Social Media Marketing

Paul & Sarah Edwards LLC.

• Publisher: QuickStudy Reference Guides
• Year: 2009
• ISBN:
  9781423237846
• Topic: Commerce
• Subtopic: Marketing numérique

In this day and age, social media websites—Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.—are crucial to businesses wanting to remain visible in the public eye. You'll learn about these particular media resources in detail through this new 6 page guide, chock-full of information any marketing strategist needs to know. Each aspect of social media is comprehensively discussed, with key terms and their definitions included for extra clarity; in addition, general hints and guidelines are provided to ensure your company gets the most recognition while plugged into the technological pipeline.

Blogging

Why Have a Blog?

• If you create a blog and maintain it regularly, you will have a marketing tool that makes you stand out.
• A blog provides an online platform where you can express your point of view and share information relevant to your business; it also allows you to interact with your customers in a way that you cannot interact with them via your company website.
• A blog is a low-cost marketing tool that will reinforce and enhance all other marketing that you do.
• A blog can be a substitute for traditional publicity techniques, like writing an article, news release, or newsletter. Your blog can be emailed as a newsletter, and it can also serve as inspiration for content on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other networks.
• Each new post you write is an opportunity to attract search engine attention. According to a study by HubSpot, businesses that blog get more website traffic, more inbound links to their website, and more indexed pages on their website.

Establishing Goals for a Blog

To derive the benefits of a blog, you must define your goals. Your goals might be:

• To establish authority in your industry
• To attract publicity
• To develop leads for your business
• To improve relationships with customers
• To keep in touch with past clients and establish “top of mind” awareness
• To produce revenue from advertising
• To reinforce other marketing efforts
• To substitute for more expensive means of marketing

Vocabulary

• Blogroll: A list of links to other websites or blogs the author finds interesting or feels that his/her readers might find worthwhile, usually located in a sidebar on the main page.
• Domain name: The Internet address through which your blog or website is located. Domain names have suffixes such as .com, .org, or .ca. Effective domain names incorporate search terms used by your customers, are memorable and pronounceable, and are reasonably short.
• Editorial calendar: A blog posting schedule to help bloggers consistently publish content.
• Host: A company that provides server space to store your blog’s content, connectivity, and more. Usually, a fee is required for this service; however, there are some blogging platforms that provide free hosting.
• Permalink: A permanent link to an individual blog post. These are important to use if you ever need to link to a specific blog post.
• Plugin: A programming script that adds functions or features to your blog; plugins can be installed to enhance usability; for example, the Simple Social plugin adds sharing widgets and icons at the end of posts so that readers can share posts on various social media networks.
• Post: A written and published entry on a blog.

Choosing Blogging Software

There are many options when it comes to blogging software. The goals for your blog correlate to the type of software you should ultimately choose, and therefore it is important that you establish your blogging goals first. Be sure to compare the different features and costs of software before deciding on one. Note that you might be able to integrate a blogging platform into your current website.

Popular Blogging Software

• WordPress
• Tumblr
• Blogger
• TypePad
• Movable Type
• Joomla

• Consider how easy the blogging software is to use and how easy it is for your customers and other readers to access and comment on your posts.
• Does the software include hosting, or must you find a web host separately? For example, WordPress.com provides free software and hosting, whereas WordPress.org provides free software but not hosting.
• Consider how much customization you want regarding font, layout, design, ad space, and interactive features. Free blogging software offers templates, but these sometimes come with limited to no customization options.
• The more customization and features you seek, the more technical knowledge—or the help or services of someone with the knowledge—you will need to set up your blog.
• Will multiple people be writing posts for your blog? If it is important to distinguish multiple authors, some blogging software is better configured for this.
• What is your budget? Consider the costs involved in setting up hosting, domain names, servers, etc. Be sure to have your own domain name instead of one that incorporates the name of the blogging software.
• Does the software offer help and support? Are there active support forums?
• Does the software offer SEO features to enhance search engine rankings?

Tips & Good Practices

• Select as brief and descriptive a title as possible. The title should relate to the blog content.
• Pick a focus for your blog that will set it apart from others in your business or industry. The more unique or specialized your blog, the more likely it will be useful as a marketing tool. To help refine your niche, read blogs in your industry or subject area to determine what is already being written; also look at which blogs they are linking to.
• Analyze how the most successful blogs in your industry are getting results, and employ these techniques.
• Unique content is vital, but looks are important too. Choose visually appealing fonts, graphics, and colors. A clean, polished look is recommended.
• Blog posts can be short (e.g., two or three paragraphs) to make quick reads and to save you time in writing.
• Decide how frequently you will publish posts, and be consistent. Consistency, as well as having pertinent posts, is necessary to maintain readership. Notice the ra...