Business & Social Media: Are we on the same page?

There are a growing number of misconceptions about the place of social media networking and business promotion. It is important to address these concerns as studies show that more and more businesses are joining the groundswell of those companies that are moving to establish a presence in these networks.

Studies show that ever growing numbers of small business owners plan to establish a social media networking strategy. Business owners of all sizes of companies feel that this new form of marketing has many different advantages.

Some of these advantages are:

• It allows companies to market online in a cost effective way.

• It utilizes few resources beyond the time needed to maintain it.

• It has a successful and proven record of being able to generate leads.

• It allows smaller businesses to keep up with what their larger competitors are doing, in their industry.

• It allows businesses to have an online dialog about what they can offer to their potential customers.

Despite all of these listed benefits, there are still several myths that abound about how to best use social media networking. In order to effectively use this marketing tool, business owners should be aware of them and the information they need to dispel them. 

Here the myths of social media networking and business:

Every business must use social media networking  Recent studies have shown that almost 1/3 of small businesses don't use social media networking, simply because their customers do not. This is at the core of what social media networking really is, in other words if your customers are not there, there is no reason, for you to be there either. Businesses need to plan their marketing strategy to find where their potential target market is, wherever that may be. 

Do not fall into the trap of rushing onto social media networks and launching without having a plan. It is crucial to spend enough time doing research, and making sure that first, you need to be there, and second, when you are there you have the right plan. 

Experts recommend that one of the first things you do is get on these sites and see what is going on. Then you can begin to collect data as to whether your business needs to be promoted on that site.

However, it is important to keep in mind that not only are you looking, for any information about your business; you should also be looking for any information that pertains to the product or service you sell. Any information that can help you promote your product and/or service is a reason to have a presence on social media networks.

You just set up your social media networking and then move on  To many companies think that once they establish an online marketing presence, on these sites they are done. This is far from the truth. Someone within the company needs to be responsible, for the upkeep and maintenance of these sites.

Companies that fail to do this, often find themselves with a public relations nightmare on their hands, when they do return to check on their social media networking sites. You should also make sure that any presence you have on social media networks, connects with your website and any other pertinent information. The bottom line however, is to make sure that whatever your social media strategy it should fit with your overall business goals and be manageable, all at the same time.

You can only use social media networking to get your message out  Do not make the mistake of assuming that social media networking is only for getting your message out. The very nature of social media networking makes it a conversation. Your potential customers want to know that what they are saying is being heard and acted on, and they don't want to be preached or oversold to. 


Good marketing is about establishing a relationship and social media networking, when done right allows you to do just that.

A Short on Behavior Based Search

An interesting conversation on behavior based search.

Dr. Ralph's Marketing Series

Value Added Content: Article Marketing

Article marketing is fast becoming a marketing strategy on the Internet. Article marketing is defined as a method of advertising where business enterprises write articles featuring a topic related in the industry they are competing in. Well-written articles are effective for building website traffic, bringing in potential clients and leads into the website, and improving the business’s credibility.

Because of this marketing trend, article writing services are proliferating on the internet. Currently, there are countless freelance writers who write articles on a wide range of topics and submit them to an Article Directory. Article writers who want to be competitive and proficient in the field of article marketing must learn a few tips on how to write and submit articles the right way.

Differentiate your article from competitor articles

Currently there is an influx of article submissions all over the Internet that are featured in different article directories. You must learn to make your article and your writing services stand out from the rest. Research your competitors so you know what articles they offer and the strategies they are using.

You can find out about this from article directory websites. It is also a good idea to frequent social networking sites, blogs, online forums, and be up to date with trending topics online so you’ll know what people are currently interested in. All this research will help you pick out a good topic to write about and teach you how you can make your article different from all the other articles.

Use a targeted submission campaign for your articles

A lot of writers make the mistake of using a scatter shot approach of their submission campaign. Targeted campaigns are more successful because they are able to target a particular group of audience and draw them in.

When you have identified a target audience it will be easier for you to write articles with content specifically targeted to spark interest from that audience. Make sure that you thoroughly perform keyword analysis and search engine optimization so you will know exactly how to use these with your campaign strategy.

Make sure your articles are filled with accurate and comprehensive information about the business you are representing as well.

Choose the best places to submit your articles

Effective article marketing does not end in writing a good quality and unique article; you should also know where to submit the article you have written. Choose websites, article directories, and newsletters that are not only credible but are known to have thousands of targeted website visitors every day.

Do not waste your efforts and potential on websites that have poor reputations or poor quality articles. The method of advertising a product or service through writing articles is not a new approach in traditional marketing, but it is defining the marketing strategies of the online world. To use this approach effectively, one must be able to know the right way to write and submit articles. Remember the blogs, forums, and chat-rooms as well. For startups, like computech247.com, this process is invaluable.