The most important person, when it comes to social media, is a Social Media Manager. A Social Media Manger is the person who is in charge of ensuring that your social media marketing campaign succeeds and grows. If you employ a Social Media Manager then you will find that the experience and increased revenue will skyrocket fast in addition to freeing up some of your own time. Your Social Media Manager can compile and advise you on the best strategies that should run hand in hand with the current social trends.

Social media is currently the best way to network and market ideas so that your consumer base can grow and develop. By using networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube etc, you are able to network like you have never been able to before. The days are gone when you had complicated equations and campaigns to highlight your product! Social media takes away all of that and has replaced it with a simpler one to one system that allows the prospective client to feel like their interests are being taken to heart and that the potential product or service you are offering is tailored to them.

To get your business thriving you need to incorporate social media into your everyday workings and the best way to do this is to hire a Social Media Manager. Your Social Media Manager will open, design and handle all of your online social media profiles. With your business name constantly being displayed on your potential customers networking sites they will choose your brand name over other peoples as displays in their sight then creates displays in their mind which in turn leads them to your product or service. Having someone to reply to their questions, messages and posts on the networking site allow them to feel that you really care and you’re not just a name.  This kind of human contact makes them trust you and allows them to be more open and they become a little more willing to listen. All of these efforts help to break down the barriers that your prospects may have at first.

Social Media Managers maintain the pages to keep reminding old and current customers, fans and clients of your presence as well as attracting new customers, fans and clients with giveaways, research interest polls, post interesting facts and special promotions, and service the accounts at all times. With so many different social networking sites out there, hiring a Social Media Manager is a great option since they are right on the pulse of every change, every trend and everything to do with your business, service and/or industry. This allows them to keep your company one step ahead of the competition at all times. Regardless of the size of your company, niche or service, a Social Media Manager can help you to make your business part of the growing world of social media and provide your growing consumer base with a point of contact that fits into their everyday life.

Are you looking for a more effective way to market your business? You have probably already heard that with the use of video marketing, you can see pretty incredible results. Many people dread the thought of creating the video and then figuring out how to put your video online. Do the benefits of this marketing strategy outweigh the work that goes into it?

The answer is simple, Yes! Don’t get me wrong, it does require quite a bit of work. First, you have to shoot the video. After shooting the video you will need to do some editing, formatting, and then you have to upload the video to an online platform such as YouTube. (After uploading to YouTube then you need to ensure you have the proper title and description attached). The benefits can be incredible!

1.   Greater Connection. By creating videos you allow for greater personal connection with your audience. This is especially important if you have an internet based business. Through video marketing, your potential customers are able to connect with a real person, not just words on a page. Many people will feel as though they have actually met you. This can go a long way to turning a potential customer into a long-term customer.

2.   Seeing is Believing. Many people need the personal connection to believe what you are saying. Have you ever heard the saying, “Believe nothing of what you hear and only half of what you see”? With many people, this holds true, especially on the internet. With all of the scammers out there, it is hard to know who is “real”. Through video you are putting a face behind your words, which makes you not only more believable but trustworthy as well.

3.    YouTube can Increase Traffic. Want more traffic? Do you dream of increasing your traffic to your blog? On YouTube alone, people view 2 BILLION videos every day. If you aren’t using video marketing, you could be potentially missing out on a lot of traffic.

4.    Video Platforms. The best part is, most video sites are free and simple to use once you spend sometime navigating the platform.

5.    Using Great Audio. Have you ever noticed how sound can make an impact? Think back to the last time you watched an action flick or horror film you experienced the impact of the audio. Remember when the intense or creepy music began what happened to you? You were on the edge of your seat right? Just waiting to see what happens next! It’s the same with your video use incredible audio to match the powerful video you created. It can be far more compelling than the words you put on a page.

6.    Videos are Mobile. People can watch the videos on the go. With all of the devices available, such as iPhones, Smartphones, and iPads, it is easier to watch videos wherever you go. If your videos are downloadable it will make it even easier for people to view them and as often as they’d like.

7.    Demonstrating your Product. Video gives you and your business the opportunity to demonstrate your product(s) for potential customers. Here’s an example: Seeing a picture of a set of knives with a description is not nearly as effective as seeing those same knives in action. That’s why infomercials are so successful; people get to see exactly what the product can and will do in just a matter of minutes. It allows the buyer to connect and imagine how the product could be beneficial to them.

8.   Increasing Sales. There are many reports online that show how video marketing can increases sales. When someone watches a video, you have his or her full attention. While article marketing is also effective, most people will skim through it. With videos, they are more likely to watch from beginning to end.

Video Marketing is can be very effective in your business. In the coming years video will continue to grow, why not be an early adopter. Just remember, there are many forms of marketing. The more you diversify your marketing strategies, the more effective your efforts and the more people you can reach.

Are You Ready to Put Your Business In Front of The Biggest Population Of Potential Buyers In The World?

Some know some of you have already had the opportunity to receive our Free Gifts we were originally suppose to start today but I got all excited and started to advertising the event last night.  I teamed up with three other Social Media Specialists to Offer Some Fantastic Information on Maximizing Your Social Media Efforts.

… But here’s the catch … These valuable videos and reports will only be available for a Limited Time – 48 hours!

Want you can expect to learn to Increase your Profits using Social Media:

•    How to get FREE Traffic and Advertising for your Business?

•    How to generate more Leads and eliminate Cold Calls?

•    How to use SEO with Social Media to Ratchet up your Connections Online.

•    Learn how Video moves Consumers to Customers 300 times more quickly.

Be sure to come and check out these FREE Gifts

Remember the doors are closing on Wednesday Night at 12:00pm EST!

It’s a strongly-held belief that when the calendar rolls over into a new year that you start your life with a clean slate. It’s a time to make New Year’s Resolutions, which generally means changing bad habits, or shedding extra pounds.

From the business world we talk about setting goals – for example, getting ‘X’ number of new clients, or reaching a business revenue target.

This year – 2010 – will be about leveraging social media for your business. The question is no longer “Should I be on Twitter?” It’s “How do I make the best use of my Twitter presence?”

But if you’re still shy about dipping your toes into social media waters, here are five good reasons why you should consider using Twitter as a tool for your business:

1. Networking: You don’t even have to leave your office to connect with millions of potential customers. Search topics to see who’s talking about the products and services you offer. Follow the followers. If they post questions, answer them. Pretty soon you’ll have your own dedicated following.

2. The Ultimate Authority: Tweeting information about your industry can set you up as an authority within your business niche, ranking you high on the Twitter “influencer” charts (trust me, you want to be up there). Connect with followers who are interested in what you say and ask them to ReTweet your Tweets (free publicity).

3. Face-to-face – tweet to tweet: Twitter provides a platform for personal interaction with customers and potential customers that might not otherwise have been possible.

4. Increases brand awareness: Having a Twitter account increases your search engine visibility driving more traffic to your website.

5. Your competition is there already: According to the Wall Street Journal, as of May 2009, Twitter had over 32 million users. With the number of users increasing exponentially each day your clients and competition are already there. You should be too.

What are your thoughts about the importance of businesses having a presence on Twitter? I look forward to reading your comments.

I am pleased to have Jennifer Davey contribute to my blog with the following post.

Twitter has proven to be an essential marketing tool for all small business marketing strategies. If you’re not sure where to begin, try these methods.

Go Local
You can use the search function on Twitter to find clients close to your area. Go here: http://search.twitter.com, and use the following format: “near:Brooklyn within:25mi”.

Use the directory at TwellowHood at: http://www.twellow.com/twellowhood. Zoom into the map around your area. This lets you see the number of Twitterers who are in your area.

Use Twitter’s search function to find people who have been looking for you. For instance, if you own a bar in Brooklyn, you can do a search for “Brooklyn bars,” and the results will show you users who have performed that search. Then, you can follow these people, which will make them much more likely to follow you in return.

Put your Business Out There
For the people who are following you, tweet about specials, discounts, coupons and events your business is conducting or will be involved in. Some people even get tweets on their phone, which is extra helpful for potential customers who are on the go.

Tweet about limited discounts and offers. For example, if you have a bar, you could tweet something like: “Happy Hour Monday 5-7 2 Draft Beers for $2.”

Ask people who are following you to forward your discount tweets to other users.

If you want to see a couple of examples of business that are effectively using these methods, check out The Coffee Groundz of Houston, Texas http://twitter.com/coffeegroundz, and the Luxor in Las Vegas http://twitter.com/LuxorLV.

Jennifer Davey is business coach and marketing strategist. For more information please visit her website at: http://jjscoaching.com/twitter-attract-clients-local-business