Plan your marketing using a calendar that includes EVERYTHING you will do to promote your business. Then create good content to fulfill that calendar (good content is easier when your planning ahead). Finally, promote your social media presence, that’s where this post comes in
Your blog is not a field of dreams. Neither is your Facebook business page, your Twitter feed, or your LinkedIn profile. In fact, if you build it, there’s no guarantee anyone will come. But IF you do three things, you can get that horse to the water, and make him drink.
- Plan
- Create
- Promote
Plan your marketing using a calendar that includes EVERYTHING you will do to promote your business. Then create good content to fulfill that calendar (good content is easier when your planning ahead). Finally, promote your social media presence, that’s where this post comes in:
1. Utilize your Website as the promotion tool it was meant to be
Not only should you be promoting your blog on your main company website. Your blog should be hosted with your website on the same URL to capture the most SEO benefit. Market your social media links and feeds right from your home page, and add some Social Plugins to new articles and features.
2. Sign your Emails
Every outgoing and reply Email becomes a marketing opportunity when you add a link to your blog and social media profiles in your email signature.
3. Get it in Print
Put your blog and social media link addresses on your business cards, print advertising, customer correspondence (including invoices) and any snail mail you do.
4. High Self Esteem is Important
Remember to “Like” your own Facebook fan page, and ask employees and other business contacts to fan, friend and follow you online. Ask them to Share links to your blog posts and social media postings
5. Cross Multiply
Share your blog posts on Facebook, your Twitter updates on LinkedIn and your Facebook posts on Twitter… not everyone is everywhere, so be sure to use that great content to its fullest!
6. Post Regularly
This is especially important with blogging – the more you post, the more opportunity you have to be found. With social media, consistency is key. Don’t disappear and go silent for long periods of time – outta sight, outta mind still applies.
7. Expand Your Offerings
Ever consider creating an eNewsletter using your really great blog and Facebook posts as the content? Lots of people may not have time to subscribe, visit or read updates as they happen, but would appreciate the best information being submitted to them via an opt-in email they can read at their convenience.
8. Mention Social Media
Are you in a networking group? Chamber of Commerce? Teach or speak to an audience? What a great time to mention your blog, your Facebook, Twitter and/or LinkedIn pages.
9. Remember Google
Use keywords in your blog, Facebook and Twitter updates – ones that correspond to your content and what people are looking for.
10. Be Active in the Online Community
Post your blog on social bookmarking sites like Digg, Reddit and Sphinn, comment on other posts with valuable feedback and information (not fluff). Join a forum where your knowledge is helpful and your customers might be lurking. Add links to other blogs and Facebook posts.
11. Make it Easy for People
To make comments, to subscribe (via RSS), to post/share links (via Social Media and bookmarking), to post photos and videos. It’s all a community of sharing. Be a part and don’t frustrate your users by making it difficult.
12. Connect the Dots!
Link to your other posts within your current post, and go back to older posts and add new links to current posts.
13. Content is Still KING
Focus on information customers really need and want. Valuable, relevant, current and original information will be noticed, and shared.
Along the lines of this post on how to promote your website, this 13 Step Social Media Marketing Checklist will help you be successful in getting out the word about your social media profiles, pages and blog with some surprisingly easy steps. What are you waiting for? Contact Us and Get moving!