5 Simple Steps to Becoming a
Social Media Marketing Guru
BY CHARLES SEYMOUR, JR.
Facebook. MySpace. Twitter. Digg
… Why are The New York Times,
The Wall Street Journal, Time, Newsweek,
Fortune and so many other publications
writing about social networking sites?
The answer is, simply, they work.
Think about it this way: To be successful, you need
to date your prospects, marry your clients and build
families with those who hire you or purchase multiple products from you. Social networking allows
people to know you, like you and trust you—the type
of networking you grew up with and the kind that is
proliferating over the Web.
Today, social networking sites enable us to
connect with friends and colleagues, and also
provide the opportunity for social media marketing.
Whether you have something to sell or just want to
be known as an expert in your field, social media
marketing is a viable way to draw traffic and sales.
There’s no other promotional method like it.
Facebook, for example, is a proven portal
to prospective clients. Even if you’re not tech-savvy, these five easy-to-follow steps will help you
launch your presence on Facebook and attract new
business through social networking.
1CREATE A PERSONAL PROFILE
Go to Facebook ( www.facebook.com)
to set up a free account. Make sure
to fill in your name the way you want
it to be viewed by others. I chose Charles
Seymour, Jr., rather than Charlie Seymour
because that is how I am known professionally, and that is the format used in most
Google searches.
Personal profiles are personal. List yourself, not your business. Fill out as much
information as you can, including your
favorite books, movies, music, your education, photographs, birth date (they hide the
year), etc. All of this
information will later be
used to help people get
to know you.
Personally, I choose not to list my religion or political party. I don’t see how these
will help me and I can see many ways that
they can hurt. Be careful how much information you share because you don’t want to
put up any barriers between you and potential clients.
After your profile is underway, slowly
start seeking others whom you know to
be your “friend.” It is important to do this
slowly because those who are too aggressive
can be reported for “spamming” and, ultimately, will be banned from the site. Start
