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How you would like to meet and communicate with other internet users, especially ones that share the same views and beliefs as you do? If you would then you may want to think about joining a social networking website, if you haven’t already done so. When it comes to easily finding and communicating online with other internet users, social networking sites are, perhaps, the best way to go. Continue Reading ->

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Your profile may be the most critical element of a profitable Web 2.0 Marketing Campaign. I will cover a few basics that can be applied to profile creation for any social or Web 2.0 program.

In many ways e-commerce allows you to profit from behind the scenes. Your order buttons and shopping cart system, along with well-written sales copy, do all the work for you around the clock whether or not you ever make an appearance.

This is all changing with Web 2.0 marketing. Your core assets in the world of Web 2.0 marketing are, believe it or not, your winning smile and your personal first impression.

We may be exaggerating slightly. But only slightly.

The fact is, when using Web 2.0 sites to promote you aren’t selling products and services, you are selling yourself! Setting up a great profile is crucial for your success in Web 2.0 marketing.

Your prospects must instantly feel they can relate to and like you. This leads to trust and a personal connection, which of course paves the way for wonderful customer relations.

The first thing you need to accept is this: Not everyone is going to like you!

Everyone you meet offline doesn’t fall madly in love with you and/or want to be your best friend. Don’t expect this to be any different when using social media and Web 2.0 marketing strategies.

Your focus should be on making a real connection with people you have something in common with. No matter who you are, there are thousands of people online who will be able to relate to you so just relax and be yourself.

Here are some basics to keep in mind when setting up your highly effective profile.

Use Your Real Name

When setting up a profile always use your real, full name. Never go with a username as this is not only a bit childish, it screams “amateur” or even suggests you have something to hide.

Provide Real Personal Details Where Appropriate

Use your true age or birth date, and enter the city and country where you live. Of course you don’t want to enter bank account info and your full street address for the general public to view, but you do want to give the impression of being very open and accessible, because this is the whole point of Web 2.0 marketing in the first place.
Be Yourself At All Cost

Be sure to list your real interests, and write your entire profile in the kind of language you personally use on a daily basis. Really go to lengths to allow the real you to shine through here. The point of your profile is to resonate with other people that share your interests and personality traits so don’t hold back and don’t be shy.

With Web 2.0 marketing you won’t be blazing away with slick sales talk and hard pitches right off the bat. Instead you’ll be making a personal first impression and inviting other people to introduce themselves and essentially just strike up a friendly conversation.

Think of your profile like your personal representative at a local chamber of commerce meeting. It’s imperative that your profile reflects who you really are and all the great value you can offer.

Be sure to put your best foot forward. But above all, as stated previously, just be yourself.
To Your Web 2.0 Marketing Success!

Marcus Schroefel

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Web Users, Shaping Consumer Opinion, social media contributors, fueling, Web activity, blogs micro-blogs, social media, netpop connect, video and photo sharing.

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In my business, I get the opportunity to examine large quantities check out tons of publications and opinions on social media.  I also have the opportunity to speak with quite a few senior level marketing executives who are afraid to get into social media because they feel their company is too conservative.  The truth is more likely that they do not amply understand the benefits of social media and how it can be used to drive sales and other desired activities.

I read a blog post today that was talking about how brands can’t wrap their brains around the ROI of social media so they think that social media is still an innovator’s game.  I couldn’t dissent more.  Social media is one of the most powerful tools every brand should be using today.  Not only should they be using it, but also they should dedicate a fair amount of time and resources to learning how to use it effectively.

Vegas Baby

In my role as CEO of a Social Media Agency,  I recently spoke at a convention in Las Vegas.  I gave a presentation called “The Top 10 Myths of Social Media,” where I took them through 10 myths/excuses that most brands fall back on when they think of social media.  Before I got into the presentation on why they should be using social media marketing, I asked the room “How many people in this room use Google?” Every hand in the room went up.  The I asked them “How many people think that their customers use Google to find them or information on related products?” Again, every hand in the room went up.  Next question… “How many of you use social media as part of your brand marketing?” perhaps 5 or 6 hands went up.  While it was not a big surprise, because I see it all the time, it never ceases to astonish me how many brand marketers do not understand the power of social media for their brands.

As I am sure you know, Google and other search engines index most of the social media sites these days, so all of a brand’s activity drives their Google rankings.  In fact, in the not so distant future, if you are not using social media, your brand’s page ranking will be significantly hurt by those that are tangible in the space.  While nobody really knows the algorithms that the search engines use, we do know that social media is becoming a bigger factor in them every day.  Further, a static website, with no new content will fall in the Google rankings.  Google and other search engines love new content and active sites and it gives them a lot of “search engine love.”

So back to the ROI conversation.  At a very minimum, social media is a powerful SEO tool that can yield remarkable results in a short period of time.  If your brand thinks that SEO and page ranking are important to your business, and I can’t believe what brands don’t, then look at social media ROI simply in terms of SEO.  One interesting fact is that 25% or more of the results of a Google search of the top 20 brands in the US point to user generated content…aka…social media.  That is astounding an it is growing every day.

Armed with that information, we can move any brand up the search engine rankings very quickly by using social media applications to communicate new and reinvigorated brand information that people want to read.  The search engines eat it up and your brand’s customers either get reengaged or engaged for the first time.  It is a win-win in the truest sense of the word.  You get to tell your story, your customers get more valuable information and your brand gets tons of “search engine love.”

So back to Vegas…  The talk was scheduled for 1 hour and after about an hour and 45 minutes of lively conversation, we had answered all of the questions and taken away all of the excuses.  By the time I left the room I am pretty sure I had convinced many of the attendees of the power of social media and how they could sell it to their “conservative companies.”  I always say that social media today is just like a website and online ad were 10 years ago.  Those who took the time to understand the true value and power of the web reaped huge rewards.  Those who sat on the sidelines until the other guys did it….well they are like the gamblers at the tables in Vegas…still chasing the dream.