{"id":1512,"date":"2009-09-16T13:47:31","date_gmt":"2009-09-16T17:47:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.directoryone.com\/blog\/?p=1512"},"modified":"2025-07-02T08:15:36","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T13:15:36","slug":"social-media-marketing-it-starts-at-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.directoryone.com\/blog\/social-media-marketing-it-starts-at-home.html","title":{"rendered":"Social Media Marketing: It Starts at Home"},"content":{"rendered":"

By “Home” I am referring to your business\u2019s “homepage.” While external social media sites are a crucial part of any social media marketing campaign, savvy business owners know that you can\u2019t neglect the homefront \/ homepage. Here are three tips for identifying opportunities for interaction that may already exist on your website.<\/p>\n

Tip #1 Create a site that invites conversation <\/strong><\/p>\n

You have likely heard that “content is king” and “conversation is queen.”  How about ensuring your content<\/em> invites conversation<\/em>. What do I mean?Review your site to ensure it isn\u2019t speaking “at” your customers, but rather “to” them. Yes, there is information you need to impart; but you\u2019ll encourage more interaction by crafting your message as if was part of a dialogue instead of a monologue. In addition to making your site more readable and engaging to users \u2013 using a conversational tone in your content also makes your subsequent invitations to interact more natural.<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve tweaked your content pages \u2013 consider adding an internal blog. An internet marketing company in Houston<\/a> can help you add an internal blog (like this one!) if you don\u2019t have one already. A blog serves many purposes \u2013 not the least of which is introducing you to your customers on a personal level. The comment section under your blog can also be a great place to encourage dialogue and interaction.<\/p>\n

Tip #2 Encourage Feedback <\/strong><\/p>\n

There are many ways to encourage feedback, and the options you choose will likely have everything to do with what sort of business you\u2019re in. Companies that sell products or services might encourage feedback with reviews and testimonials. A website for a railroad company on the other hand might not have any use for a customer review \u2013 but they might want to gain credibility in their endeavors to “go green” by asking visitors to supply “sustainable suggestions” in a virtual suggestion box.<\/p>\n

Warning: many companies have the desire to censor customer comments and feedback. Don\u2019t be tempted. You may occasionally find that a customer wasn\u2019t 100% pleased with your product and service. Allowing them to communicate with you via your website allows you to respond and take action, developing credibility in the process. Also, keep in mind that one bad comment amongst dozens of great ones won\u2019t damage your reputation \u2013 if anything, this too adds credibility by demonstrating the reviews are honest and real.<\/p>\n

Tip #3 Create incentives for participation <\/strong><\/p>\n

Give your visitors a reason to participate in your website. Contests are a great way to do this. Think: a product-naming contest; or a contest for the best photo of your product being used. You might also create a rewards program for customers who become members on your site. The discounts don\u2019t have to be huge \u2013 but it will keep the conversation going as they\u2019ve now invited you to send them information about promotional events and discounts.<\/p>\n

Prizes and promotional programs are options \u2013 but the main point here remains the fostering of a dialogue. In that sense, the incentive can be as minimal as recognizing they\u2019ve made the effort to communicate with you. Did they leave a comment on your internal blog? Respond to it. Did they make a suggestion in your virtual suggestion box? Send an email thanking them for their thoughts. Think of it as part of the act of listening \u2013 you are nodding your head slightly, saying “I hear you \u2013 I appreciate your input.” You\u2019ll be surprised (and inspired) by how far this small act can take you and your business in this new world of word-of-mouth marketing.<\/p>\n

Questions about this or other social media marketing topics? Use the comment section below or eEmail me at jenn@directory.com<\/a> and I\u2019ll do my best to address your question in an upcoming blog. You can also consult a Houston social media marketing company<\/a> today at 713.465.0051<\/p>\n

Learn More: <\/strong><\/p>\n

Social Media Marketing: Getting Your Message Across “Socially”<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Social Media Marketing: Why Just “Being There” Isn\u2019t Enough <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While external sites are a crucial part of any social media marketing campaign, savvy business owners know that you can\u2019t neglect the homefront \/ homepage. Here are three tips for identifying opportunities for interaction that may already exist on your website. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4918,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[492,74,17,182],"tags":[542],"class_list":["post-1512","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-search-engine-marketing-2","category-social-media-marketing","category-social-networking","category-twitter-social-media-marketing","tag-social-media-marketing"],"yoast_head":"\nSocial Media Marketing: It Starts at Home<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.directoryone.com\/blog\/social-media-marketing-it-starts-at-home.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Social Media Marketing: It Starts at Home\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"While external sites are a crucial part of any social media marketing campaign, savvy business owners know that you can\u2019t neglect the homefront \/ homepage. 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