Social networking is a great search engine optimization tool that can result in higher search engine rankings and increased traffic to your website. Since social networking is fairly new, however, many small business owners and marketers are reluctant to try it. Here are 5 keys to making social networking work for your business.
1. Location, location, location. There are forums and message boards out there that address just about every topic you can think of. You may have to spend some time hunting for those that apply to your business. When you find them, pay attention to the most recent posts since those are the ones that most users will still be visiting and commenting on.
2. Lurk. Once you’ve found the boards that relate to your product or service, just hang out. Don’t post anything; just read and watch. Find out how the people in this online community relate to each other. Observe the informal rules of engagement. What do they talk about? Do they joke around a lot or are they primarily straightforward in their interactions.
3. Tread Carefully. Once you’ve watched for awhile and feel like you are ready, create an account and begin posting. But remember never to directly promote your business or post advertisements unless there is a specific place on the message board for doing so. Not only do most forums and message boards not allow direct advertising but you are also likely to turn off your target audience to you and your business if they feel like you’re only part of the community to make a hard sell.
4. Create a Profile. When you sign up for an account on the message board or forum you will have the chance to create a profile. Fill out as much of the profile as possible. An empty profile will raise the suspicions of the other participants and you risk them not taking you seriously or suspecting that your intention is just to participate for the short term. Also create a signature. A signature consists simply of your name and a descriptive link to your website. This is key. After you begin contributing to your online community and establishing yourself as an authority, other forum participants will be interested in you and want to see what your business is all about. They will hopefully be motivated at some point to clink on your link and see what you offer.
5. Contribute. The best way to participate in the online community is simply to be yourself and enjoy the company you find there. You will have ample opportunity to offer advice and wisdom to others in the forum, but make sure that your interactions are natural and never contrived. People will see right through you if they feel like you’re being disingenuous for the sake of selling them on your product or service. So just participate like you participate in any other community. Speak up when you have something worthwhile to say and keep your mouth shut when you don’t. Eventually you want to be seen as a leader and an expert by the other forum or message board participants. You will accomplish this by being genuine and vulnerable in your interactions. It won’t happen overnight, but you’ll eventually see that your online community wants to know more about you and what you have to say.
Social networking can be a challenging but effective search engine optimization tool. Challenging because it is more subjective than things like keyword research and link building, but effective in that you will compel people to visit your site by becoming a trusted friend through forums and message boards. People are more likely to buy products or services from people they trust, and social networking is a great way to build the trust of your target audience.
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