As we all know, starting a business is all about creating an eye-catching and unique product or service that stands out from the crowd and has its own place in the market; an explosive beam of light in the murky gray ether of ideas, a unique snowflake in an ocean of slush…you get the idea. However when it comes to internet promotion, it can be just as important to follow the crowd and go with the flow. In the post-millennium age, running a business without an online presence is like being the only one at a costume party who forgot to dress up; you are likely to receive less attention and will probably leave early if indeed you get in at all.
An estimated 80% of business deals are now carried out online, so (returning to the costume party analogy) rather than leave the party early, if you are stuck for time, your best bet is to quickly run out and invest in a costume – a visible frontage if you will, so you can at least join the fun. Here, then are some simple tips on handling those networks quickly and efficiently.
1) Kill two birds: Facebook and Twitter are the first and third largest networking sites, with 903 million and 288 million users respectively. Thankfully instead of trying to beat each other’s brains out, these two rivals offer us the option of posting to both sites with just one entry. So, for example, if you have a Facebook page and a Twitter account, link the two, type away and voila; time saved!
2) Phone it in: Instead of looking at the same scenery and glum faces every morning, carry out online networking whilst traveling on the bus or train to work. Sick of commercials on TV? Tap away on your phone or laptop and make business connections. Yes, it may irritate just about everybody else, but this is business and your family will understand when your dusty old TV is replaced with a home theater system.
3) Be picky: The sheer plethora of social networking sites has created a modern dilemma; first and foremost, which sites to choose? Secondly, by spending hour after hour online, how does one find time to make a unique eye-catching product or service if we are required by the conventions of the modern world to spend so long sat in front of a computer “liking” everyone else’s business in the hope that they will reciprocate? The simple answer is to have a limit. Pick say, the four most popular sites and get into a hierarchical routine; for example, use Blogger or create a Squidoo “lens” to write a long blog post, then break it down to a smaller chunk for Facebook (whilst at the same time using the aforementioned Twitter linking) and finally re-phrase the post as a business question for LinkedIn.
4) Who ya gonna call? Ghostwriters: Many businesses use social media and content consultants to produce their articles. Another option of course – simply approach a friend to write for you and buy them a drink in return!
Social networking has become the vital tool of the modern business owner; the most popular sites are that way because they are readily available and instantly accessible. So just make sure the party isn’t in full swing without you.