‘Designing Strategies’ Newsletter
May – June 2011 Volume 8 – Issue 40
Unless you were on the space shuttle or vacationing on a deserted island recently, you can’t have missed the big news this week. LinkedIn.com, the most popular professional social media platform went public. They were the hottest buzz from the technology sector on Wall Street. With more than 100 million users, LinkedIn is more than ready for prime time. Yes, 100,000,000 users, which is a somewhat modest number when compared to other social media giants like Facebook and Twitter. Just think about the huge social media marketing opportunity available for your small business.
Millions, no, make that billions, of people are now online, participating in a multitude of social media sites. Facebook now has 640,000,000 users and Twitter has 175,000,000. And, don’t forget YouTube where viewers now exceed 2 billion people a day. These statistics surely have the naysayers perking up and paying attention. Clearly, Internet social media is alive, well and here to stay.
Social Media Marketing Opportunity – Don’t Let It Get Away
Those who said social media was just a fad were so, so wrong. The three social media giants mentioned above are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to opportunities available to connect with not only potential customers. Not only that but, connection to potential employees, allied professionals, suppliers, service providers and experts in myriad fields is now available too. The potential for ROI (return-on-investment) for your time, effort and budget in social media is enormous.
What does all this mean to you as a business owner? Lots and lots of opportunities. If you have not yet developed a social media strategy and included social media marketing channels to your marketing plan, you are already behind the curve. That old adage ‘Be there or be square‘ in today’s market place is more along the lines of ‘Be there or be invisible‘.
Print media is in a downward spiral; magazines and newspapers are both struggling for survival. While the Internet and social media continue to spiral upward at a phenomenal pace. A rapidly increasing number of consumers around the globe regularly use the Internet for their pre-purchase research and e-commerce. Not having a strong branded web presence that includes social media marketing channels could well be your kiss of death.
Commerce now revolves around relationship building. Getting to know your customers and letting them get to know you and your staff before a sale is expected. It’s no longer just about having the right product or service at the right price. Now, having a more personalized connection lets customers get to know, like and trust you. They want to feel your company has their best interests at heart. Who wants to deal with someone they don’t trust or who are miserable human beings? Not me. Any sane person would prefer dealing with a company where they know your name, know about your needs and are interested in cultivating you as a long time, loyal customer.
Time to Grab Your Social Media Marketing Opportunity
If you have not yet embraced social media marketing opportunities as a key part of your marketing plan, now is the time. Just inhale and take the plunge. If you have not yet realized what an exciting gold mine this new media can be for your company and it’s success, today is the day to get started. Those who have not yet tested the waters are actually already behind early adopters. Those who saw the opportunity have been at work developing on-line communities, so you will have some catching up to do. No time to waste. Don’t let social media marketing opportunity pass you by.
If you don’t think you know enough or just feel overwhelmed, do some research. If you don’t have the time or need help, hire someone savvy to the social media scene. Bring in a consultant. Explore the social media marketing opportunity best suited for your firm. Find the platforms that have already attracted your target markets and jump on board. Develop your social media marketing strategy, set your budget and get started reaping the benefits.
Now that you’ve seen the light and committed to social media, please connect with us on LinkedIN, Facebook and Twitter. Or, join us on ‘Designing Strategies: The Blog’.
VISUALIZE – ANALYZE – STRATEGIZE
Your Way to Success Through Social Media Marketing
‘Designing Strategies’ is a business and marketing strategy newsletter brought to you compliments of Maurer Design Group, a strategic management consultancy founded by Terri L Maurer. We welcome your feedback and suggestions for future issues.
Please share this publication with others you feel may find value in it. They can quickly subscribe on our website.
Visit our website for more information about our consulting services.
Contact Terri at 330.666.0803 or by email for consulting, speaking or training for your firm or group.
