Angela Crocker

Write. Teach. Organize.

2011 Social Media Marketing Report

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Recently I spent an afternoon devouring the results of Social Media Examiner’s 2011 Social Media Marketing Industry Report. Now in its third year, this report is invaluable to understanding changes in social media marketing. I was particular interested to see the results on the benefits of social media marketing.

Here are the top benefits :

  • Generate exposure for your brand and making it stand up to be heard.
  • Increase traffic to your site including blog readers, website visitors and opt-in subscribers.
  • Improved search rankings to bring your brand to the forefront in your area of specialty.
  • Make new business partnerships from connections made and relationships built through social networking.
  • Generate qualified leads for your business.
  • Reduce overall marketing expenses as your social media efforts gain traction you are likely to spend less on other forms of marketing and promotion.
  • Improve sales as connections become prospects and then customers with a better sense of your overall product or service listing and, more importantly, your style.

If you’d like to read the complete report, download a copy here.

I suggest even one or two of these benefits make your social media effort worthwhile. Please, let me know about your successes and don’t forget I’m available to help with your struggles.

Why Should I Comment On Someone Else’s Blog?

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Recently, one of my workshop participants asked “Why should I take time to comment on other people’s blogs?” Here are some compelling reasons to make this part of your social media strategy:

  • Every comment adds to your online visibility. Each time your name appears on a comment, the blogger and other blog readers see you and become familiar with your name.
  • Building a community is a two-way conversation. By showing interest in other people’s thoughts, you demonstrate how much you value their contribution to your industry.
  • Blog comments help establish you as an authority in your field. You also make it clear that you’re a lifelong learner willing to hear new ideas. Don’t be afraid to share your expertise to enhance what’s already been written.
  • Frequent thoughtful, relevant comments on the same blog can help you build a relationship with the blogger and the audience. Check back for follow-up comments from the blogger and other readers and continue the dialogue as long as there’s something meaningful to say.
  • Often blog comments accommodate your website listing as well as your name. These inbound links, sometimes called backlinks, add to your SEO (search engine optimization).
Snapshot of some comments on my site

Read on for a few words of caution

  • Be careful about including links to your blog in the text of your comment. Anything you share must support what the blogger is doing otherwise you’ll be perceived as spam.
  • Sometimes it’s better to say nothing at all. A brief “thanks so much” may be courteous but it doesn’t establish any rapport with the folks you’re trying to network with.
  • I’d also encourage you to say nothing if you have a negative reaction to the blog post. If there’s a factual error, by all means politely offer updated information but please don’t post your knee jerk reaction. The damage you could do to your reputation is vast.
  • If you’re trying to build relationships from a business point of view, I suggest you avoid commenting on religious or political blogs. Why limit your market share to only those who share your beliefs?
  • Be yourself. It’s all about authentic relationships, right?

So stop reading this and leave a comment today.

Creating Original Content

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Success in social networking is all about content. You’ve got to consistently share information of interest to your community. What you share should be a blend of original content created by you and referenced or curated content created by others.

Photo Credit: Ch10 on Flickr
used under Creative Commons License.

Here are 9 ways you can create original content this week:

  1. Write about the product you worked on today. What will your customers love about it? What problem will it solve for them?
  2. Praise someone you work with – a colleague, a supplier, a support worker. Share who they are and why their contribution is so valuable.
  3. Share someplace interesting you’ve visited. It could be a retailer, a supplier, a restaurant or somewhere in nature. Tell your audience why you enjoyed it and include a photo if you can.
  4. Record a video. Show your product being made or your service in action.
  5. Take photos of people, places & things. Every photo has the potential to anchor a blog post or become a tweet.
  6. Write about related products that complement but don’t compete. For example, a dog food manufacturer might write about a line of dog toys.
  7. Remove the veil and share some little known facts about your organization.
  8. Create a contest. Include a “can’t be bought” experience related to what you do in the grand prize.
  9. Conduct interviews with executives, suppliers & customers. This can be done by email Q&A or as an audio or video recording.

Go create something right now.