This is a guest post by Samuel from InternetDreams.com.
These days, it’s nearly impossible to reach a wide follower base without using social media as a promotional tool.
With over one billion people worldwide using some form of social media outlet, it is clear that these forums are the wave of the future for marketing and advertising.
I am 100% sure that Sushant has used some form of social promotion for his site, smartbloggerz.com. It has grown so much thanks to the inputted methods he has used from social media and other forms of promotion. Social promotion has come for a while and is here to stay.
Do yourself a favor, and look at social promotion at a different angle. Call it the:
Social Promotion For Real!
What follows are some tips for how to maximize the use of social media sites, whether they are intended to promote a business, a special event, or a personal blog. These tips can also help you generate traffic to your site, and not get that “hang-over” feeling from them.
You can have an advantage over those that think they are good at social media promotion. Shhh! Having the right “social” plugin from a list of top wordpress plugins can make you that much better in the race!
Sponsored Posts on Facebook
There are currently over 800 million Facebook users across the globe, so anyone who wants to reach a wide audience should be sure to establish a presence on this site. My site, Internet Dreams, has gotten the most response from this social site.
When you know how to leverage Facebook, you can just literally survive from only Facebook targeted traffic!
Setting up a Facebook page, posting regularly, and keeping information up to date is the first step.
To use a Facebook network to its full potential, however, marketers and bloggers should take advantage of the site’s “sponsored post” options. Once a page reaches 400 “likes,” the page’s administrators can pay for a sponsored ad, which will then show up on the advertisement banner on more users’ home pages.
Mobile Check-In Deals
Social media networks like Foursquare are also becoming increasingly popular as promotional tools. These sites not only allow users to “check in” to certain places just as they would on Facebook, but they also offer a variety of deals and discounts. For example, a bar or restaurant might offer a free drink or a discounted entrée to customers who check-in on Foursquare.
This is mutually beneficial, since it offers customers a great deal and also increases the visibility of the business and the chances that customers will return and recommend the place to their friends.
Of course that is just an example from the business world. We all can learn from here since your site functions exclusively like a business, an online business.
Let’s take that for an example. Traffic could come in and just leave. But is that quality traffic? No. Engage with them and make them want to stay. Not all will stay, but those interested will be more than likely to agree.
Target a Specific Audience
The sites that use social media most effectively for marketing purposes are those that truly know their audiences. A site can use Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, Pinterest, Instagram—or all of the above—to promote themselves, but will not see a return on their investment in these sites unless they appropriate the right tone and message for their follower base.
Thus, before choosing a social media site for a blog or event, it is important to decide who, exactly, you want to reach and then design posts and deals according to research on that demographic.
A Steady Stream of Incentives
These days, people are bombarded with information and advertisements from a variety of different social media sites. Thus, in order to stand out, it is necessary to offer individuals a particular incentive or reason for taking an interest in your blog or event. Offer a special deal to those who “like” a Facebook page, or promise some special inside information to those who follow you or your site on Twitter.
This method can further boost your confidence on what you are offering, and finally getting your base of followers to grow. This method can also be one of those huge advantages of social media promotion.
Social media is fast becoming one of the foremost promotional devices in the online world, and marketing departments should take their investment in this tool seriously.
Hiring a marketing employee or a small marketing team whose central task is to oversee the development and maintenance of a social media site can help ensure that it stays updated and maintains its effectiveness.
Conclusion
Or, take it yourself to the cup! Be more engaging. That is where most fail to even get benefits from social media. Don’t just expect. Ask. That is the first obligation. Share, share, and share. It will take notice and soon enough see your content being shared in the same rhythm.
And now! Why are you waiting for? Share this article like you would, and get social media promotion started on your side!
Top 10 Search Terms:
• SocialMedia
What I’ve always wondered about Facebook and business pages is – when people do not interact with your page, you are automatically removed from their newsfeed. What happens if this happens to all your fans, how will they ever see your content again?!
Alison
Sponsored content can be tricky to negotiate correctly. If you can find things that are applicable to your readers/fans, then you should absolutely go for it, but be careful because unrepeatable content can drive people away almost instantly as well. Social media folks are quick to sniff out information that does not apply to them, and people will simply move on from your pages.
I have used Facebook ads and Sponsored posts couple of times. But actually I didn’t have that good effect on my social media promotion. May be because I’m a newbie and trying these for the first time. BTW great article, Thanks for the share.
Hello, some great tips here, will be definitely be using these to promote. Social networking websites are the way forward in terms of promotion and marketing. I have already started using these tips and my traffic amount has increased, so thank you for sharing!!
Mastering social media promotion on Facebook is a lucrative skill because of the sheer amount of online activity that takes place on the site. It enables brands to reach hundreds of millions of consumers.
Good tips. How would you recommend promoting on social media for free?
Do you get the same response from paid promotions as from organic trending topics?
Is it more cost effective to spend time trying to promote for free or cheaper to buy ads?
Interesting ideas thanks for sharing.
Hi Samuel,
You have covered some great points in the post. Funneling users through incentives and contests is a great and effective idea to get targeted fans and followers. However, other freebies like ebook and starter guides also works wonder to build a great email list. Thanks for sharing the knowledge. I will shortly check out the paid facebook promotion.
~Anubhab
The sponsore post in Facebook is a pain in the neck. Although I have tons of Facebook fans, they will not see it if I don’t pay a fee. That’s not good. Social media promotion is really getting more engaged and Facebook is trying too hard to capitalize on it. What a shame.
This is a great post. I definitely agree that social networking websites are the one for promoting and advertising your blog, because of the amount of people using them. I think it is definitely important to pick the correct target audience, you need to think about what kind of people would read your blog.
Hi I have just started with social media as a tool to market my site. I have just started using giveaways and promoting them in social media what do you think on this technique???
Await reply thanks lee