Driving Sales

Fishing for Social Media Opportunities in the Stream of Life

Self-described CEO, entrepreneur, and adventurist Peter Shankman has a message for those struggling to understand "social media" and its place in today's business environment: adjust the way you think.

For companies looking to positively impact the bottom line (that hasn't changed), it's more than considering both newspaper advertising and YouTube (www.youtube.com) postings. It is a fundamental change in how society is viewed, understanding that it isn't "web 2.0" but life itself.

In 2008, the evolution of the species means that many people have cameras in their phones (and aren't shy about using them), post daily blog entries, twitter (www.twitter.com) even the most mundane details of their day, and constantly network with others they may never have met, but who share common interests. That can be the good or bad news for a company.

More from Shankman (www.shankman.com) on how to navigate this brave new world:

• Be adaptable.
• Social media puts people in control and citizen journalists can be as powerful, and in some cases more so, than traditional media outlets.
• Social networking should take place all the time, not just in structured situations where business cards are exchanged.
• Engage and be part of the audience you seek to reach. When credibility is critical (in a crisis, for example), it's too late to join the party.
• Reputation and transparency have never been more important, since trust is the lifeline. There are no "do-overs" in the cyber world.
• Facebook (www.facebook.com) isn't just for college kids. Get connected.

For more ideas that drive sales check out archives or visit Ambit Advertising and Public Relations.

Mingling and Marketing on the Social Media Scene

How do you tap into  marketing opportunities on highly-trafficked social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook ? The short answer is "be social." The longer answer is "be an active and valuable member of  that social networking community and don't smell like you're trying to sell something."

A few tips to break the ice:

• You can have a business agenda (selling something, building links or traffic back to your site), you just have to be subtle about it. Keep everything conversational and casual like you're talking to friends, not marketing your business to a prospect.

• Ask members of social networking sites  about their likes and dislikes to figure out how to best engage them. That might include anything from "What's the best movie you've seen lately?" to "Which sunglasses reflect your style?" By gently asking questions about behavior and brand preferences, you can unobstrusively ease your way into the millions of "quiet conversations" that keep social networks humming.

• Use your profile and connections to drive traffic and links back to your site.

• If you want to advertise on social networking sites, you need to target your ad or offer to the specific interests and preferences of their members. Types of tailored ads and offers that have proven effective include:

**One-off coupons and discount offers from the brands and products members buy

**E-newsletters featuring coupons, discounts, news and tips about favorite brands

**Invitations to join interactive email groups, online forums and other social networks

While social networking sites represent a huge and rapidly growing group of desirable consumers, crashing the party with a hard sell spiel is the surest way to get labeled a trespasser and banned from the premisis.  Commit yourself to community participation and your social marketing experiences will become more productive and rewarding as time goes on.

For more ideas to drive sales check out archives or visit Ambit Advertising and Public Relations.