Marketing E commerce Business via Social Media

Social media is all the rage these days. The question has now become “Who ISN’T using social media?” If you have an e-commerce business, there’s a good chance that your customers – regardless of their age, gender or income level – are active on social networks and social media sharing sites.

Take a look at these demographic stats from social media monitoring site Pingdom:

• Males and females almost equally use social sites (47% vs. 53%)
• 61% of Facebook users are middle aged or older, with the average age being 37
• 18- to 24-year-olds don’t dominate any particular social networking site; they’re spread out all over

The take-away is this: If you aren’t discovering which social networks your customers are involved in, and include them in your overall e-commerce marketing strategy, you’re probably missing out on building relationships and increasing new customer acquisition through online word of mouth… Which we all know is the MOST powerful marketing method.

Here are a few simple tips for e-commerce businesses to take their marketing strategies to the next level:

1) Go where your target customers are

When it comes to digital and social media marketing, the available options are nearly endless. From Facebook to Twitter to LinkedIn to YouTube, there’s no limit to the number of social networking mediums available for your business to leverage. The key to successful social media marketing for e-commerce businesses is choosing the right channels to reach customers.

Find out where your customers are congregating by:

• Asking them. Sending a formal survey to customers or more informally polling them on your website can provide a wealth of knowledge.
• Regularly monitoring social websites. Discover how and where customers are talking about your brand, your competitors or target keywords.
• Reviewing backlinks, job postings, news announcements and keyword rankings of competitors on a regular basis to get a glimpse into their online marketing health.
• Leveraging the stats. Some sites like Facebook offer free user statistics. You can also leverage research conducted by third-party firms like eMarketer.

2) Monitor what your competitors are doing

Whether your e-commerce business is new to social media marketing, or just need to take your efforts up a notch, competitive intelligence can be very useful. Spend some time by researching your top five competitors on the social web.

Make sure to include:

• The social media websites in which they are active
• The type of content they post to their followers
• How they promote specific products, programs or events via social media
• The number of followers/fans/views they have on each website

3) Sell your products through social media networking

Many e-commerce websites use social media websites to make it even simpler for customers to purchase their products. Launch a Facebook store to allow customers to browse and purchase your products directly through Facebook.

Another option is to indirectly sell products through your social media profiles. For example, highlight new products or best-sellers and provide a link to the order page on your website. It may not be quite as simple as purchasing directly from the social media profile, but it can be just as effective.

4) Promote exclusive offers through social media

In order for your e-commerce business to gain a following on whichever social media network you choose, entice customers with something they can’t get anywhere else. For example, promote a contest via social media. The initiative will not only drive additional traffic to your website, but will also help increase the number of your Facebook fans.

Alternately, offer an exclusive item to social media followers or fans, such as free shipping or a weekly coupon. You can also offer “breaking news” that does not appear anywhere else, like pre-product release announcements or an inside look at your company’s inner-workings.

5) Dont Just push products and promotions

The primary goal of your e-commerce site may be to sell products, but your social media marketing strategy should encompass a wider range of tactics in addition to promoting offerings. With too much product pushing and not enough engagement, you’re unlikely to experience optimal success.

Try to Incorporate some of these ideas into your e-commerce social media marketing strategy:

• Share messages or news stories from external sources
• Create a blog on your website and feed blog content to your social media accounts
• Post pictures from company events or videos from speaking engagements
• Ask questions, participate in discussions or poll your customers via social media

Five Simple Email marketing tips for business

Email marketing is basically conducting internet marketing through email. This usually starts with a sign-up form to get an email address (and permission) from your lead. Using this address well can help communicate with your customers to build rapport and educate them about your various products and/or services.

So How Can you build business through Email marketing

Here are 5 email marketing tips that will help build repeat business, no matter the size of the company or demographics of leads.

1) Build Relationships with client

Capturing emails from an existing customer – whether they walk into your store or buy an online product from you – is preeminent to successful email marketing. To build relationships, you can seek out clients in different ways, namely marketing on the web with SEO, social media, and other forms of advertising such as banner ads or website linking.

2) Send Emails with value

If you get a buyer curious about your product or service, you have just put your foot in the door. Too many emails that businesses send out offer no benefit or draw to buyers. If you sell a service, show testimonials from similar clients who were pleased. If you sell a product, immediately show value by saying it will save them or earn them money. Educating your recipients with current news and/or trends – is also a good idea.

3) Be clear and Concise

Many email campaigns don’t communicate exactly what the product is, how it can benefit buyers, and the call to action. If you ignore what buyers are interested in, they’re just going to ignore the message.

4) Create Dynamic and Sharable content

Content converts buyers too. With the right content, you can get buyers curious. Make it easy for your recipients to share with their friends, family, and colleagues — Using a “share” or “forward” button, “print” icon, social media icons, etc. This will help your email campaign reach new, qualified leads.

5) Think Social

Email marketing is not about broadcasting and pushing. It’s about creating relations and conversations. There are many ways to achieve this. Involve your recipients, highlight them, and include their ‘content’ whenever you can. It’s all about the SOCIAL!

Online advertising to outspace print in 2010

The research data shows that companies will spend over $116 billion on online marketing strategies, including SEO, webinars, and social media marketing. Meanwhile, companies will be spending $111 billion for print advertising.

Other noteworthy findings from the research results include:

• Marketing strategies creating the highest business to business to return on investment are effective company websites, search engine marketing, e marketing and e news letters
• More than 50% of business rate Facebook as "Extremely or some what effective"
• 45% business to business marketters rate Linkedin as "Extremely or some what effective"
• 35% business to business marketters rate Twitter as "Extremely or some what effective"
• 25% business to business marketters rate MySpace as "Extremely or some what effective"

The findings of Outsell’s study clearly shows online advertising, Internet marketing strategies, and social media marketing to be not only more popular with businesses, but also much more effective with targeted audiences.

This is fantastic news especially for local and small businesses, because online advertising and Internet marketing is cheaper, reaches a wider audience, and has a much better return on investment versus other marketing strategies.

Other recent research reports that almost all consumers (more than 97 percent!) use online media when researching local companies and services. And, among the consumers surveyed, more than 90% use search engines to compare and research local businesses. The Internet has indeed become an integral part of consumers’ local commercial activity.

Social Media Can Hurt Your Business

There once was a time when only some people were Internet savvy. Those days are long gone. We now live in an age when the word “Google” is a verb, and just about everyone, even your grandmother, knows what it means. If you’ve ever typed your name into Google, you’ve probably noticed that despite your many impressive accomplishments, your Facebook or other social network page appears on the first search page. If your pages fail to present your professionalism in a positive light, social networking can hurt your career and/or your business image.

From Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to customer review sites like Yelp & TripAdvisor, the internet and social media have transformed the way that businesses market themselves. We’ve been hearing more and more success stories accredited to social media marketing recently. But it also presents potential problems and liabilities for businesses that don’t take the time to manage their risks. Here are three ways that social media can hurt you, if you’re not careful:

1) An Employee Discloses the confidential company information or a trade secret on the social media site

This might happen innocently enough — an employee tells a friend what he’s been doing at work, and next thing you know, your great new idea has been stolen. Employees should sign confidentiality agreements, and you should consider explicitly discussing social media disclosures in those agreements, as well as in your company social media policy.

2) Your company gets negative review on a customer review site like Yelp and TripAdvisor

These sites are gaining in popularity, and they’re a blessing if your business gets positive reviews, but a possible disaster if the reviews are negative. Smart business owners are proactive in managing their online reputation. Set up a Google Alert for your company name, so you’ll be notified whenever it shows up in a Google search. And pay attention to what’s being said about you. If it’s negative, take steps to repair the damage and improve your online profile.

3)Your employees tweet or blog something negative about a competitor

It may not seem like a big deal to you, but your competitor could sue you for unfair competition, interference with contract, business disparagement or defamation. One way to manage this risk is through a written social networking policy. If you’re sued, this will help establish that your company should not be held liable because the employee’s actions were outside the scope of his work.

How to create rock solid branding on the internet

The term “branding” has been a business buzzword for many years, but it has implications far beyond corporate logos, slick packaging and commercial jingles. Effective branding is all about telling your target audience who you are, what you do and how you do it. Despite a sluggish economy and uncertainty throughout the world, more people are spending time and money online than ever before. That’s why it’s crucial for small businesses and solo entrepreneurs alike to use the internet to make an impact.

Here are nine tips to help you carve a focused identity online:

1) Define your own brand up front

When visitors arrive at your web site, let them know immediately what you do and why they should care. Far too many websites shroud their identity in flashy graphics and ambiguous slogans without telling people what the company or person actually does. View your site through the eyes of a new visitor. Does it spell out exactly what your brand stands for? If not, redesign it so your purpose and identity are unmistakable.

2) Lead with what you do, not who you are

It may defy logic, but making your company name the most visible element on your home page may not be the most effective way to reinforce your brand. A web-based or e-mail marketing message should state a benefit right off the bat. Which of these paints a clearer identity: The business name “Dog Owner Central” displayed in large letters or the more specific description “Training tips for busy dog owners”?

3) Use a real person as a figure head

The online world can be a cold, mechanical place. Your branding efforts are more effective when you add a recognizable, consistent human element. Think of the way Dave Thomas used to promote Wendy’s. If your company has a CEO or spokesperson who is closely identified with the company offline, make sure that connection carries to the internet. If you run a business by yourself, by all means, put your name, photo and personal message on your website. Nothing creates mystery and distrust more than a site that is void of a human contact and asks visitors to send e-mail to the “webmaster.”

4) Develop a fan-club mentality

Most online marketers try to generate readers, visitors or users. I encourage you to switch gears and create FANS. “Users” are people who visit your web site, subscribe to your newsletter or buy your products and services. “Fans,” on the other hand, cheer you on, rave about you to their friends, and eagerly follow everything you do… AND become your customers as well. Which would you rather have?

5) Make good use of words

Verbal content is not only king, it’s the entire kingdom. Even though designers try to squeeze as much graphic impact as they can out of limited bandwidths and/or small screen space, what matters most online are the words you use. To create fans online, you must deliver useful brand-related information and speak to readers in a conversational tone. If it takes more than one or two scrolling screens to do that, so be it.

6) Make sure visual elements reinforce your identy

While words are important, the look of your we site must also support your brand image. Is your brand best served by hard edges or softer, rounded shapes? Do primary colors capture your personality or would earth tones be a better match? Find the design scheme that best compliments your identity.

7) Become a one stop destination

Let’s say your company sells dog-themed knick-knacks, posters and greeting cards. You might simply post an online catalog and a few profiles of your products. However, a far better approach would be to set up your site as a clearing house for all things dog-related — articles on the evolution of dogs, personal stories from customers who have been touched by their dogs, dog-related photo galleries and message boards, etc. Your online presence should establish you as the primary resource in your field.

8) Publish an email news letter

We’ve covered this point in the past… Having a brand-centered website is great, but you must rely on people taking it upon themselves to visit it. Offering a free e-mail newsletter allows you to build a database of subscribers who are specifically interested in what your brand represents. The best part is, being able to deliver your message by e-mail puts you in control of the frequency with which your audience is exposed to your brand. Repetition is crucial. To generate subscribers, place a newsletter sign-up form on every page of your site.

9) Be visible through online forums

Small business owners should also regularly post to social media websites and online forums, such as message boards and discussion lists widely read by people likely to be attracted to the brand. If your area of expertise caters to motorcycle enthusiasts, make sure you offer useful information — not just a sales pitch — in the places where motorcycle enthusiasts gather. Be sure to include a link to your web site in a signature file at the end of each message.

The Internet is still a gold mine of opportunity, especially for those who use it to create a recognizable brand identity. Use these tips to create your own indelible image online.