Facebook, Twitter, Linked In- Oh My! (1 of 2)

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by all of the Social Media options that are available?  Me too- so last week I attended a 'bootcamp' sponsored by Constant Contact and it really helped me understand the value of using Social Media to improve communication and relationships with the people we have the opportunity to work with- There are over 200 Social Networks that are currently being used.  The top 3 are Facebook, Twitter & Linked In: let me share a bit of what I learned with you! 

facebook logo  -is considered to be a great tool for 'Business to Consumer' contact.  Think of your activity on Facebook as a conversation with your audience rather than a sales pitch.  You can certainly offer special deals to your followers however, 80% of your content should be perceived as being friendly, educational and resourceful.  Your goal with this Social Media giant is to gather as many 'LIKES' as you can.  You should consider posting content on your Facebook page weekly so your followers actually have something to 'like'!  Please visit our Facebook page and 'like' it! TMC FACEBOOK PAGE Although our page is in the infancy stages, we will be working on special content and offers for our followers! 
twitter logo  -is considered to be a great tool for quick 'text' like bits of information.  When using Twitter, you have only 140 characters so you will want to keep the messages brief.  This is a great tool to drive immediate business or send out a quick alert about your business or a particular situation.  You can also send out links to documents, web sites or other content your followers might enjoy.  Since the messages are so short- it is important to stay active and consider 'Tweeting' daily or (at the very minimum) weekly.  Follow us on Twitter for quick snippets of valuable information.
linkedin  -is considered to be the 'Business to Business' or more professional option for Social Media.  Think of Linkedin as your online resume.  You have more control over your network of professionals as you have to be invited or you have to invite people to be a part of your network.  In the coming weeks, we will be looking at Linkedin and our presence there.

Growing our businesses in the age of Social Media takes a bit of education but it can also be FUN!  Our next blog will discuss some great ways to simplify the use of these tools and offer some guidelines on managing your social presence!  Thank you for sharing a few minutes with me and please feel free to offer any feedback on this Blog or future articles you would like to see!   Cheri

 

Cheri Perry 2/27/2011