business is being able to take problems and turning them into opportunities. With technology rapidly changing, becoming more complex and niche out more focused markets, it is playing a vital part of business plans today. When you delay, you lose business. When you are the last on board with technologies that make your job more efficient either in the realms of money, time or procedure, you are lagging behind in the market. Working in the service industry we are in a world of increasing customer expectations and needs, if you are not able to satisfy these you are more than likely not going to be able to retain the clients and contacts that you manage to come across. Responding quickly to new products and services that better your customer experience can rocket you ahead in this hypercompetitive market.

Is your website up to speed? Do you currently partake in Search Engine Optimization (SEO)? Do you have dynamic contact forms? Do you partake in Social Media outlets? Do you have unique and completely custom content on your website that sets you apart from the standard template real estate agent of your competitive market? If not… you may be missing out on your slice of the market share.

“The amount of information available on the Internet more than doubles every year, and most of it is free.” - Business and Information Technology

What are you offering on the world wide web? Are you simply hoping that sticking property statistics on your website will bring a buyer? Are you offering information about your area? County? City? Subdivisions? Retirement Communities? Public Parks? National Parks? Recreation Areas? If you haven’t gotten into updating your website you’re behind your competition. Don’t have time for updating your website, your blog, or your Twitter account? Find someone who can. What are you doing to keep yourself ahead of the pack? What is even scarier to think about - what do you think your competition is doing?

One of the keys of success in any business is to leverage ingenuity and to enact on a future that is continually being built upon information technologies. Our world is constantly changing and if you do not have the ability or you flat out refuse to change with it - you will find yourself trying to live in a world that no longer exists. The “old school” way of performing real estate services is exactly where it should be - in the past. Are you stepping up to the plate of revolutionary change to perform better service than any other agent out there? To remain ignorant of today’s technologies is to put yourself behind the proverbial eight ball - don't be left behind. If you need help to get ahead, don't be afraid to ask for it!

Email: TargetingPro@gmail.com
Blog: http://TargetingPro.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TargetingPro
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TargetingPro
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/TargetingPro

Quote from:
Business and Information Technology
Author: Efraim Turban, R. Kelly Rainer, Richard E. Potter
copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Are You Utilizing Your Website To Its Full Potential?

2010-01-18T14:15:00.011-05:00

Your most powerful asset to your marketing strategy should be your website. It is your way to literally touch the world using the internet to a very wide client base. It is your face to your clients, your community and your associates. There are a few questions you have to ask yourself in your assessment of where you want to be with your brand and image:

Are you putting in the time and effort into not only making it the best website in the business but also keeping it that way?

Do you have skills it takes to create a comprehensive and attractive website?

Do you have the time to create unique content that your clients and associates will find valuable?

Do you have the time to stay in touch with your clients using social media outlets?

A lot of people find it hard to answer yes to all of these questions. The next very important step is to say “Okay - now what do I do about it?”

I have come across many people who badly want to bring their websites up to speed but have no idea to go about doing it. I like to think of a website as a home. There is a base cost to even have one (as in domain & hosting fees), there are maintenance fees (perhaps you pay for a website to host on your page from an outside source), you have to keep it clean & current every single day, there are fees for updating & upgrading & renovating, etc…

Now every homeowner will know, that if you do not have the ability to perform all of these tasks yourself, they hire a professional to take care of their investment. If you do not have time to clean, you hire a trusted housekeeper, if you have a broken pipe you hire a plumber, if your roof is leaking you hire a roofer, if you need a remodel or overhaul you hire a contractor. Specialists were created because we all cannot be perfect in all things - if websites & search engine optimization are not your strong points, if writing unique content has you with writer’s block and if social media is intimidating & confusing, it is perfectly logical to hire someone to assist you in these technical matters.

You specialize in what you do for a reason - to provide exceptional service to your clients. As your internet marketing specialist, I also offer to give you the same exceptional service for your website. You don’t have to be a writing expert or a social media whiz to provide valuable information to the world - you can keep on being your own professional and having your website support taken care of with confidence.

If you would like a website strategy plan particularly tailored to your business, needs, area & area of expertise, feel free to get in touch!

Email: TargetingPro@gmail.com
Blog: http://TargetingPro.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TargetingPro
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TargetingPro
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/TargetingPro

*

Why Do I Need A Virtual Assistant?

2010-01-14T09:33:00.005-05:00

Every business has room for growth, no matter what the budget or economy holds. If you are not adapting to the changing market you will find yourself trying to survive in a world that no longer exists. All businesses benefit from intelligent and well-planned growth. Whether you need assistance for 1 hour, 1 week or several months – a Virtual Assistant is your on-hire help with no long-term obligation. Search Engine Optimization is another aspect every business website cannot be without. What does Search Engine Optimization (SEO) mean? It means that your website is geared up for the best possible search engine rankings with relevant content to help boost your placement. The more potential clients that see you, the more sales you will make.

If web design, graphic creation, html coding, linking, social media, Twitter, Facebook and blogging have your head spinning – allow a Virtual Assistant to help take the technical burden off of you so that you can get back to what you do best: Running your business. On-going web maintenance can sometimes be a hassle for individuals who are not familiar with the latest technology or have the bigger fish to fry on a daily basis. Signing on a Virtual Assistant to help maintain your website, content, SEO and even shadow writing for your blog can be priceless additions to your web presence. Effective website create online presence – make your reputation online as good as it is in the field!

Email: TargetingPro@gmail.com
Blog: http://TargetingPro.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TargetingPro
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TargetingPro
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/TargetingPro

5 Simple Tasks To Boost Your Business in 2010

2010-01-10T23:52:00.010-05:00

Gearing up for 2010 can be the best and also the scariest thing you can do - don't know where to begin? These five simple tips will help you on your way to kick-start your business!

1. Check Your Email Regularly – Your clients know we are living in a virtual world and responding to emails promptly has been as important as returning a phone call. If you do not have a mobile email service with your current phone company, check your emails often and respond to potential clients even if you have to research the information and get back to them later once you know the answer. Business does not wait!

2. Answer Your Phone With A Smile – Sounds simple, right? An old trick that works well to get you started is to hang a small mirror facing you where you receive most of your phone calls. Before you answer the phone – smile – the caller will hear it in your voice. Before you know it you will be trained to answer the phone like this all the time – a positive attitude can be priceless!

3. Focus On Accomplishing Tasks – Another simple one? It is so easy in today’s day and age to get distracted. Plain and simple – distractions take us away from our focus. Whether your task is to return all of your calls before 9am, to complete a load of laundry or to publish your blog post – remember this: You are only human and can only complete one task at a time. Even if you are a multitasker you will know that jumping from one subject to another causes you to break your concentration on what you are doing. Stay focused and complete one task (no matter how minor) before moving on to the next.

4. Set Goals – No matter how you want to do it, whether you want to write out a business plan for the year, post a white board, create a checklist or plug asks into your mobile calendar, set yourself up with reasonable goals. Achieving goals not only accomplishes work but it motivates us to take it to the next step. Break it down to small items that accomplish a large goal. Do you want more internet presence? Well then are you putting unique content on your website? Are you using search engine optimization strategies? Do you have a call to action on each page? Don’t overwhelm yourself with long-term goals, just break them down into more manageable ones and you will see your progress.

5. Social Media – You’ve heard it all over the web and you’ve watched it on the news – Social Media is the next big thing. NO it is not. IT IS THE BIGGEST THING. We are all becoming “plugged in” to the internet. We are finding our niches, our outlets, our interests, our coworkers and even our friends and family with the help of social media. Blogs, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn help you stay connected to the things you value most. Don’t miss out, be out of the loop or find yourself sitting on the sidelines – Take the plunge and dive right in!

Let's face it - every business could use a booster shot. If you are finding yourself running short on time or it is taking you away from your clients, think about the possibilities of hiring a Virtual Assistant (or VA) to help with your tasks. Hire for as long as you like - no long term commitments!

Email: TargetingPro@gmail.com
Blog: http://TargetingPro.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TargetingPro
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TargetingPro
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/TargetingPro

What is a Virtual Assistant?

2010-01-07T21:54:00.017-05:00

A Virtual Assistant is a highly trained individual in various areas of expertise to help support your business in lieu of a full or part time employee. These business services are typically done via the internet, phone or fax to meet a client’s specific needs.

Hiring a Virtual Assistant (VA) is much more cost effective in today’s economy considering wages, benefits, unemployment and the ability to keep an employee hired for the originally agreed upon hours once a project has been completed. You hire a VA for as long as you need them – with no worry of over-extending yourself or possibly having to lay off employees in the future.

A Virtual Assistant will typically have an appointment with you or supply you with a questionnaire to help solidify the type of work that you need. Once the needs of the client are established the client is given a rate of pay for the services they are requiring. If the pricing is acceptable a Virtual Assistant can then be hired on a contractual basis depending on the needs of the client.

If you would like to start the process of hiring a Virtual Assistant - I would be more than happy to figure out a plan that works for you!

Email: Info@TargetingPro.com
Homepage: www.TargetingPro.com
Blog: http://TargetingPro.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TargetingPro
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TargetingPro
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/TargetingPro

Thank Your Artist

2009-09-21T19:30:00.013-04:00

I had an interesting revelation this week, so I thought I would do a write-up about it. Upon my vast amount of time on the internet, I stumbled upon a very interesting quote (some of you may have seen me quote it on my other social media sites).

The quote is as follows:

"An artist chooses his subjects: that is the way he praises,"

~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~

At first it struck me just as an appealing (and true) phrase. I mean…who would bother creating a piece of art for someone if they didn’t care about them or the subject manner?

Then I started to delve deeper into it.

I began thinking about all the previous artworks I had done. I began to think about all the subjects I included in them from my life.

This quote never began to ring so true. When you are included in on someone’s artistic works – may it be a drawing, painting, sculpture, poem, song or even a mix tape – it is because you inspired that person. Your influence in their life was so great that they found an artistic outlet to commemorate you.

I have never done a piece on someone that did not illicit some sort of strong emotion to me. Let’s face it – why would anyone create works they were not passionate about? Money can sometimes be a great motivator for someone to create custom art (don’t get me wrong) – but it is the soulful art that comes from deep within.

Looking back in my memory banks (and dusting off a few old files) I recalled one of the first things I did for my (now) husband back when we were friends – I wrote him a sonnet. Although the poem itself is unfortunately lost to time, I can still recall the subject – of building a mansion up in Heaven and how each room was not build with brick and mortar but with love and dreams. How each room was a memory added on over time. That was nearly 11 years ago.

When I received my very first digital pen – my very first subject was my youngest daughter. I sketched out a replication of a photo of her on her birthday and recolored it.

As a Christmas gift for my family I am designing a “Family Calendar” that has seasonal themes incorporated with pictures of each individual for their birthday month and accomplishes they have made in life.

One of the first drawings I ever did in school was one of my mother (which amazingly she still has) of her and I in front of our house (you know – triangle dresses and all!).

I also love fantasy creatures and often include them in my works. There is something about letting your imagination run in wild abandon that makes art more like fun and less like work. Again, to create that in which you love is a very pure form of praise.

May artists paint nature because of all the beautiful things the natural world brings to us - the joy and astonished wonderment that captivates our thoughts and expresses itself out through our pens and brushes (and mouse clicks).

Not a deeply informative post I know, more of a public service announcement. I remember when I was young when I sometimes didn’t have the ability to “purchase” a gift for a friend or family member I would “make” them something. I think a lot of folks may think that is cheaping out – a good way to get out of getting a worthy present or something of that nature. You’d get the raised eyebrow and a head nod with “that’s nice” but not a thank-you or a hug for hours of work you put into something. A piece of art is an extension of the soul – not something you can purchase in a department store window. It is not something anyone else has or ever will have – it is a unique and priceless gift unto itself. (I don’t know if macaroni pictures count for this…)

If anyone ever creates art of you or about – it is one of the deepest compliments one can give, be sure to thank them, as more than likely it came directly from the heart!

Twitter – Tweets, Tweeters, Twitterings, Twerps, Twalking and Twits, what does it all mean exactly?

2009-09-13T22:27:00.022-04:00

What does Twitter do? Well its social networking in its simplest form!

I have a lot of questions from people asking me what the importance of Twitter is in a business sense. They have gone as far as to check out Twitter itself, other Twitter user’s pages and perhaps even create a profile – but have not taken the step of actually utilizing its power.

“I don’t have time to read about people who are tweeting about insignificant things to me.” - That is the number one response I have when I tell people that if they have a business they need to be on Twitter. Here is the thing – what about the people who do? You don’t need to just have your children on there who tweet about every time they use the restroom – you can have business contacts, fellow partners, clients and vendors that offer vital information via the Twitter platform.

It is not all about updating every minute of our mundane lives – even though that is what some users have turned it into (okay and some spam hounds). I personally enjoy Twitter very much, it allows one to send and receive information about your personal life, business, industry, current projects, sales specials and news in very short, palatable quips of conversation. You no longer have to read through a ten page report to receive an update – it is done in 140 characters or less (including links).

So contrary to popular belief to those who feel they don’t have “time” for Twitter – Twitter is actually perfect for you! If you don’t want to spend a lot of time sifting through pages of news and updates on your industry, create your Twitter list to include those who are sharing information that is relevant to your interests.

Ready to take the Twitter plunge? There really isn’t anything to be afraid of! The first thing you have to do is setup your Twitter profile – your tweeting face to the world. The site is very user friendly and you can accomplish this task rather quickly. Be sure to include your homepage link and branding (both your user icon and background). You can also choose to receive updates on your mobile device, for either a particular fellow Twitter user. You may also setup email notices for follower notifications, direct text emails or newsletter updates.

If you want to see how the dynamics of Twitter works, just do a search for people you already know using it. Once you are following them, you can see how they interact with one another. It is easy to pick up quickly on re-tweets or “RT’s” (if you like a post another user has made you “retweet” what they tweeted and give them credit by including their username so others can follow them as well if they like the information, it is a great way to share) and Follow Fridays “FF” (for the people you enjoy the most, you can do a “follow suggestion” on Friday to suggest your other Twitter followers, again another way to share information and great users). There are lots of other tips and tricks you can pick up along the way – let alone lifelong friends and associates you don’t know how you ever lived without.

So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start Tweeting! Please feel free to follow me, I would love to be a part of your Twitter Family! http://twitter.com/TargetingPro

If you need any assistance in setting up or maintaining your Twitter account, my services are available - feel free to send me a tweet! ;) Don't be shy!

Email: Info@TargetingPro.com

Homepage: www.TargetingPro.com

Blog: http://TargetingPro.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TargetingPro
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TargetingProMarketing
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/TargetingPro

The Importance Of Social Media In Business

2009-07-26T10:14:00.025-04:00

Social Media - What can it do for your business?

Many of you may be asking yourselves “Why the sudden thrust in ‘social media’ all of a sudden?” Well – let’s face it, we are in an ever-changing and always advancing world. This is especially true in regards to technology. It reminds me of an old quote that reads “If you cannot adapt to a changing environment, you will find yourself trying to live in a world that no longer exists.”

In any profession, your social network is your life blood. You develop and maintain a strict code of ethics and standards to keep clients referring their friends and family to you. When someone needs work done – you are the first one they call, right?

Why wouldn’t this extend over into the virtual world we all know and love? Of course you have social networks such as church, professional associates, community, etc… Why wouldn’t you develop your presence the same way on the internet? When 81% of home purchases are done via the internet, imagine the business you would be missing out on in just one year!

Not that anyone has to necessarily convince you that social media is important – it is just a lot of people have trouble knowing where to start. Getting started with your social media may be the hardest and best thing you can possibly do for your business. Once you get the ball rolling – it can be a lot of fun and you will meet more interesting people than you ever thought you could, even in your local area!

I often get this question after mentioning social media as a marketing technique : “Well, I have a website, isn’t that enough?” Websites are not really included in the social media cloud – they are static information-providing pages (and often very formal). (In other words, they don’t change very much very often.) Website vs social media is very simple – its interactive and freshly updated.

Kick-start your social media marketing plan with Twitter.

Where can you start that will be simple and easily managed? My first suggestion would be on Twitter. What is Twitter exactly? Well, in all honestly, it’s exactly as it sounds! Just as a bird would make a small twitter on a window sill, the same would be the usage idea of Twitter – just a small blurb of info you share with your online community. Also known as micro-blogging, they are text-based posts (also known as “tweets”) up to 140 characters. You may follow other Twitter users and will find their posts in your feed – and other users may follow you. Short and sweet and to the point – if you like that you will love Twitter! Check out my page and "Follow Targeting Pro on Twitter!" I can't wait to hear from you!

Formal social media & networking avenue - go for LinkedIn.

Where can you begin with a strong professional presence? My suggestion to this focus would be on LinkedIn. It is a great professional networking outlet with other professionals and groups. If you like to build up referrals – you’ll really enjoy LinkedIn! You may also join groups with similar interests and learn the latest tricks of the trade. I'd love for you to be a part of my LinkedIn Network - please feel free to add me!

Blogging - your online journal to the world.

What is a blog exactly and how do you manage one? I personally love blogs (can’t you tell??). The name comes from a shortened version of “weblog.” It has also developed into a verb, as in “I’m going to go blog” or “She was blogging that.” A blog in its simplest form is basically an online journal. Now there are many different types of blogs. Mostly textual with added images and links, blogs have exploded into not only many different genres (personal diary, professional commentary, informative (how-to), news stories, local community, web-based community, sharing art, etc), they have also branched out into many different types of blogs – including but not limited to artblog, photoblog, sketchblog, vlog (video blogs), MP3blog (music) and audioblog (podcasting). There are many business-focused blogs out there to help you build your business with great ideas for postings and are easy to use. If you would like to start out small and free, I would suggest Blogger (big surprise, right?) as it is extremely easy to use and I enjoy it because it links up to my Gmail account. So what do you blog about once you set one up? …Just about anything! Discuss your current activities, products, services, community news, business reviews, etc… Don’t have time to post the 2-3 recommended times per week? Feel free to contact me in regards to “ghost writing” for you (I write the articles, link them up and put them into your blog and you own the content). You can also link your blog to your Twitter account and Facebook having a dynamic one-source inputting for all of your social media outlets – great stuff.

Casual contact & great sharing applications - dive into Facebook.

Looking to have some fun while social networking? Okay I’ll admit it to everyone – I’m a Facebook addict! I love the program and the way it allows you to interact with your fellow Facebook contacts. It keeps things light and you can have your blog pull right into your Facebook account! You can even play simple flash games and take quizzes with your friends – all nice items to stimulate conversations. You can also share links and pictures. I love the photo album feature (which you can set privacy filters on to choose who you want to see them) as you no longer have to email huge amounts of pictures to all your friends and family – they can just get them from your Facebook account when they are posted! Another fun medium is MySpace – a lot of people already have accounts, you can just start gearing them towards business (or maintain two separate accounts, one strictly for business, the other keep personal). Another great element of Facebook (and one of my personal favorites on Facebook features is Fan Pages. You can literally create a "mini-website" that is interactive via the Facebook platform that your friends, family, clients and associates can "like" and share, making your Facebook Fan Page and all of it's wonderful content go viral. You can also tie in your blog to place your posts directly on your Fan Page and your profile can automatically update with your Twitter account. Not to mention the convenience of all the Facebook Mobile applications that make it even more accessible to the world. Information spreads quickly through social media - will your company be the next buzz?

Online community forums - just like your neighborhood.

Some people are familiar with internet forums. A forum is an internet-based discussion board. Very similar to what one could refer to as a “bulletin board.” These are becoming very popular as they are easy to setup an account and interact with one another. I have been participated personally in forums for over ten years and haven’t found one I didn’t like! Forums build a comforting sense of community, and the relationships I have developed on them have lasted over the said decade – bonds are created that strongly. If you can’t find a forum you particularly like – start your own. They are easily managed and maintained and if your friends or family are into forums it is easy to pick up board managers to help keep appropriate postings in check.

Like TV? You'll love sharing on YouTube.

Thinking of making some YouTube videos? I would recommend this for the more technologically advanced individual. Endeavoring in this usually takes some additional software and (most of the time) a decent video recorder. You can make any promotional video you want and embed it to your website, blog, Facebook, link to it on Twitter, share it, etc. Some people have had amazing success and great rankings with YouTube – just be aware it is very time consuming to put together quality videos. You can keep things simple with simple video casts, or do something elaborate as a product or company promotional video. You can make the video yourself, have your company make it, or hire a professional to help you with your video needs.

No info on where you are or what you do? Start a wiki & be the expert.

Another interesting aspect of social media is a wiki. What on earth is a wiki might you ask? You have heard of Wikipedia, right? In its own words, Wikipedia is a web-based collaborative encyclopedia. Wiki is a word for creating collaborative websites (from the Hawaiian word wiki meaning “quick”.) Anyone who knows me knows that I am a down to the roots gamer girl. I don’t know where I would be without my game wikis giving me information on what I need right at that moment. You can start wikis in your local area! Not everyone is endeavoring on these projects – they are big and need management but you will be innovative and up front as far as technology goes.

As you can see, different types of social media have all different types of indexing, formality and styles of interaction. I realize that not everyone was born with a USB port in their forearm like I was (yes, I’m that geeky - okay I really don't, but you still get the idea). You will find that you may like a particular one more than others, this is fine – you will soon find your niche and where you feel comfortable interacting online. The point is – doing something is better than doing nothing in regards to social media. Just be sure to stick with whatever endeavor you decide on – it is not like a website where there is a destination of sorts, social media is an open-ended invitation. Your social media is updated more often than your website and therefore gets better placement with search rankings. I did a large portion of SEO specializing on our home-based transport business, we are #1 in Google for our keywords – I started a Twitter account and updated it 1-10 times a day and in less than a month my professional-oriented Twitter account was ranked #3 in Google. That just goes to show you the power that a simple social media account can bring you when you put the effort in.

Social media - the price is right: FREE.

The best part about social media? The price. FREE! Unless you pay for upgraded accounts for Twitter, specialized Blogs or to hire someone to help you manage them, all of these high-powered, high-ranked sources of marketing don't cost you a thing! Now get out there and take advantage of all this free marketing! If you find you are running short on time to keep up with your social media outlets once the leads and contacts start coming in, you may want to consider hiring a Virtual Assistant that specializes in those areas to help keep up your appearances. No more roller coaster lead flow - stay on top of your game!

Feel free to include me in your Social Media networking - I look forward to keeping in touch with you!

Email: Info@TargetingPro.com
Homepage: www.TargetingPro.com
Blog: http://TargetingPro.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/TargetingPro
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TargetingPro
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/TargetingPro

Stay tuned for my upcoming articles that will delve deeper into each aspect of social media – really getting into the meat and potatoes of what it takes to be top in your field. If you need assistance in setting up or maintaining your social media outlets, feel free to contact me to discuss if Virtual Assisting or Ghost Writing is right for you!