If you have been dreading setting up your social networking system but know that the time has come – after all, in April of last year the site welcomed its 200 millionth user, and that means 200 million potential “friends” and customers, if you know how to reach them – then do not stress too much. Facebook marketing is easier and more user-friendly than just about any other type of social networking.

To get started, sign up for a profile. However, you cannot stop there. Get your picture – a friendly but professional one if this is for your business – online immediately, along with valid contact information and links to your webpage.
 
Then, build your profile. Add comments, notes and useful observations about subjects to which your business is relevant. Add first your own personal friends, and then spread out to reach other people once your profile has some substance and volume in the form of interesting pictures, notes, comments, testimonials and information.

You can offer incentives for joining your page such as a discount on a service or a special coupon.
In no time, people will be visiting your page regularly and eagerly awaiting your updates to find out what the latest news and attractive offers are in your Facebook world.

However, your social media networking skills can also destroy you if you are not careful. Just as a good “buzz” about your business can up your sales and increase your client volume, a bad one can ruin your reputation and make you a laughingstock – far faster and more permanently than when referrals and reviews had to come by word of mouth. Here are some important things to avoid in the social networking world in order to make the most your “friends” out there:

Don’t Run Around Naked

A profile that simply has a picture of your business and your phone number is not going to interest people or attract customers. Before you start “friending” people on Facebook or following them on Twitter, build up your profile. Get some testimonials, some basic information and even some general, helpful and entertaining content on the sight.

Don’t Sell Too Hard

A lot of businesses start selling from the second you “friend” them. Doesn’t feel much like a friend, does it? Develop a rapport with helpful coupons and advice in your field of expertise before you bring out the hard sell. Creating credibility will go much farther in this medium than direct promotions will.

Don’t Let Yourself Get Stale

A social networking profile has to have fresh, exciting content. Otherwise, people stop “visiting” you and move on to someone else – and someone else’s business – that can provide more entertaining and varied viewing. This does not meant that you have to update your profile constantly with mundane and useless chatter (in fact, this can backfire), but rather that you need a steady, daily supply of new, useful information to subtly attract new clients and sell your products or services.

However, you may be noticing that a big part of your target market is not online.  You know if they saw your website they would want work with you. So how can you promote an online website to offline prospects?

Here are a few suggestions:

• Put your website on your business cards
• Make sure that all advertising includes your web address
• Offer a discount that can only be obtained by going online
• Offer incentives to check out your website regularly
• Refer people to your website when they ask for references or testimonials

Get creative. You can send people to your website – and they will go – as long as you are offering them something that makes it worth their while. Figure out what that is and you’ll have more traffic than you could possibly imagine.

Take a moment and type in your own business or personal name in a search engine. What type of information comes up?

Is it information about how to contact you? Does it include positive testimonials from satisfied customers? Is there anything negative? Is there anything at all?

When it comes to making basic decisions on most purchases, the majority of buyers start their research on the Internet – even if they do not ultimately make the purchase itself online.

As a result, it is vitally important not only that you have an online presence, but that you have control of that presence. After all, your online presence determines your reputation and the reputation of your business.

You can establish a positive online reputation in several ways.

Of course, you need a professional business website or blog to stay in contact with existing customers and showcase your products or services to new prospects.

This will help buyers feel more secure about you and your business. In addition, you’ll have control over your own reviews. Your website should include positive testimonials from happy customers. This is the first step in getting your customers to post positive reviews elsewhere online. This way, you’ll get more feedback and your online reputation, as a good, solid businessperson will grow.

Google has just introduced a new “Google’s Favorite Places” program which started when they sent window stickers to 100,000 local businesses.  The stickers are to be placed in the front windows of the business so customers can scan them with their smart phones and pull up reviews and coupons.  

Wouldn’t you like to be one of the first to have the new Google sticker?

The first step is to claim your listing with Google’s Local Business Center. We can help you through that process – along with verifying that your business information is correct and enhancing your listing with photos, videos, comments and coupons.

What are they?

1. Why should I buy this?  
2. Why should I buy this from you?
3. Why should I buy this from you now?

As simple as these questions may be, many business owners fail to answer them. Take a look at your company website and brochures – are you answering all three of these questions?

Question #1 – Why should I buy this?

The best way to answer this question is to describe the problem that your product or service solves. Let your customer know that you understand the situation they find themselves in and that you have the best solution to the problem. Be clear in your description.

Question #2 – Why should I buy this from you?

Once the prospect is sold on the idea that you have the solution they need, you must convince them that you are the best supplier of that solution. Make sure your customers are aware of your past successes with similar situations, your satisfaction guarantee and satisfied customer stories and testimonials. Build trust.

Question #3 – Why should I buy this from you now?

Give your customers a reason to buy from you right now – a special bonus, a discount or even a new customer gift. Be creative and they’ll remember your business long after the sale.

Now that you know what your customers are thinking, go back and take a look at your website and marketing materials. Do they answer your customer’s questions?

If you look around any website, you’re sure to find links that you can click on that will take you to another website.  That’s a backlink – a link from one site on the Internet to another.

Backlinks are important to the success of any website for two reasons. The first is that they can bring visitors and traffic to the site.  The second is their importance for search engine rankings.

When one site links to another using a specific term in the link, i.e. “blue widget”, search engines see that link as an indication that the site is an authority in blue widgets.  The more back-links a site has using the same term, the higher their search engine rankings will be.

So if 50 sites all link to your site using the term “Phoenix Attorney”, there’s a good chance that your site will come up on the search engines when someone searches for a Phoenix attorney.

We can put together a backlinking campaign for your website that will get your site ranked in the search engines. We base all our custom linking packages on in-depth keyword research and analysis to get you the best results.

Your “Contact” Page

It’s important that your contact details are easy to find and clearly stated. Give people multiple options for contacting you – phone, fax, email, instant messaging, etc. If you have office hours, you should list them on the “Contact” page as well.

Your “About Us” Page

You can create a human connection with your site visitors by creating an “About Us” page that’s friendly and communicates the personality of your business.  Include pictures of yourself, your staff and your store or office.

You should also include testimonials on the “About Us” page to reinforce your customer service and/or product quality. Make sure to include your contact info on this page also.

Make Things Easy To Find

All consumers like their online shopping experiences to be simple. Make sure your checkout process is easy to understand, your customer service phone number is clearly posted on all pages and that all ordering instructions are clearly stated.

However, utilizing effective testimonials is much more than just scattering a few random comments on your website. So what makes for an effective testimonial? And how do you get people to give you the kind that you want?

Effective Testimonials Are Specific

Testimonials that include details about your product or service are much more powerful than a general comment like “I loved it!” General statements will not overcome whatever doubts your potential customers have.

Some great ways to start a specific testimonial are “Your service is great because…” or “Once I started using your product, I noticed….”

Effective Testimonials Are Credible

The best way to establish credibility is to include your customer’s full name, location and/or business name with the testimonial. The more detail you provide, the more believable the comments are.

It’s also important to refrain from rewriting customer testimonials. Of course you should correct spelling and punctuation mistakes, but once you start changing the wording, you’ll lose the individuality of the original writer.  All of your testimonials will end up sounding the same, which may make them seem fabricated.

Testimonials are an excellent way to convert your website visitors into paying customers. We know how to place powerful and effective testimonials on your website that will produce results. Contact us today to get started.

Readers will feel special, and those considering work already will probably jump at the chance to get your bargain.

In the space of just a few minutes of posting, you’ve boosted your business and every reader feels positive about you and wants to work with your company.

So where will you find the time to blog?  Let us do it for you!

Ask about our Blogging Services and we’ll custom design a package that’s a perfect fit for you and your business.