Social networking is the latest and greatest in Internet marketing but if you feel like you are getting lost in the shuffle, you're not alone. There are tons of social networking platforms out there and if you try to jump in with both feet into all of them you're going to spend all of your time connecting without seeing any profit. No matter what your business model is, social networking is only a small part of the picture.
So how do you find a balance between ignoring social marketing completely and getting way too involved? By picking your touch points for social networking and integrating them you can be available to your target market without being totally overwhelmed with communication. The simple five step process outlined below will help you use social marketing effectively.

1. Pick how you're going to be available.
There are several sites that contain opportunities for you to network with your market but you don't have to join them all. Twitter and Facebook remain the most popular, but you can also find your target market in other areas. Join at least these two and then try to find something that is more niche specific - for example, a forum or group site based on your topic. Yahoo groups, Google groups and Ning all house groups and sites that are on specific topics. Look for niche specific sites on these major hubs for opportunities to connect.

2. Make your presence consistent.
Once you've decided where you're going to be present, make sure your profiles are consistent across the board. Use the same photo for your social networking sites and people will be more likely to recognize your profile and connect with you when they join these sites.

3. Market your touch points.
Once you've established yourself and your profiles, make sure people know how to find you. Put links to your profiles on your blog, your website and in your signature file for your email account. You'll get more connections this way.

4. Make time for networking on your touch points.
One of the keys to keeping social marketing simple is to time your posts, updates and responses. Make time each week or each day to post and make connections. You can schedule updates to coincide with new blog posts. Some of this can be automated; but make sure to find the time to visit the site manually to check to see who has befriended you and respond to other people's updates.

5. Manage multiple accounts from one spot.
You can make social networking even easier by having a management tool to help you keep everything balanced and on board. Social-Fly.com will help you keep your social contacts in order with reminders of when you last touched base with someone and important information about them. It's mainly if you are doing a lot of personal networking on these sites, rather than using them as broadcasting and branding platforms for your business. If you want to manage multiple platforms at once try a tool like HomePuzz.com which will integrate your Facebook, Twitter and other accounts all together.


About the Author:

Darren Olander is dedicated to teaching others how to create a success online through internet network marketing strategies. He is a site owner, article writer, coach & marketing consultant enjoying the benefits of working full time from home. You can learn more about him at DarrenOlander.com.

This is part three of a four-part write up of a presentation prepared for the women of the American Business Women of Summerville. The businesses and social media examples featured are those that I felt are most relatable and approachable.

Spirit Telecom, a telecommunications company, is a noteworthy social media case study. Spirit’s headquarters are in Columbia, SC with many other branches all over the state.

Led by Step Ahead Web Strategies, Spirit launched a “Magic Phone” Kindle giveaway in February of 2010. Using Twitter, they asked people to tweet about whom they would call if they had a magic phone.  This could be anyone, dead or alive, which solicited some very interesting replies.

The tweet also included a #hashtag (or a way to categorize tweets), a way to invite your other Twitter friends to “use” the magic phone and a link to the Sprit Web site, which featured details about the giveaway.

I like this promotion because not only was it brand consistent (a telecom company playing a phone game), but it was fun. People liked participating in the #magicphone contest because they got to play the “what if” game. I think the chance of winning a Kindle was a perk.

Since the contest, Spirit has continued to maintain their company Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and blog, which focuses on education and communication.

What We Can Learn From Spirit Telcom:

1. Be consistent with your brand– Using a phone game for a telecom company makes sense. When selecting your own social media tactics, strive for brand consistency.

2. Use what’s popular and what works – The Charleston Twitter community is very active and close-knit. Spirit used this to their advantage by creating a community through a popular platform.

3. People like freebies– Again, finding an incentive for people to take action is sometimes all it takes. According to the Step Ahead blog, the competition drove 4,500 hits to the Spirit Web site. Could this have been done without the allure of a freebie? Perhaps, but it’s nice to reward those loyal participants and brand evangelists.

4. Maintain regularity after a promotion – Post-contest, Spirit has maintained a significant online presence using social media platforms. This shows that they are serious about the relationships they’ve built and will continue to put the effort in to the online community, even after the promotion is complete.


About the author: Ashley Thiesen Caldwell is the founder and owner of  The Modern Connection, which is an Internet marketing business with a social media focus based out of Charleston, SC.  www.TheModernConnection.com