Read Start Your Own Business Online
Authors: Inc The Staff of Entrepreneur Media
Start Your Own Business (99 page)
When searching for quality contacts to network with online, start with connection sites, such as LinkedIn or Xing, and look for high-level networkers (HLN). You’ll know an HLN when you see one; they’re active online, have at least 500 connections, and have powerful profiles, which means that their profiles are set up completely. Make sure these contacts have at least one of the three criteria before you connect with them online. Some examples of HLNs would be decision makers, executives, the media and the movers and shakers in your industry. Don’t let the fact that you don’t yet know the person hold you back from sending an invite to connect. Simply be transparent, and let them know why you’d like to connect with them online. Whether you’re offering your help, sending them a resource, or introducing them to one of your connections, make sure that you make it about how you can help them and not how they can help you.
Target Market ConnectionsTarget market connections (TMC) are a group of consumers at which your company aims its products and services. They’re found by using keywords in the search section on social sites as well as in groups and discussion areas in your area of interest or focus. TMCs are mostly seekers that chat and seek out information by posting questions online. In the most basic terms, they’re seeking you. The key is to join in the groups and discussions where your target market is talking and engage with them. You can also send them an invite to connect and let them know that you sent them the invite because you have similar interests and you’re looking to expand your professional network.
Another way to find your target market online is to investigate competitors’ marketing methods. See where another business that offers the same or similar products and services advertises their links and posts on social sites. Be sure each location makes sense and has a large contingent of people in your targeted market. Searching in your field will often turn up places where your audience goes when they’re looking for something in your industry.
The top three social sites to get started with or choose from are LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. These sites are massive online communities filled with potential high-level networkers and target market connections. To get started, set up your profile and navigate to get familiar with the sites’ offerings. To stay informed on any social site changes or updates, be sure to bookmark
mashable.com
, the leading source for all social networking news and updates.
mashable.com
, the leading source for all social networking news and updates.
e-FYIIf someone is looking for house cleaning services in Orlando, Florida, you should know what he or she is likely to type into the search engine. You can find out this information by researching how people search. Good Keywords (goodkey
words.com
) offers some great keyword-related software for brainstorming, researching, analyzing and managing keywords. Free trials are available.
Even the most unsociable entrepreneur can interact on message boards and blogs. Groups and discussion areas on social sites are all over the internet from LinkedIn and Xing to Twitter and Facebook. Most social networking sites have community areas for people who have similar interests to gather and connect. It’s important to find a dozen or so of these groups and discussion areas and not only join and monitor them but engage in the conversations as well.
Blogs are another type of discussion forum on the internet. A blog isn’t just a type of website; it’s quickly becoming a place to interact with your target market. Technorati (
technorati.com
), a site focused on helping people find great blogs and content specific to their industry or topic, was recently ranked as the fifth largest social media site by comScore, an internet market research company. Technorati manages a list of the top 100 blogs, which is a great place to find the world’s most popular blogs on subjects you’re interested in. Not only can you find connections and blogs on this site, but you can also list your own blog so that people can search and find you.
technorati.com
), a site focused on helping people find great blogs and content specific to their industry or topic, was recently ranked as the fifth largest social media site by comScore, an internet market research company. Technorati manages a list of the top 100 blogs, which is a great place to find the world’s most popular blogs on subjects you’re interested in. Not only can you find connections and blogs on this site, but you can also list your own blog so that people can search and find you.
TIPWhen looking for groups to join, search for groups that have at least 500 members, unless they’re industry-specific. Most groups that are under 500 might not be as active or updated and visited frequently enough for it to be worth your posting time.
Blogs are a great way to find HLNs to connect with online as well as partner with. For example, if you’re a restaurant, you could connect with food and review writers, vendors that are blogging or food enthusiasts and share their posts and content on your site or blog. This not only builds relationships but can expose you to their markets, followers and fans.
Fan PagesWith any social media platform, you need to be creative and find ways to provide value and engage your target market. One of the best ways to accomplish this and position yourself as an industry leader is to build and launch a Facebook fan page. If you’re an entrepreneur, you can’t afford to ignore this powerful tool. Fans are enthusiastic, and if they like what they see and read, they’ll connect with you, become loyal supporters, and tell their friends. This is how word-of-mouth will grow.
It’s very simple to set up a fan page on Facebook—just a few clicks and you’re ready to go. You can either create a fan page from your homepage on the Facebook site or there are tutorials available in the help section on the site. Once you get your fan page up and running, pay attention to your analytics, or what Facebook calls “Insights.” You can view specific demographic information, such as where your fans are from, their gender and their age. Monitor who’s becoming your fan, how they’re interacting, and how often they’re posting. This will help you figure out who and where else you should be targeting online.
To enhance the look and brand image of your fan page, use a vertical image that covers most of the left sidebar. You can also set your fan page to have a vanity URL, which is a personalized web name. There might be a minimum fan requirement before you can do this. This will take your fan page URL from face
book.com/#/pages/brandnamehere/180746308742
to
facebook.com/brandnamehere
.
book.com/#/pages/brandnamehere/180746308742
to
facebook.com/brandnamehere
.
One of the main differences between a Facebook profile and a fan page is you can send bulk messages to all your fans. You can also “Suggest to Friends” that they join you on your fan page. Obviously, this is a feature you need to use wisely, and be careful not to annoy your audience. But it’s a great way to connect with your target market, especially since these are connections that have optedin to become a part of your community. They want to hear from you and talk with you.
WARNINGBe aware of “trolling” (aka trolls) on the net: A troll is someone who posts inflammatory or off-topic messages in an online community, such as a discussion forum, in a group or blog, with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.
After you have your fan page published live, you can use the little ads you see in the margins on your profile page to increase your fan base, mostly to kick it off at the beginning. Facebook advertising is very affordable, you can set up campaigns of any size and on any budget, and they’re highly targeted. People usually assume that advertising is expensive, but don’t let that scare you. Give it a try.
FAN PAGE WORKOUTS
ocial media news site
mashable.com
suggests the following tips to enhance and build out your fan page:•
Twitter integration
. Link your fan page to Twitter so every time you post, it will automatically be posted to your Twitter account as well. (For more on automating your content, see Chapter 35.)•
Fan page blog widget
. Add a fan page widget to your blog to help drive blog traffic and connections to your fan page. Facebook provides you with the necessary code. (For more details on widgets, see Chapter 35.)•
Blog promotion
. Take your blog to the next level, and add your blog to the tabs section on your fan page. Blogging networks, such as NetworkedBlogs (
networkedblogs.com
) or Blogged (
blogged.com
), allow you to integrate a feed and give your fans a little taste of your blog. At the same time, your blog is now part of a network and that can translate into some additional traffic and followers.•
FBML page
. This one requires some coding skills and installation of the FBML application to be able to integrate it, but it’s a great way to turn new visitors into fans. First-time visitors usually land on what is called the Wall on your fan page. Since your Wall only includes your recent posts, the first-time visitor doesn’t learn much of what you’re about. However, by integrating FBML, you can design a more informational fan landing page by adding custom tabs at the top or sidebar graphics and banners. You can also link these to your website or blog. If you don’t have design and coding skills, consider hiring somebody to do it for you; it adds a lot of value to your fan page.•
Facebook apps
. There are many great applications that you can integrate into your page to help promote audience interaction. Some of them, like the video app, are already a default on your page. Be sure to browse through them, and you’ll most likely find something great for your industry or business. Don’t be afraid to test different ones; you can always remove them. Another great application to add is Linqto, which is a video meeting place where you can use your webcam to meet up and connect with your market via Facebook.
The media is an effective conduit for delivering your messages and story to the people you want to reach and can be vital to gaining word-of-mouth online and off. A majority of journalists have switched to social sites because they don’t have the time to read lengthy e-mail pitches and press releases. With the help of social networking sites, you can search for media contacts on sites such as LinkedIn and reach out to them directly. You can also pitch journalists on blogs and Twitter, and get up-to-date information about a media outlet and what it’s looking for.
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