Social Media Tools
Social media services like Facebook, Linked In, Twitter, YouTube and even blogging are not a passing fad. They’re part of a sea change in the way businesses and people communicate.
Companies use social media to spread news, build brands, and keep clients and prospects informed about industry news, changes at the company, or other important updates.
They not only get a company in front of prospects and clients. Social media builds brands.
What can specific social media tools do to build your business?
Blogging. Web logs - or blogs - transform the author or firm into a category expert across the Internet. Boardroom's skilled writers work closely with our clients in a multi-step process to ensure the written content is informative to the reader and highly visible to the search engines. First, the writer and client collaborate to uncover timely and pertinent topics. Next, the two research the content - either online or via personal interviews between the writer and the client (or a representative from the firm or company). As the writer creates the content, select keywords are infused throughout the article and headline to ensure search engine robots find the content. In the end, the content becomes a permanent fixture on the client's Website or blog site - which increases the site's attractiveness to the engines. Click here for a more thorough description of blogging.
Facebook fan pages. This popular application showcases the company’s knowledge about the industry. Today, hundreds of millions of people post personal or corporate information to stay in touch with friends – or to project their business across the Internet. Companies have used Facebook to promote their brands or stanch bad publicity. Companies and products like Coca-Cola Company, Pringles, Starbucks and Red Bull have received industry accolades for their fan page marketing. Here’s how it works: The company posts a message, offer or promotion to its fan page. Fans receive the update to their desktop, laptop or handheld device. Not only is the brand reinforced, many pass along the message to friends, peers or business associates. As with blogging and other social media applications, creating a steady stream of content is vital to remaining relevant and continually engaging people.
Twitter. Twitter empowers your marketing message through brevity. Tweets condense your knowledge into 140-character micro-blogs about a given topic. This free service enables the creation of a brand or corporate voice to “followers” who elect to receive messages on their Twitter homepage. As with Facebook, messages can be news, alerts, industry inside information, offers, promotions or links to pages. The primary convention of twitter – messages of no more than 140 characters – require a keen understanding of how to write a “Tweet,” not only for the Twitter feed itself, but for syndication to other sites or services.
LinkedIn. This service brings online effectiveness to traditional networking. While companies can have LinkedIn sites, this application is more about the individual executive, who seeks to build a “network” of trusted allies. These connected individuals use LinkedIn to gain introductions to other executives on the service, or to find experts on a given topic. Key to LinkedIn is how bio pages bring an executive’s biography and work history to life, combining the just-the-facts information of a resume or curriculum vitae with the currency of client testimonials, links to recent work or current projects, and embedded blog postings, links to a Facebook page or Twitter feed. Moreover, individual users can create LinkedIn “Groups” built around specific a specific industry or category. The halo of expertise helps position the executive as a trusted leader in the field.
YouTube Channel. Social media and online marketing experts predict video search will be the next wave in consumer social media usage. The YouTube Channel allows a company or expert to create a “Channel” of their own content, which then can be embedded on a Website or blog. Using tools like personal, digital video cameras and simple editing software, companies can write, shoot, edit and post short videos that become searchable content on the Internet. Video, combined with the magic of social media, transforms the content into viral messages that can be shared via email, Twitter, Facebook or other services.
Social News Applications. There’s a new news model online. It’s built on such sites and services as Digg and Del.icio.us, among others. In this mode, consumers suggest what their peers should read, as opposed to news editors choosing relevant content. People who like a news story, video or other report, can give it a thumbs up or other positive vote. The more positive votes a post receives, the higher its rank. The higher its rank, the more people who see it.
Syndication. Syndication is the glue that ties the various social media applications together. A business or expert can post a link, photo or message to a Facebook Fan page. Using simple code embedded in the application, the message then is fed or “syndicated” to the Twitter feed. Both can be embedded on the company’s Website or blog site. Similarly, the YouTube Channel can be posted to the blog, with links to other content as well. Syndication makes full use of the robust array of services available to today’s social media savvy marketer.
At Boardroom, we oversee every aspect of our clients’ social media campaign implementation -- from the applications we choose to the SEO and SEM campaigns we use. Our industry-leading resources evaluate client site content, keyword and phrase selections, site “stickiness” and search engine performance.
After our thorough analysis, site content is written or rewritten to maximize search engine optimization. Every social media campaign is analyzed using leading metrics and monitored for performance. Enhancements are made as needed to increase performance results.
Boardroom Communications has expertise in all areas of social media, and has helped its clients master the use of these powerful tools to create brand awareness, boost professional exposure and drive search engine rankings.
Have a question? Contact us today! 954-370-8999.
