I was recently asked how my business was doing in this economy. At first I answered it was doing well because my services are geared toward helping business owners get more office and administrative tasks completed while saving costs by not having to pay employee costs. But the more I thought about this I came to the conclusion that my business is growing because I reevaluate my marketing plan based on current economic conditions and new technology trends.
With the quick emergence of social media I have learned to embrace which medias work for me to show what I do and how well I do it. Here is how I work with the medias that I am comfortable with.
Twitter: I use Twitter to connect with colleagues and know what is hot in my industry, find resources that I need to keep me at the top of my game and keep in touch with some great virtual assistants. I also choose those I follow based on what they can offer me and what I can give back to them. I re-tweet to help those find answers that they are looking for, inspiration for those who find they are in need and to pass along other helpful information.
Facebook Business Fan Page: While I love my Facebook personal account to reconnect with past friends and acquaintances, I use my business fan page to pass information that I find helpful to small business owners and all my friends and fans in general. As a general rule I pass blogs I have read that contain useful information, free software of the day and discussions on topics I see quite often. And for my friends, the daily fact of the day so that “I now know”.
Linked In: My profile is all about me professionally including my history, books I find worth reading, groups that are interesting to my business and information I feel is helpful to other professionals. This means that I will answer questions that I am qualified to answer, participate in discussions that I feel my input will help others and connect with individuals who are professionally interesting to me.
Forums: Forums are actually my favorite of all the social medias. I find that they tend to mix business and personal because while you are giving and receiving you also get to know the participants a little more in depth. I am often participating in Virtual Assistants Forum because I can find out what the needs of my colleagues are, provide helpful information and participate in a “talk” section that is a little more about those who are members.
There are many avenues of social media and it is not about how many you are signed up for but how much you are contributing. When choosing media, choose what works for you as a business owner and those you will actually participate in after initially gaining your account.
The biggest thing to remember is that social media is for marketing purposes but it is more about building relationships. Use them wisely by not doing the hard sell and let those in your networks now that you are an expert in your field.
All the best,
Lee Drozak ~ My Office Assistant
Did you know that your most valuable business asset has a value which is priceless? Did you immediately think your professional reputation as the answer? Personal testimonies and recommendations are your most effective marketing source.
Every so often I stop to really reflect on what I have learned and so here is what I feel is important enough to share.
There is much discussion nowadays about paying it forward or giving back as some call it. I am a huge believer in paying it forward and for most it makes great business sense. I not only offer my services to many non-profit groups in need of help but also contribute to auctions and giveaways as part of my marketing strategy.
