Social media technology is changing the way we acquire and share information. By now, most have heard the buzz about Web 2.0 and how it’s shifting the way we interact and communicate with our clients and target market.
Keeping up with technology is challenging and can be very overwhelming. Determining which social media tool has the most short-term and/or long-term impact on a business is also a difficult decision to make. Therefore, social media marketing may scare off many people due to the lack of knowledge and extra time it takes to participate.
For those not ready to actively engage in the social media world, you can start out slow by listening to what others have to say about your industry, service, or even specifically your own company. Once you get comfortable with the layout and functions of the platforms, you can then decide if you are ready to take it a step forward from being a spectator to a participant.
Follow these 11 simple steps to get a great start on social media marketing.
- Create a Facebook page
- Join LinkedIn
- Become a member on InsuranceCampus.org
- Set up a Twitter account
- Post videos on YouTube
- Start a Blog
- Contribute content to Wikipedia
- Conduct a Google Search with keywords that relate to your company and pay attention to the placed ads at the top and on the right side (Pay-Per-Click Ads)
- Join The Insurance Campus “Social Media Study Group”
- Create an IM Account
- Subscribe to online news sources such as New York Times and Insurance Newscast
Taking these 11 simple steps towards social media marketing, will enable you to get an overall idea of your target market’s likes, dislikes, needs, wants and concerns. You are then able to use this information to your advantage by tailoring your marketing message to fit the needs and wants of your audience.
Don’t let new social media technology scare you off. Take your time, start out slow and listen to your audience. Find ways to address their concerns and gradually start interacting with other participants. This will strengthen your online presence and help you to become part of a large social network that will continue to communicate and share ideas in order to make your business a success.