• generate brand awareness
• increase traffic and sales
• deepen relationships and build loyalty

Having a strategic plan to reach your goals always helps, but don’t let the absence of one paralyze you. Just do it. “start with a blog and publish two articles a week on topics that are 90% unrelated to anything you sell but has information that your customers are interested in,” advised Michael Stelzner, founder of SocialMediaExaminer.com.

“If you become known as someone who provides valuable information, they (your followers) will start to interact with you more and begin sharing it on their social networks. This will draw more people to you, growing your following and increasing your brand awareness,” he noted.

MUST-HAVE: Facebook

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and blogs were the top four social media tools used by marketers in the Examiner’s study, with Facebook leading the pack. In 2010, Twitter was in first place with 88% and Facebook was close behind with 87%. Since 2010, Twitter lost 4%, LinkedIn lost 7% and Facebook gained 5%. In the 2009 study, only 77% percent of businesses were using Facebook.

“In terms of growth, Facebook and video are the two hottest areas for the next year,” said Stelzner. “Facebook has been adopting changes to accommodate businesses, and now it’s easier to create a page. The bonus is that you can integrate video into Facebook.”

IS YouTube FOR YOU? 

Video links are readily “sharable” across online and social media marketing platforms. The Examiner’s study revealed that 77% of businesses plan to pump up their use of video and YouTube in the coming year.

Thankfully, you don’t need to be Steven Spielberg to make your mark in video. Nor is high-quality production vale a prerequisite. With a pocket-sized recorder and less than an hour to spare, you can be ready to post.

“For the beginner, start by interviewing happy clients and create testimonial videos,” Stelzner suggested. “Or, if you sell a product, showcase it in a short video like you would in a brochure.”

SELLING IT

Generally speaking, the social media environment is inhospitable for aggressive selling. “The equivalent would be showing up to a cocktail party with a neon sign around your neck that said, ‘Buy now,’” says Stelzner. “Many marketers need to re-think the way that they provide offers and specials to their fans and followers.

“You cannot say four times a day, ‘Come to our site and buy this now.’ It will turn off a lot of people. Be thinking about using social media channels to engage with people.”

Here are some of Stelzner’s tips for providing value:

• Start tracking your customers’ industries, and post links to interesting articles on your Facebook wall. Your fans will share it if they find it valuable. 

• Ask questions. “It doesn’t even have to be about business. ‘What are your plans for the weekend?’ works.”

• Interview an expert, and post an article or series of articles.

• Conduct polls among your community.

“Once you’ve done that, you start to establish ‘social capital’ and every once in a while, they’ll allow you to get in a special offer,” he added. Better still, include a sign-up box for your e-newsletter and with those email addresses, you can plan follow-up communications that are offer-based.

In the end, it takes time to develop relationships that lead to new business. Nearly three-fourths of marketers who have been using social media for more than three years reported it has helped them close business, and more than half who spend 11 or more hours per week found the same results, the Examiners survey showed.

“Social media is work,” Stelzner acknowledged. “You can’t push money at it; you actually have to work at it.” A significant 58% of marketers are using social media for six hours or more each week and 34% for 11 or more hours per week, according to the Examiner’s study.

OUTSOURCING

So, what if you don’t have time to “socialize?” You can always outsource some of the tasks. “The number of those who are outsourcing has doubled since our 2010 report, from 14% to 28%,” said Stelzner. The three top areas for seeking an extra set of hands are the “behind the scenes” task like design and development, content creation and analytics.

“Most people are not outsourcing their updates but rather, are getting help with the things they need to have set up so that they can then, bring it in house,” Stelzner noted. A company’s unfamiliarity with social media and a provider’s limited knowledge about the company’s culture can be bridged through education and training, as with any new employee. For a long-term solution, Stelzner said: “Businesses should start thinking about whether someone’s sole job is social media. There is a direct correlation between the hours spent weekly on this activity and the results.”