Facebook Marketing Tips

Once you have a basic understanding of how Facebook works, your adrenaline may be pumping as you experience the potential of exposing your business to over 40 million people.

But before you begin…

Marketing via Facebook or any another social network needs to be done strategically, using a proper marketing plan. So many people have destroyed their businesses because they abused these networks. Once you’ve become familiar with the tools described below, take time to outline a plan for yourself.

Here are some of the different tools (all free) with which Facebook allows you to promote your business. Using these tools wisely will help your business grow. Misusing them will kill your business and leave you with the reputation of nothing but a spammer. Browse Facebook and the “applications” link to find all of the below:

Creating a Group:

Anyone on Facebook can start their own group. An excellent way to build a community around your product or service is to create a group representing it. Some of the features that a group has are a discussion board, a “wall,” posted items (great place to post links) and the possibility to upload videos and pictures. When you start building your group, which is very simple to do, you can add your website link, location, contact and any other information you wish. The next step is to invite your personal network to join your group.

Joining Other Groups for Marketing Your Business:

The groups are one of the most powerful venues that can help you to promote your business. The effective way to do so is to join groups that are relevant to your business. Join those groups and become active in them. If you join and post a message only once, no one will look at you. Instead, participate in the back and forth on the discussion board and post regularly on the walls. One of the most effective ways to get attention is sharing your articles on the discussion board and responding to other people’s questions. In many ways this is like a forum. Once you start participating in these discussion boards, people will respect you and learn to trust you.

Pages:

Facebook recently launched “Pages,” which is similar to groups. “Pages” allows businesses to establish a brand presence on Facebook. You can add html code, flash files and even Facebook applications to Pages that can help you customize the page better, which you cannot do on groups. People who join your Page are called “Fans” – they become “fans” of your business.

Using the Wall:

On your profile page you have what’s called “The Wall” – this is where the members of your network can post messages on your profile page. Whenever someone posts something on your wall and whenever you post on friends’ walls, everyone in your network can see it. (Be careful not to post very private messages on a friend’s wall. If you need to do so, you have the option of sending a message to your friend’s Facebook inbox.)

Events:

If you are having an event related to you business or a sale at a friend’s house or on Ebay, this is the online place where you would want to post about it. After creating your event, you can invite your network to view and participate (or politely decline).

Notes and Photos:

These two applications allow you to share articles, blog posts or pictures with your network. You can utilize these applications to discuss your business or share photos of your products. Your friends can publish comments on your postings.

Messages:

This is an excellent alternative to using your regular email. With this application you can send personal or group messages to people in your network. The beauty of this application is that you are protected from the possibility of sending inadvertent spam, since Facebook has excellent methods of eliminating that possibility before you can send anything. Just be careful not to email too often.

Marketplace:

Marketplace is Facebook’s classifieds listing service. Here you can post a variety of ads related to your business. The marketplace allows you to upload pictures as well. Just take care not to flood the marketplace with your ads, as this will get you deleted from Facebook.

Status:

This incredible feature allows you to let your network know what you are doing at any given time. If you have just uploaded new content to your website, added a new product to your product line or what ever it may be.

Now that you have received the basics for marketing via Facebook, you are probably thinking, “So every time I post an item or a photo I have to message it to my friends? This will take forever!” If that’s what you’re thinking, this next and final aspect of Facebook that we will discuss will blow your mind:

Facebook’s News Feed:

This is our favorite, and this is Facebook’s unique advantage over other social networks. Whenever you log into your Facebook account, the first page that you will see is the news feed. This page gives you all the recent news in your network: updates of what your friends have been doing on Facebook, what groups they have joined, what items they have posted, what videos they have uploaded, whom they’ve added as friends to their network, etc. And just like you can see what your friends are doing, they can see what you are doing. In other words, every time you post something, your whole network will see it. This exposure creates a consciousness of your product or service within your network and beyond.

Be sure to use this feature, like all the tools of Facebook, with your integrity. Keep it clean and people will respect you.

About the Author:

Hillel Porath is the founder and developer of http://www.iyazam.com.  Hillel has been working in marketing for several years learning many valuable lessons along the way, the fruits of which appear on his website. Hillel lives with his wife and toddler in Israel.

Posted On MicroBizMarketing.com at http://www.microbizmarketing.com/articles/facebook-marketing-tips/

Using Basic SEO Strategies & RSS Feeds

Let’s start by creating a basic understanding of SEO or Search Engine Optimization. As you probably already know, there are literally 1,000s of Books, eBooks, Special Reports, CDs, DVDs, Seminars & Workshops on this subject.

For the purposes of this article, we will define SEO as a series of strategies for achieving top ranking in the major search engines for specific keywords or phrases.

It all starts with identifying the words or phrases that your niche market is using to find possible solutions to their problems. This is a very important step in the overall process.

There are a number of tools that you can use to determine the best keyword phrases for your business. Like Google Keywords or VBO Submitter.

Once you have determined the best combination of 10 – 15 search terms, you then want to create your webpages, articles & blogs using these terms. Make sure that you place the desired keyword phrases in the webpage title, first paragraph, lightly throughout the body and in the last paragraph. If possible, include the keyword in the file name or permalink (if you are using WordPress).

You also want to have inbound links from other related websites that include your keywords. An easy way to accomplish this is to use Article Marketing Strategies.

Article Publishing & Distribution has become extremely simple and cost effective. There are a number of automated services and desktop applications that you can use. These tools allow you to submit your articles to 1,000s and in some cases (10,000s) of people, ezine publishers & article directories. Some are free and others require a nominal fee.

For example, Article Marketer allows you to submit up to 3 articles to approx 15,000 people for free and an unlimited number of articles to over 72,266 people on 817 article announcement forums/groups and published by over 3,600 web sites. Click here for more information!

Another easy way to create inbound links is to use RSS Feeds. RSS stands for Real Simple Syndication. Once you have established a RSS Feed for your website, your content can be available through the major search engines, blog readers, social networks and other feed aggregators.

Here are a few of the major RSS Feed Hubs & Social Networks:

This is just a fancy way of saying that by using the RSS Feed Technology, your website pages, articles and/or blogs will be seen by more potential clients.

By just identifying a few keywords, submitting your articles  and integrating your feeds, you will have a great foundation for driving new prospects and clients to your website.

For more information, please use our online contact form. Click here to submit your questions.

How To Write A Killer Article In 5 Easy Steps

You may not know it, but you have an easy way to bring targeted traffic to your site. You can write articles for publication in ezines that will continue to bring you traffic to your site long after they appear online. Just think of this as an unstoppable traffic generator for your online business.

You do not have to be a Hemingway to be a great article writer. There are some basic rules to follow though. Here are 5 steps to writing a good article that will attract attention and result in more traffic and sales for your business.

ACTION STEP 1 – Create A Hot Title

You must grab the attention of the reader first. People scan everything before they commit to reading it. Let them know what the article is about in a way that makes them want to dig into it for more information. Two classic ways to make a good title are to use a “How to” format, such as, “How To Get A Base Hit 7 Times Out Of Ten”, and the “Tips” format, which might go something like this: “5 Super Easy Tips To Relieve Stress”.

ACTION STEP 2 – Get Your Reader’s Attention With An Interesting Opening Sentence

The next most important part of writing your article is to grab the reader with a powerful first sentence. This will keep them interested and wanting more information. Two of the best ways to hook your reader is to ask a question or to state a fact.

A question should make the reader curious to find out the answer by finishing the article. If you state a fact, you must make it the basis for the rest of your article.

ACTION STEP 3 – Discuss The Main Points In The Body Of The Article

Here is where you provide the content of your article, and the solutions to the problem that you are solving for the reader. Your purpose here is to educate and inform. Address each problem and follow it with the solution. Or if you are giving tips to your reader, you can list each tip in the order that best solves their problem.

ACTION STEP 4 – Summary and Ask Your Reader To Take Action

Always include a brief summary for maximum results. Then tell your reader why it is important for them to take action now. Give a benefit or two as an incentive for them to respond now. This can be a link to your website or newsletter. After all, this was the primary purpose of your article.

ACTION STEP 5 – Include A Powerful Resource Box After Your Article

You absolutely need to make a resource box promoting your website, eBook, eCourse or affiliate program. The resource box gives the reader another way to get more information. This will spur the traffic to your promotion as your article is read by more people. Create a resource box that tells who you are and what you are offering to the reader. This should take no more than 3-6 lines of text.

These 5 steps will ensure that you have an article that people will want to read and then visit your website. Just use this easy 5 step format and simply fill in the details with your own information. Then distribute your articles to ezine and newsletter publishers in your business niche. The result will be more targeted traffic and increased visibility for your business.

This article may be reprinted in full. The resource box and hyperlink must remain intact.

About the Author

View other articles by Marc here: http://www.savepress.com

Identifying Your "Ideal Client" and Niche Market

Most people start their business for a variety of reasons. Some are really passionate about something and they are committed to sharing it. Some want to improve the quality of their life and the lives around them. Some are just looking for a way to make money. Some just want to make a difference. No matter how they get started, most people decide what they want to offer and then go find the market to offer it to. This is the hard way!

Now, while this is a valid approach and has proven to be successful for some, it is not for most. Statistics say that 95% of new businesses fail within the first 5 years. That means only 5% remain in business, some just over survival – struggling to make ends meet.

How do you improve your odds? How do you become one of the very successful thriving businesses? You do what they do! Do your homework first! Find out what the people in your target market really need!

Ask them! What are the problems that they are having with your competition? What are some of their aches and pains? What are their dreams, their wishes & their commitments? What are their demographics, psychographics, & spending habits?

The more you know about them, the better you can serve them. The better you can serve them, the more loyal they will be to your business – causing you to be more successful – Ergo “The more you know about them, the more successful you will become”. Simply stated, find out what they want and sell it to them!

One way to approach building your business is to take some time and distinguish your “Ideal Client”. By getting clear about who they are, it becomes much easier to find them and present your offer. You want to identify Who, What, Where & Why…

Your “Ideal Client” is looking for what you have to offer at the opitimum level that you would like to provide it. Here are a few elements to help you along the way:

• Desire/Require – Your products or services solves a problem, fulfills an emotional need or supplies a requirement.

• Immediate Need – An acknowledgement or committment to acquire your products or services within the next 30-60 days.

• Means of Acquisition – Your offers are viewed as a “high value proposition” and they have access to the financial resources to acquire your products or services.

If you are currently marketing to individuals, companies or organizations that do not meet the above criteria, then you are probably not getting the results that you want!

Sometimes, we discount our prices or agree to jobs that end up costing more than they are worth in the long run. We may even find ourselves spending a lot of time doing business that really doesn’t allow us to best serve our clients.

The next area to identify is Who – This is the most basic group of your “Ideal Client”. Your target or niche market is not everybody. It’s fairly difficult to market to everybody unless you really have deep pockets. Even if you don’t, it may not be the best use of your marketing and advertising dollars. I recommend that you start with determining the best match for your products and/or services.

For example, if you are a Small Business Coach/Consultant, then your most basic group would be Small Business Owners and Managers looking to solve a particular problem or to achieve a desired goal in there business. You may want to become an expert in a specific area of business – like internet marketing, strategic planning, direct marketing, sales training, etc.

As an expert in direct marketing, you are recognized as someone that helps small business owners increase their sales using a combination of cost effective direct mail strategies. You can then provide the concept, copy writing, database, delivery & consulting as a part of your offer.

You can also write articles, books and special reports on your area of expertise to provide your current and prospective clients. Seminars and workshops are another great way to add value to your clients.

Another example would be if your were a mortgage broker, then your most basic group would be People Looking for Money to Buy a House. As a Retailer or Distributor, your most basic group would be Shoppers/Buyers are Seeking to Purchase Your Products.

Are you starting see what I’m talking about? It’s not everybody. It’s a very unique group that have that have the desire or require, an immediate need and the means to acquire.

The next area to examine is What – This is the Demographics and Psycho-graphics of your niche market. What do you know about them? Here are some areas to consider:

• Ackes & Pains, Challanges & Problems
• Vision & Goals, Wants & Desires
• Commitments and other Interests
• Ages, Gender & Marital Status
• Occupation & Income
• Residence & Automobiles
• Education, Training, Degrees & Certifications
• Savings, Investments, Money Management & Credit/Debt
• Family Orientation, Children, Siblings
• Recreation, Travel, Vacation
• Health, Well-Being & Spiritual Beliefs

The next area to take a look at is Where – These are the places where your “Ideal Client” can be found. It is helpful to identify locations and resources that are already providing products and services to your niche market. Here are a few to start researching:

• Newspapers, Magazines & Websites
• Television & Radio Shows
• Associations, Organizations & Groups
• Shopping Centers, Stores & Restaurants

The final area to identify is Why – This is probably the most important one of all. It defines your Unique Value Propostion. It’s what sets you apart from your competition. Your “Why” is the main reason your “Ideal Client” chooses you, your products and/or services. Here are a few components to consider:

• What is your Story, Life Experience and Professional Experience?
• What about your Accomplishments, Awards, Degrees and Accolades?
• What is it that only You Can Provide your Offer to Them the Way that You Do?

As you are probably beginning to see, it is much easier and far more profitable to identify your “Ideal Client”. All of your marketing messages, website content, referral partners and strategic relationships should be consistant with serving your client.

If you would like some additional support on Niche Marketing and Identifying Your “Ideal Client”, please listen to following interview with Results Life Coach of the Year – Bill Davis.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

You can also call us at 336.790.4123 or click here to complete our online contact form.