Can you provide your followers with unique video, blogs, bulletin boards, or multiple social media accounts? It all sounds fantastic when you’re getting started, but if you’re managing a campaign on your own, keep in mind how many of these platforms you will realistically be able to keep up with.
Facebook/Twitter
We recommend these at the very least. This is where you’re going to build your online following. These are the users you’re able to direct to your website as well as your other online destinations (Online video, webinars, etc…).
Foursquare
Foursquare is a great service for anyone who has a physical location where they receive clients. It will allow your customers/clients to “check in” at your location. You can offer them discounts, or if they’re the mayor (at your location more than anyone else (Foursquare terminology) you can offer them something special to reward their loyalty. The benefit on your end is you’re able to track the people that come into your business, and you’re also able to attract new customers from your visibility on the platform.
Online Video
Creating videos doesn’t have to be hard or terribly involved. The Will It Blend series is a great example of that. Within the first 24 hours of uploading their first video they had over 1 million views, and the company sold out of their $600 featured blender. Today the video has over 9 million views. Think about what you would pay for your products or services to be viewed by that many people? Most companies cannot afford that type of media exposure, yet with YouTube, it’s free.
Still sound too overwhelming? You can do something even simpler. We have a client who has a videographer follow him around to his presentations and then we break down the video from those presentations and upload them to YouTube using the appropriate keywords.
Photo Galleries
While it may not be obvious at first, there are a lot of good networking opportunities on Flickr. You can use your profile on the site to advertise your company, products, and services – but you should keep the sales pitch to a minimum. Again this is another venue for you to establish your company as a source of information.You should register an account on the site that matches your company’s domain name and upload your company’s logo as your “buddy icon”. Next, upload quality photos (your products/services, employees, company events, and other things related to your business) and make sure to write the appropriate text for each photo, again keeping the sales pitch to a minimum. Describe what products/services you provide and where they can be acquired. Also find and join appropriate groups that are related to your field and share your photos in those groups, and link your website to your Flickr account.
Podcasts
A podcast is a series of digital media files (either audio or video) that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication. Consider creating podcasts and offering them from your site to download as well as iTunes. Why should you podcast? It’s free, it offers a deeper connection by allowing people to hear your voice or see you talking about your products/services, it adds additional value added to your website, and there are over 160 million iTunes users. Take a moment and just do a search on iTunes for your industry and see what you find. You’ll find lots of podcasts where individuals and companies are taking the opportunity to educate people and establish themselves as experts in their respected fields. If you decide to do a video podcast, also upload your videos to YouTube. If you’re providing good content you’ll find that a number of people will actually subscribe to your videos.
Blogs
Blogs allow for you to demonstrate your expertise, add regular fresh content to your website, help with SEO, provide engaging content that you can link to on your social media sites, and it gives visitors a valuable reason to keep coming back to your website. Websites that don’t regularly update do not receive repeat visitors. Blogging on a regular basis (once a week if possible) helps to give your customers additional information about the industry you’re in and the services or products that you supply. Need help starting a blog? Contact us today.
Webinars
There are a number of benefits that come from holding an online seminar including promoting your product/service, building up a list of contacts, keeping expenses low (you’re not having to pay for a venue or other amenities of a traditional seminar), showcasing your company as a recognized industry authority, and of course adding value to your business. Having a webinar allows you to expand your reach beyond just your traditional clientele. Anyone in the world can attend a webinar. Location and travel are no longer issues.
Website Content
Content drives action. Great content not only brands a company as a trusted resource, it also calls people to action whether that is to buy, apply, or subscribe to something. The content on your website directly contributes to your company’s online reputation by showing thought leadership in the marketplace of ideas. Make use of this opportunity.
Message Boards
Message boards are a great way to network and establish yourself as a respected member of your field. Try to locate the most influential message boards for your industry, register an account, and get posting on issues that you are knowledgeable on. Build yourself up as an expert. Even movie studios and TV shows have started message board accounts to post about their films/shows. Our CEO Emma Loggins’ site FanBolt has numerous studios/networks posting on the forums including Disney, ABC Family, and USA Network. As a site with over 95,000 members, it’s easy to see why the studios and networks would want to have a presence on FanBolt and also open up a dialog with fans.
This doesn’t just apply to message boards, also comment on blogs that are relevant in your industry. Be sure to leave your contact information so that if someone is interested in what you have to say, they can follow up with you for more information. Think of this as the question and answers section on LinkedIn, however instead of directly interacting with industry professionals, now you’re interacting with consumers.
Digital PR
PR is not just about reaching out to press outlets anymore. Good PR is now about reaching consumers directly. People trust consumers (i.e. bloggers) more than they trust advertising according to the Nielsen Global Online Consumer Survey. Reaching out to websites that distribute related content to your products or services is a great way to get additional creditable exposure and also provide the potential for your products/services to go viral. People tweet and share good blog posts and may do that with a blog review of your brand.
