Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Social-Media Marketing Essentials
How you can balance the need to be on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and other social media to build your business without letting them take over your life
| Sites To Employ Your Social-Media Strategy
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 TwitterReal-time updates in 140 characters or less Active Users: 500 million (as of April 2012) PROS: • Users are known to click through shared web links at a higher rate than users of any other social-networking site • Twitter has quickly become a highly valued source for real-time breaking news and trends • Possesses an active and vibrant photography and technology community CONS: • Not everyone enjoys the 140-character limit • The endless flow of updates can be overwhelming for some (see recommendations below) RECOMMENDATIONS: • Best times to post are Monday through Thursday, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., to maximize link clicks • List yourself in Twitter directories to help people find you (e.g., Twellow, www.twellow.com) • Group followers in lists or use third-party software to manage your account (e.g., HootSuite or TweetDeck) to keep the constant flow of updates in check  FacebookThe largest and best-known social-networking website Active Users: 901 million (as of April 2012) PROS: • Contains the largest population of active users and, in theory, should provide the greatest opportunity to reach new clients • Facebook is the number-one image-sharing site, with 250 million photos being uploaded daily, according to their 2011 S1 filing • Allows business owners to create business fan pages above and beyond individual accounts CONS: • Image metadata is systematically removed • Image compression is a constant complaint, negatively impacting image quality • Continues to push boundaries on minimizing user privacy RECOMMENDATIONS: • Create a fan page for your photography business for the sake of professionalism • Note that the best times to post are Monday through Thursday, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., to maximize link clicks  Google+The most recent social-networking site from Google Active Users: 170 million (as of April 2012) PROS: • Home to a vibrant photography community • Great image quality and image-sharing functionality • "Hangout" feature allows for free video chats with a group of up to 10 people • Recommended links from your network are shown in search results at Google.com CONS: • Not as widely used as Facebook • Business-page functionality and access aren't as mature as Facebook fan pages RECOMMENDATIONS: • Worth trying and keeping an eye on, as new features are added regularly • Enhance your Google+ experience with Google+ specific plug-ins for the Chrome web browser  Linked InThe premier professional networking site Active Users: 161 million (as of Feb. 2012) PROS: • Professional focus linking coworkers, clients and customers versus casual acquaintances • Now a standard resource used by many HR departments CONS: • Lower-volume activity than other social-networking sites • No image-display functionality RECOMMENDATIONS: • Join groups to reach new clients or interact with peer groups • Link your Twitter account to LinkedIn to consolidate your updates  Tumblr.Microblogs to share images and multimedia Active Blogs: 59 million (as of June 2012) PROS: • Receives over 13 billion views/month • Easily integrated with other social-networking services • Easy sharing capabilities within and outside of their blog network • Great image and multimedia support CONS: • Doesn't support self-hosted blogs, but you can use a custom domain name that you own for your Tumblr blog RECOMMENDATIONS: • Customize your Tumblr theme • Connect with friends and colleagues via the "People You Know" function Active user data acquired from Wikipedia and www.rightmixmarketing.com/right-mix-blog/blogging-statistics/ Traffic post times: searchenginewatch.com/article/2173631/When-to-Post-on-Facebook-Twitter-Tumblr-for-Maximum-Effect-Study |
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