If this is true, why does it seem everytime a new marketing tactic arises everyone’s a skeptic? When Social Networking sites came on the scene I expected the same type of scenario. Everyone, specifically business entities, is always hesitant to get on the bandwagon until many others prove success.  The typical questions are usually:

• What’s my ROI?
• Is it really worth my time?
• Isn’t it just teenagers talking to one another?

Now that many of the big brands have seen real results, it seems as if there is no room on the bandwagon due to the masses rushing to get on. As if there were a deadline, everyone has begun to scheme up their social plans and create a presence – even Satan uses Facebook.

In the past, promoting your company via social networking was much easier than today. You simply set up a profile in Facebook and maybe posted a status update once a week. Since so many big players and budgets have embraced social networking as a valuable medium – today, you not only need an active profile in Facebook but, Twitter, LinkedIn, and a blog are a must. You should also be considering other more relevant networks depending upon your industry. Some of the fastest growing social sites include Xanga, Ning and Bebo.

In addition to creating a presence within the social networks, big brands have also shifted from promoting their websites to promoting their social spheres. And it’s not just big brands. Remember how I mentioned Satan is on Facebook – well so is God, and the big guy upstairs is taking it one step further by promoting his social presence via billboards.

Social networking is definitely here to stay and can be a very useful tool for businesses no matter what industry. The important thing to remember – you always need a strategy in place before rushing in. Define your goals and establish realistic time commitments to make sure you are doing a good job. In my opinion the most important thing to remember —— it’s called “Social” Networking because the intent is to be social, conversational, transparent, helpful, etc. Don’t try to control the situation – just go with the flow.

Further resources and tips that can help you strategize your social model:

5 Advanced Social Media Marketing Strategies for Small Business

10 Small Business Social Media Marketing Tips

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As an avid Facebook user – both for business and personal use, I have noticed a lot of confusion lately surrounding the most recent changes to Fan pages. Therefore, I thought it would be a good idea to blog about what has changed, why it changed and what it means moving forward.

As most of you know Facebook has proved to be “the” social network for not only personal conversations with friends and family but,  also a key marketing medium for business’. In fact, a recent article stated that Facebook fans are valued at $3.60/each in earned media for brands.

Since Facebook is such a powerhouse they continuously make changes in order to appease everyone within the network. So, what is changing? Facebook no longer allows consumers to “Fan” a page. People will now connect with brand or business pages by simply clicking “Like” versus the old method of “Become a Fan.”

This all stems from an article published in December 2009 titled, “No I Don’t Want to Be Friends With My Butter.” Basically, no one wants to fan or friend their Land O’ Lakes butter and are no longer engaged enough to friend/fan a brand.

This change forces us to re-think our business social strategy and language. In the past I have encouraged clients to gain friends by enticing them with offers. Example, “Friend Kelly’s Ice Cream Parlor and receive a free ice cream cone.” This type of scenario is no longer possible however, the only thing that really changes is the terminology used.

If I own the ice cream parlor mentioned above, I am still able to set up a business page and when a consumer “Likes” something within my Facebook activity it will still populate their news feed and they will be able to view my activity.

Still confused? I don’t blame you – Facebook changes more often than some people shower (not me). Here is an example to share: Joe and I are not a Vikings fan however, that does not mean that we don’t like certain things the Vikings do. Therefore, we are more likely to “Like” their Facebook page activity versus actually stating that we are a “Fan” of the Vikings.

If you still have questions, feel free to read this article from Inside Facebook for more details.

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So you’re on Facebook and you’ve taken it one step further and set up a fan page, now what? It’s time to optimize your page and use the power of social networking to bring traffic to your website and put dollars in your pocket.

Below are a few tips that can help:

Create Ideal Profile Picture – Attracting attention is the key to getting new fans, and your profile picture is first thing people see. Ensure fans can see your entire image by creating a profile picture that is 200 pixels wide, while height can vary as needed. This is important to know because Facebook will automatically crop images and your logo may be cut off.

Claim your Username –  I can’t stress this enough – this will make it easier for people to find you on Facebook. With that being said, make sure you keep it simple. (ie. www.facebook.com/yourcompanyname) For more information on how to claim your username click here (http://www.facebook.com/help/?page=896#/help.php?page=897)

Optimize Your Share Preview – Personal profiles as well as fan pages give you the opportunity to share links. This feature also allows users to select thumbnails images to be displayed, make sure you use the images as eye candy to attraction attention to the content that is being pushed.

Define A Schedule – It’s sounds stupid, but this is the biggest step that is missed. Create a calendar to use as a guide for your updates. Make sure you mix up different update types: status, link, note, photo or video updates. You don’t want your wall flooded with the same thing over and over again. Keep the content interesting, while letting fans know you’re the expert.

Check Your Page Insights – Just like analytics on your website, your fan page has tracking as well that can tell you the data/demographics you want to know about your fans. Your page views, post quality, interactions and number of new fans are all important. Pay attention to it!

If you would like Kella Design to put together a complete social media marketing plan for you or your company, please click here.

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