The Meaning Of Facebook Timeline For Your Brand

The theme of Facebook’s Timeline, not only for brands but individuals as well, is the expression of growth and development over time. Brands that fully embrace the concept will naturally benefit the most from Timeline.

Creatively communicating a company’s rise from a modest startup to a successful firm is an inspirational story that should resonate with followers, customers and prospects alike. Businesses of all sizes can gain a closer relationship with their customers from such a treatment on Timeline. The content shouldn’t just be about a chronology of dates in the company’s history, but showcase the people that have made the business grow and its products outstanding. Dates and photos of employee promotions in addition to images of them doing their jobs is a great place to start. Strategic dates along with pictures of company products being used and enjoyed by the people who buy them is another. Video is also highly effective in conveying this message.

Another feature and benefit of Timeline for brands is the new admin panel. This panel provides a powerful management tool for every aspect of the company Timeline to keep track of new likes and comments on content. The admin dashboard also allows access to valuable new analytics data with graphs illustrating engagement with your content. For the first time on Facebook, private messaging between brands and users can take place. The contact must be initiated by the user and companies that are not ready for the feature can turn it off. For brands ready for such interaction, this feature offers a tremendous opportunity.

Change is what the new Facebook Timeline is all about. All of us can be afraid of change at one time or another. Social media is constantly evolving and the changes to Facebook reflect that. It is neither the first time nor the last in the largest social network’s evolution. Make full use of the new Timeline features and your company will benefit in time.

Written and produced in beautiful Naples, Florida by OnFast.com. Visit OnFast.com today to get your free trial subscription to our Social Media Marketing Service.

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How Social Media Makes Money For Your Business -- Creating Value

Social media marketing has a tremendous capacity for creating value, for both customers and the businesses serving their needs. Social media facilitates this when companies connect with their customers and those customers in turn purchase products and services. The key to this value creation is the establishment of true connection between brands and their customers on social media networks.

 

How Social Media Creates Value

A true connection on social media is made when brands offer something valuable to their followers. What is being offered may have a direct monetary value, but not necessarily. It could come in the form of useful information or advice related to a brand’s niche industry and its products. Or, it could just as easily come in the form of a 15% off Facebook only coupon. Central to the creation of value on social media is the idea of giving, which is required of brands to be successful on social media. Social business has re-ignited the concept of value-added marketing. Rather than interrupting people’s lives with tradition marketing messages, social marketing is welcomed by people into their lives because it is beneficial to them. Here are some specific ways social media accomplishes this result.

 

• By Teaching Customers - Information that is helpful, useful and serves customers’ needs by teaching them about topics related to your company’s specialties.
• Giving Something to Customers - With freebies, discounts, specials etc. made unique for each platform. This builds brand loyalty, which translates into paying customers.
• Helping Customers - Answering the questions people have and sharing expertise are ways brands establish a true connection with their followers on social media.
• Connecting Customers With Others - Suggesting alternate companies when your solution doesn’t meet a customer’s needs and recommending products or services from elsewhere can help your company connect. These scenarios can create loyal followers.
• Touching the Emotions of Customers - Treating customers as good friends, lightening things up with a little bit of fun and making people laugh will go far in endearing them to your company.

These are just a few of many ways social media can create value for customers. Businesses can create the greatest value for themselves and their customers when they remember an old business virtue that social media marketing has revived. The business exists to serve the needs of their customers.

Written and produced in beautiful Naples, Florida by OnFast.com. Visit OnFast.com today to get your free trial subscription to our Social Media Marketing Service.

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Social Media News For The Week Of 12/7/12

How Social Media Usage Will Change In 2013

The coming year will likely bring many changes to the social media world, as the medium continues to grow and mature. Trends of today can give some indication of what those changes will be and how they will come about. One trend is the increase in the importance of Pinterest as a social media marketing platform. This article includes an excellent infographic which clearly illustrates the trends in social media from the editors of the Socially Aware Blog. Full Story Here:

 

Build Social Media Into the Customer Experience

It is so crucial in today’s business environment for companies to go beyond simply putting up a page and expecting customers to come to them. Social media marketing must be carried out by people in the organization with authority and not outsourced. Listening to what your audience is saying about your brand and effectively responding to their feedback is vital. Steering your customers to your company’s preferred social media platforms is important as well. Full Story Here:

 

What’s the Difference between Social Media and Social Business?

Companies who are leading the way in the application of social media to their business practices are fully engaging their customers and bringing about new levels of customer service for their clients by integrating social media into customer care processes. This defines social business and differentiates it from simply marketing through social media networks. Full Story Here:

 

The Secret to Social Media Fatigue

The difficulty of time management for businesses who engage in social media marketing has lead to the mindset of so-called “social media fatigue”. This fatigue is really all about fear of failure and disappointment in social media. There are steps which can be taken to successfully fight back against these fears. Full Story Here:

 

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Using Twitter for Employment Search

Twitter offers job seekers a powerful resource when used in tandem with LinkedIn and Facebook. Twitter should never be seen as a replacement for those other networks, but rather as a useful supplement to them. Companies looking to hire are increasingly using the network in their recruitment efforts. Twitter provides a high level of engagement and interaction between businesses in need of personnel and people who are searching for employment. The Twitter platform also offers the ability to share information from other networks. Job hunters can find listings of job posts and career opportunities, advice from experts and general career information.

Ways to Use Twitter for Employment Search

Shape Up your Profile - It is vital to have a profile that projects professionalism and gains the attention of company recruiters. Your profile will shape their first impression and you only have 160 characters to get it right. Stay away from ridiculous usernames; make it your real name or something that closely resembles your name. Your profile should feature the type of position you are seeking in addition to your location.

Follow Influential People in your Field - Seek out the influential movers and shakers in your field and follow them. Find industry people with large numbers of followers who frequently tweet information relevant to your job search. Also, follow people outside your particular field but who can still be helpful, such as career experts and government agencies.

How Social Media Makes Money For Your Business -- Engaging Prospects

Engaging with a prospective customer is probably the most crucial step in making a successful sale. The interactive nature of social media easily lends itself to the engagement between a business and their prospects. Social networks help foster trust between the parties, while speeding up the final sale process either online or in person.

How Social Media Helps Engage Prospects:

1. Social Media Puts Brands With the People
It is key for businesses without a social media presence to remember this fact: their absence from consumer’s decision-making processes on this medium means that they are not present in the decision itself. People are making their buying decisions increasingly based on the information gleaned from social media outlets. This information can come from brands directly, recommendations and word of mouth from friends, or viral material that spins up to them. A brand must be present to be part of the mix. It is expected by the vast majority of people that a company is active on social media networks. Companies lacking a presence are often deemed irrelevant.

Social Media News For The Week Of 11/30/12

Social Media is Here to Stay
The beneficial impact for businesses that have taken the steps necessary to promote and market their companies through social media has been well established. However, there are many more businesses which have not joined in. Finding education about how to launch a social media marketing campaign successfully seems to be the problem, keeping scores of companies from achieving social media success. Full Story Here:

Social media impact on retailers’ sales uncertain
With the recent record setting holiday shopping weekend, retailers are seeking the answer to the question of what was social media’s impact on those sales. It appears, according to IBM Smarter Commerce, which tracks sales for top retailers, that social media directly comprised only 1% of the sales. This is not to say social media did not have any impact at all, because retailers have been using the medium to effectively raise their brand awareness with consumers. Full Story Here:

How Social Media Makes Money For Your Business -- Creating Value

Social media marketing has a tremendous capacity for creating value, for both customers and the businesses serving their needs. Social media facilitates this when companies connect with their customers and those customers in turn purchase products and services. The key to this value creation is the establishment of true connection between brands and their customers on social media networks.

How Social Media Creates Value:

A true connection on social media is made when brands offer something valuable to their followers. What is being offered may have a direct monetary value, but not necessarily. It could come in the form of useful information or advice related to a brand’s niche industry and its products. Or, it could just as easily come in the form of a 15% off Facebook only coupon. Central to the creation of value on social media is the idea of giving, which is required of brands to be successful on social media. Social business has re-ignited the concept of value-added marketing. Rather than interrupting people’s lives with tradition marketing messages, social marketing is welcomed by people into their lives because it is beneficial to them. Here are some specific ways social media accomplishes this result.