Website Design & SEO Blog | Tips for Online Success

Facebook Business Pages Can be Customized

While customizing a Facebook business page is not a simple affair – it can be done. Facebook allows business pages to create customized HTML pages and customized applications. This is not available on personal profiles. Personal profiles will always look cookie-cutter. The only way to stand-out from the crowd on Facebook is via a customized business page. In addition, the page’s administrator can redirect non-fans and fans to separate “tabs” on the page. This means that first-time visitors can be wowed with a sort of “landing page” while regular visitors can be directed to the areas they most wish to utilize.

Facebook Business Pages Allow Advertising

You can’t advertise a personal profile – but you can (and of course, Facebook finds a myriad of ways to encourage you to,) advertise a business page. Facebook advertising is similar to Google AdWords; but it’s more targetable than the latter (a full description of Facebook Advertisting can be found here.)

Why is the ability to advertise your page so important? Research shows that the most effective advertising on the social networking site are ads that direct the user to another page within Facebook. Advertising that attempts to pull the user from the social network out to another site online are less effective. Why? Users become comfortable with the walled-garden of Facebook and are more likely to check out a page within that walled-garden than something external to it. In addition, an advertisement for a Facebook page includes “social” information about friends that may also be a fan of this page. This can add an element of credibility to your product/advertisement that isn’t available elsewhere online (at the moment anyway.)

Facebook Business Pages Allow You to Track Visitors

Page administrators are granted access to analytics about the types of users visiting their pages. In addition to simply being informative, this can help in the targeting of advertising campaigns. Personal profiles have no such access to analytics.

These are not the only differences between Facebook “profiles” and “fan pages” for businesses – but they demonstrate the need for companies wishing to make the most of their social media presence to choose a business page. If you need help setting up a business page; contact a Houston social media marketing company.

Questions about this or other social media marketing topics? Use the comment section below, email me at jenn@directory.com , or go all SMM on me and contact me @SMMjenn on Twitter ; and I’ll do my best to address your question in an upcoming blog. You can also consult Directory One today at 713.465.0051
Learn More About Social Media Marketing
Social Media Starts at Home — Analyzing Your Social Media Strategy
Putting the Social Back in Social Media

The post Social Media Marketing: Facebook Business Pages appeared first on Search Engine Marketing & Optimization Blog.

Social media has altered the relationship that has existed between companies and consumers since the advent of modern advertising.  Gone are the days of speaking “at” potential customers. Dialogue has replaced monologue and narrowcasting is replacing broadcasting online.

This shift creates great opportunities for businesses – but like any change, it has been difficult for some to adapt to.  Perhaps this is ironic when we consider that for most of human history, interaction between producer and consumer has been a social affair.  Initially it was technology that made it possible to target the many instead of the few – via newspapers, radio, and then television.  These platforms greatly increased reach – but eliminated the individual interactions. Now technology lets us to both at once: reach the many and interact with them.

Unfortunately for many companies embracing social networking – the monologue & broadcast mentality has become ingrained in the culture of marketing . Instead of doing what should come naturally (interacting with other people) there is a lingering focus on “remaining on message” in many social media marketing campaigns.

The trick is to envision your Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube presence as a virtual countertop between yourself and your customers .  On one side stands your company and its message, brand, products, and services; on the other side stands a potential customer.  Would you expect to be successful by assailing the potential customer with a barrage of bullet-points and brand messages?   Would you expect the customer – who has the option to interact with thousands of other companies at the click of a button  — to remain in front of you while you continue your pre-programmed, on-point, litany ?   Sounds like a losing proposition, doesn’t it?

While other formats continue to provide a viable place for your “broadcast” messages  – social platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Blogs, etc… are not a viable home for this technique.  Your potential customers will tune you out and your carefully crafted message will end up as noise.  Of course,  interaction alone won’t lead to real results for your business either. A Houston social media marketing company can help you craft an effective strategy for remaining focused on your company’s strategy and goals while being effectively social at the same time.

Questions or comments? Leave a comment here — find me on Twitter @SMMJenn, learn more about me, or email me at jenn@newnectar.com

Social Media Marketing in Houston: Learn More

Social Media Marketing: Why Just “Being There” Isn’t Enough

Social Media Marketing: Avoiding Culture Shock

The post Social Media Marketing: Getting Your Message Across “Socially” appeared first on Search Engine Marketing & Optimization Blog.

“ Did you know that Brand X contains no trans-fats or artificial flavorings?”

Or “Brand X just released a new, tastier, version of product Z! Check it out!”

Soon followers start dropping like flies. Overwhelmed by corporate-speak & underwhelmed by the lack of personality. Perhaps before clicking “unfollow” – one Twitter “local” could be kind enough to tweet

“ Dear, @brandx : Twitter is not for incessant promoting. Try interacting a little or you become #irrelevant and #annoying”

While there is no Rosetta Stone for instantly understanding the culture of social networks –the most important thing you can remember is that monologue has been replaced with dialogue. Don’t let this scare you – think of it as an exciting opportunity to have a legitimate conversation with your customers. Real interaction should lead to real results. A consultation with a social media marketing agency that is immersed in the culture of social media and its many platforms will go a long way in getting you off on the right-foot with your customers . Think of a Houston social media marketing company as a local guide who speaks the language.

Social Media Marketing : Mapping out a Strategy

In addition to making sure your brand doesn’t fall victim to culture shock – you should also map out a strategy. In next week’s blog, we will talk about the 5 things to consider when creating your company’s social media marketing strategy.

Houston Social Media Marketing Company

Ready to hire the guide and learn the language? Consult with a respected Houston social media marketing agency today. Call Directory One at 713.465.0051

Read More

Social Media Marketing: An Overview

The post Social Media Marketing: Avoiding Culture Shock appeared first on Search Engine Marketing & Optimization Blog.

Social Media: What is it?

Before getting down & dirty in terminology; let’s quickly review what social media is. In the stone ages of the internet (you know, the late 90s!) websites tended to broadcast information to users. Yes – there was a lot of information available, and almost anyone could create it — but there wasn’t much interaction between those broadcasting information and those at the receiving end. This naturally resulted in the internet being used by businesses to communicate with their customers in a way that was pretty similar to the way they communicated with them offline. As a result websites mirrored billboards, brochures, and commercials.

Fast-forward to today and the advent of web 2.0. Open-source developments, and the exponential growth of internet technology and accessibility has allowed for the creation of two-way platforms. This means that merely broadcasting a message to your customers and potential customers just won’t cut it anymore. Interactive marketing is the name of the game. While some may view this as a challenge – in reality, it’s a tremendous opportunity to connect with your customers! Consult with a social media marketing company and learn about the endless possibilities available to your company for interactive marketing!

Social Media Marketing in Small Bites: Social Networks

While the width and breadth of social media marketing (and the possibilities it creates) is tremendous — let’s begin by breaking-down the top-two social networking sites for businesses wishing to reach a large audience : Facebook and Twitter.  These are two social networks with demographics that are appropriate for most businesses; and also social networks that provide a platform that is suitable for interacting with customers.

Facebook for Business:

Facebook continues its assault on the internet-as-we-knew it. The rapid growth of the site as seen it transition smoothly from mostly college-age users; to the point where most new users are 35 and up! Globally, more than 6 billion minutes a day are spent on the social networking site. 6 Billion! That’s pretty incredible.

More and more businesses are getting savvy to the fact that Facebook is somewhere they need to be! If you’re not there – chances are pretty good your competitor is. A social media marketing agency can walk you through the possibilities for engaging with a huge (and highly-targetable by demographic) audience on Facebook. Some Facebook for business solutions include: Facebook business pages, Facebook advertising, and specialty application development.

Twitter for Business:

Twitter is another social network phenomenon. It’s growth thus far in 2009? 1,300%! Twitter is essentially a micro-blogging site in which people communicate with each other in 140 character bursts of information. Many businesses are entering into the Twitter arena. But very few businesses are doing in right. In part this has to do with the unique user-culture that has emerged on Twitter – businesses that log on and blast away with promotional materials are quickly ostracized. The way to success for businesses on Twitter is by adopting the communication techniques of the community. A social media marketing company in Houston can help you map a strategy that will yield results.

Social Media Marketing: More to Come!

Stay-tuned right here for more in-depth social media marketing tips and insights. If you have any questions you’d like me to tackle; please leave a comment below.

Ready to Learn More about Social Media Marketing?

Social Media Marketing: How to Avoid Culture Shock
Social Media Marketing & Your Business’s Message

The post What is Social Media Marketing? An Overview appeared first on Search Engine Marketing & Optimization Blog.