Thinking of using social media for your business? Well, you should! A lot of businesses can benefit from the versatility of social media for creating awareness towards their brand and company.

Let’s take accountants, for instance. Many accountants use social media for their business as a way to be present online where the like-minded linger. Social media can start and nurture conversations between you and clients, prospects, and other business partners. It’s free, which makes it appealing, and online, therefore it’s convenient and accessible. Once you begin using it for business, you’ll be represented 24-7 in the social media arena.

Social media may not generate a large amount of leads or be a place for you to run advertisements, but think of it like hanging out socially, where you’re present to engage in discussions that you or others instigate.

Being active in social media goes beyond Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Blogs, YouTube videos, and discussion groups work well, with the only drawback being they can take more time to manage than a Facebook or LinkedIn company page.

Once you’re up and running with social media, expect to spend one to six hours every week managing it. If you’re not ready to manage a blog or discussion of your own, you can begin by joining other conversations or simply reading comments to get a feel for how it works.

If you haven’t started social media for your business, don’t feel pressure to rush in today. Poll your existing clients to find out what social media sites they prefer and why. Armed with this information, you can be selective and design your strategy so you can reach your target audience efficiently and effectively.

How Social Media Generates Business Exposure

Wherever your clients are active socially, you need to be active too. Facebook and LinkedIn, two of the most popular social media sites, allow you to create a company page that serves as a business profile where you tell your company’s story. These pages should highlight products and services and provide another way to engage with followers and develop relationships.

Wherever your clients are active socially, you need to be active too. Facebook and LinkedIn, two of the most popular social media sites, allow you to create a company page that serves as a business profile where you tell your company’s story. These pages should highlight products and services and provide another way to engage with followers and develop relationships.

Beyond Facebook and LinkedIn, some accountants write blog postings, typically 300 words in length, sharing insight and expertise on a topic. Others record videos or tutorials and upload them to YouTube. Taking these initiatives will not automatically generate exposure for your business; you’re going to have to work at it. Add social media icons to your website, e-mail signature, and in any outbound communication from your business (client correspondence, e-newsletters, brochures, URLs on your business card, etc.).

Social media is used by accountants to encourage conversations and nurture relationships. Much like word-of-mouth advertising, exposure will spread through customers, coworkers, friends, and family. As your social media “followers” increase, so will your business exposure.

How Social Media Is Used to Increase Traffic

In a 2012 social media survey of over 3,500 marketers conducted by the Social Media Examiner, 74 percent of the respondents found increased traffic occurred with as little as a six-hour-per-week investment in social media marketing. Based on these results, to take advantage of this traffic trend, you should aim to be present in social media and participate for six hours or more every week.

As your social media plan unfolds, you must continue to work at growing your follower base to increase visitor traffic. For example, by refreshing your profile on LinkedIn, those following you will be notified of a change, and curiosity will generate clicks from those checking on what has changed. Some refresh their company social media sites by telling a client success story or highlighting a seasonal offer, product, or service. Others work at connecting and conversing with influencers in the community to encourage their business to remain front-of-mind with those who influence other

How Social Media Is Used to Provide Insight

There are different opportunities for you to use social media and provide insight, such as participating in discussion groups, following and commenting on other blogs or Twitter postings, creating your own videos, or writing your own blog.

Discussion groups and Twitter are most often used to share stories, offer insight, and ask others for advice. While these types of social communication platforms provide the opportunity to share ideas, monitoring these sites can be disruptive to your schedule and difficult to stay on top of because people post to these sites any day, anytime.

In conclusion, the trend of today’s business world is being social. Reaching out to your potential market is something that any business owner should strive for. This brings about awareness towards your company, and innovation within your products.

This guest post is courtesy of Sheine Austria. She is a professional writer whose passion is digital media, technology and blogging. She also used to do some photography in her college days in Upskilled Australia.

Image courtesy of smarnad / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Why limit holiday decorating to your home?  As the mercury drops and the days grow short, why not dazzle customers with the digital equivalent of a string of twinkling lights?  Here are 10 easy ways to incorporate some festive flair into your digital presence this December.

1. “Winterize” Your Homepage.  As the digital face of your business, your homepage is the first impression customers have of you.  So make it a good one!  Seasonal touches like snowflakes in your header or a Santa hat atop your logo show personality and holiday cheer.  When backed up with prominently-placed markdowns and categories emphasizing affordable products (i.e., stocking stuffers, gifts under $30, etc.), your homepage can work as a sales tool to convert curious browsers into eager buyers.
2. Host a Holiday “Like” Campaign on Facebook.  Facebook offers a massive resource of untapped leads.  By offering users the chance to win a big-ticket item from your company’s product line in exchange for a “Like”, you can strengthen your Facebook presence and increase brand exposure and awareness.  Partnering with another company on a joint offer can make your giveaway extra-appealing AND give it the benefit of cross-promotion.
3. Get Hashtag-Happy.  Twitter users are actively searching for products, gift ideas, and coupons by using hashtags, so be sure to use them to your advantage.  Seasonal hashtags like #GiftIdea, #Hanukkah, #Christmas, and #Kwanzaa are a great starting point, but it’s also wise to determine the hashtags specific to your industry. Hashtags.org is a great place to start!
4. Create a Holiday-Themed Pinterest Board.  What’s key here is to make your board relevant to your industry.   Run a travel company?  Showcase pictures of holiday traditions around the world.  A restaurant?  Pin up holiday dishes and recipe ideas!  Not only is Pinterest a great tool for infusing your brand with personality, it is also a link-building goldmine (read: great for improving search engine rankings), so don’t forget to include a link to your website in each of your pins!
5. Send Out a Holiday e-Newsletter.  Offering existing customers access to exclusive deals, previews, or free shipping through an e-newsletter is a sure-fire way to generate repeat holiday business and make loyal customers feel special. Bonus points for using a catchy headline and a holiday-themed template!
6. Give Your SEO a Boost.  Given the number of people making purchases this month, it’s an especially important time of year to rank well in search engines.  Use Google’s keyword tool to determine the search phrases your potential customers are using and then be sure to use those keywords in the visible andMeta content of your website.
7. Further Improve Rankings with Paid Search. If you’re having trouble achieving that coveted first page Google ranking organically, it might be beneficial to experiment with a paid advertising campaign on Google AdWords or Microsoft AdCenter.  Given how much people shop at this time of year, the result may well be worth the extra spend!
8. Ensure Your Mobile Presence is Up to Snuff.  With 87% of consumers projected to make holiday purchases on mobile devices this year, it is absolutely crucial that your mobile website be as engaging and user-friendly as possible.  In addition to the website, consider creating a customized seasonal app or holiday-themed QR code, and sign up for mobile deal and location-based platforms like Groupon, Foursquare, and Yelp.
9. Deck The Blogs.  Your blog is a great way to engage customers and improve search engine rankings, so be sure to regularly post-holiday-themed content (peppered with the keywords you identified in #6, of course).  Gift guides, industry predictions for 2013, and fun ways to use your products or services this time of year all make for compelling (and sharable!) blog content.
10. Communicate Your Organization’s Charitable Work.  You can do this by putting out a press release or sharing news on Facebook or Twitter, highlighting your employees’ good works. Sharing the news will not only shed light on a good cause, but also generate publicity AND potential business opportunities down the road.

What marketing tips and tricks have you used to infuse your online presence with holiday cheer? Leave a comment below!

This guest post is courtesy Rebecca Rubin. She is a Digital Marketing and Social Media Specialist for award-winning full-service digital agency, Blue Water Media.  She can be contacted at rrubin@bluewatermedia.com OR AT (301)389-0178. 

Image courtesy of anankkml / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Before Facebook, there was a social media network called Myspace and while the network never truly went away, this week the company unveiled a new look with spokesman and investor Justin Timberlake. The company was once go-to social network for everyone, but in the last few years has become more geared for entrepreneurs and business owners in the entertainment or arts industry.

What does this announcement mean for entrepreneurs and business owners?

An Opportunity to Connect with the Entertainment & Arts Industry

For entrepreneurs with a target market that consists of the entertainment and arts industry you should be on Myspace. While entrepreneurs and social media experts might view the re-emergence or rebirth of Myspace as another headache Myspace is geared more towards entrepreneurs and business owners in the entertainment or arts industry such as musicians, promoters, designers, photographers, filmmakers and other artists. For now, only those entrepreneurs and business owners should flock to the site.

Visit the New Myspace

Check out the video below: