How To Launch A Social Media Campaign On The Cheap (or Free)
Hiring an ad agency or professional marketing consultant to build an online reputation through social media in 2010 might seem like an impossibility for some small business owners looking to trim expenses within the confines of slender budgets. I know plenty of businesses in Westchester, New York who have been impacted by the recession. Many of us are still watching our dollars and will be more prudent in how funds are allocated in the future: both in business and personally. I have always believed that investing in products and services that meet my needs is money well spent, but what if you are living paycheck to paycheck like so many Americans? You still want to be seen right? Probably now more than ever.
Hopefully this post will help you get started. Here are several actions you can be taking right now to build your name and reputation out in the social networking landscape if you are operating under a shoe-string budget.
Rock Out WordPress
So many companies who closed their doors in 2009 were comprised of linear thinkers, anchored in a single-minded methodology. A blog is key to an effective social media campaign. By posting to your blog, burning your blog’s rss feed in Feedburner, and automatically sending tweets through the Socialize option your blog will gain more exposure immediately. Think keyword titles, catchy hooks, but most importantly write good relevant content. As for plugins I recommend using Intense Debate to make commenting more accessible. You may also want to use these 16 Interesting WordPress Plugins to maximize Traffic and Followers from Social Networks. For some great free themes check out WP Crunchy and Smashing Magazine’s 100 Amazing Free WordPress Themes for 2009.
Tweak Out Twitter
I believe in smart social automation. Whether through auto-follow or feed syndication not always having to press a button is important if you want to run your business while building your presence on Twitter. Use a web app like Socialoomph to schedule tweets. They also have some excellent premium features and at $29.97 per month it’s a great deal.
Keep in mind, most followers are not interested in being flooded by constant updates and shameless self promotion. I heard a suggestion a while back that 1/3 of all your tweets should be about your business/professional life, 1/3 about the recreational activities you enjoy, and 1/3 miscellaneous. Also, you gotta check out SNS Analytics. It is a tremendous free Twitter analytics tool. What’s the point of using Social Media if it isn’t measurable and actionable?
Fuel Up Facebook
Easy tiger. Remember these people are your “friends”. If you’re going to promote any place on the web through Facebook either create a fan page or do it discreetly through your public profile. I don’t have a problem adding a link to my personal wall so long as I’m not overtly soliciting people to visit my site. Be engaging, funny, post something worth discussing relevant to what you know, and then see who drops by. Facebook users should seriously consider the Networked Blogs app to allow their latest blog publications to show up within their profile. The greatest challenge will always be how will you bridge the gap between the conversation you have going on through wall posts and having those comments show up on your blog. This is where integrating Facebook Connect comes into play.
What are some of your favorite free and/or cheap social media tools that you would recommend?
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