Basics: Build Your Electronic Marketing Toolbox

Long gone are the days when your marketing could be confined to the occasional postcard, flyer and yellow pages listing.

It's never been easier to get your marketing messages out into the public sphere; but for the same reason, it's never been more difficult to get your messages noticed.

You can't afford to believe that you don't need an electronic marketing toolbox stuffed to the gills with hard-working tools in prime condition; tools that you'll take out and put to work nearly every day.

Here are the basics plus an overview of the 4 most popular forms of social media marketing, so that you'll know where to start:

• A website. You need your own domain name and your own website. Contrary to popular myth, neither a blog site nor a Facebook page are substitutes for having your own domain name and your own website. You need to own your own electronic space, even if it's no more than a few simple but well-designed and engaging pages.
• E-mail marketing. Again, social media is not a substitute, it's an alternative. E-mail marketing is powerful; it gives your business a voice and the means to send your customers valuable information as well as compelling offers.

Confused by all the options when it comes to social media?

Take heart: in 2011, Social Media Examiner (www.socialmediaexaminer.com) published a social media marketing industry report which demonstrates the usefulness of social media for business. Findings showed that these are the 4 most popular, effective social media sites for business:

1. Facebook. Check out these stats from hubspot.com: 1 out of every 8 minutes spent online, is spent on Facebook, and 93% of US internet users are there. Especially for B2C (businesses that sell directly to consumers), your marketing plan must include a Facebook presence and strategy.
   
   A "hard sales" voice is likely to turn off your audience, big time. As you use social media tools, remember the key word: social. It's a privilege to engage with people on social media; they are, in essence, inviting you into personal areas of their lives. It's as though they've invited you into their living rooms or you've met at a party at a friend's house. They want to get to know you, but they aren't there for a sales pitch.
   
   Use Facebook to engage people who like you, share expert information, make announcements, solicit feedback and use the personality of your business to attract prospects. Use giveaways and contests to spark engagement, increase your following and viral "shares," improve business during slow hours and stimulate event RSVPs.
   
   My recommendation is that you update your business Facebook page at least once a day (twice would be better, more if you want) with things like links to your blog posts, your e-mail newsletter, useful information or changes on your website, links to online resources relative to the products or services you sell (such as manufacturer links and news), community resources and events, fun facts, trivia and other entertaining items.


2. Twitter updates are like social media posts with A.D.D. With just 140 characters per post, it's likely that most of your updates will consist of a short headline and a link to a post on your Blog, useful information on your website or to other articles and online resources that would interest your customers.
   
   Twitter won't take up a lot of time and helps to share your website, blog,
   e-mail marketing and social media posts farther and wider. And you can use contests and giveaways to help motivate people to 'retweet' your posts and to build a following.


3. LinkedIn is the tool of choice when it comes to networking with peers and professionals. It doesn't have to take up a lot of time and you can (and should) cross post from your website, e-mail newsletters and blog.
   
   Focus on building your reputation as an expert in your field, and on linking to others in your industry (customers, suppliers, educators and experts). In updates, link to your blog posts, useful information on your website, invite people to follow your Blog, Twitter or subscribe to e-mails, or post links to other interesting articles.
   
   Having an active presence on LinkedIn is especially important for those in B2B (business to business) sales because of its effectiveness in targeting your news feed to and from business owners and other professionals in your own industry. You build a network by requesting and responding to friend requests, and LinkedIn helps you out by suggesting other people you might want to connect with based on your own connections.


4. Blogging is a great way to build your reputation as an expert and to educate your customers and prospects about your business and the products or services you provide.
   
   Focus on building awareness and enhancing your expert reputation. Write about things that would be of interest to your customers and prospects who fall in your ideal target market(s). Write blog posts to give people the skinny on new products, services, trends, fads, how-to and step-by-steps, and do it all in your own voice.
   
   After you add a post to your blog, put a teaser line and link to it on your Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter status updates. Try to add interesting information to your blog at least once a week, twice is better, and a few paragraphs is plenty!

Any time you add social media tools to your toolbox, add links to your social media profiles on your website and include them in your e-mail newsletter. Make it as easy as possible for those who are interested in you and your business to learn more about you, follow your business and engage with you online. Build a bigger role for your business in the lives of your clients!



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Elizabeth Kraus – 12monthsofmarketing.com
365 Days of Marketing is available on amazon.com in book and digital formats.