Question
I just started a 3-prong approach to blogging – with a facebook page, a twitter account and a blog website with Posterous (same name as FB page). Now in your expert opinion: Does this type of marketing work, and how do you attract traffic?
Blogging, Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of social work only if you understand some of the bones of the initial setup along with how to effectively build relationships online. Just setting these communication channels alone is insufficient. It takes hard work earning people’s trust and consistently providing value.
The role of the blog should be the content management system, or in other words your brain online that stores information in reverse chronological order with the most recent at the top. Each blog article written automatically produces its own hyperlink specific to that article. This link can be copy/pasted to Twitter and Facebook or automated using RSS syndication services. The link with a catchy title or text is what converts people to click on the link thereby taking action to read the article. The blog post contains the article branded to the author, more links for visitors to take action, and other related content specific to the niche of the expert.
What is the point of being on Twitter if you have one follower?
What is point of having a Facebook fan page if you have one person who likes your page?
Unless you are just trying to impress your Mom, here is where the real work takes place. Facebook friends and Twitter followers should consist of meaningful relationships, not just because you think they look cool, but that you know, like, trust, and want to do business with family and friends included. Once they themselves opt in to your communication channel (follow you, like you) then that’s when people will take action by clicking your links, comment on what you say, and share your expertise with their connections.
RSS syndication services like Posterous, TwitterFeed (Twitter) and RSS Graffiti (Facebook) can automate the process of distributing your article to each one of these sites displaying the headline and link to the blog post. However as they say, “Let the Buyer Beware”, too much automation can be the death of relationships. If the blog post is sent pre-maturely and the link distributed to multiple social networks can contain incomplete or incorrect content. If the post is deleted, the link will still remain on Facebook and Twitter but when clicked from each profile will direct visitors to a broken link.
Also, if you are using WordPress as your blogging software you can install the WP-Touch plugin to make your blog mobile enabled to display on the iPhone, Android, and Blackberry.
I switched to Mailchimp a few months ago because of the integration of WordPress and RSS email campaigns to automatically send emails out to multiple databases so I don’t have to remember to create an email. Mailchimp pulls the content from my blog. Click at the top for the resources page to enroll in different email campaigns.
If you can’t track any of your social media marketing then it probably isn’t worth doing. WordPress with Google Analytics, Mailchimp, 360 analytics, YouTube Insights, Facebook insights, and TwitterCounter give me a realistic idea on how I’m dong with the success of my social media efforts.
It would be easy for me to say this is the solution that works for you. There are many free services that will perform similar tasks and they keep changing all of the time. I urge to be crystal clear on what results you want to achieve before you start new channels just because you can.
A builder relies on a stake survey, foundation survey, electric, plumbing, and framing plan that will ultimately work together to create the perfect home for a new client. It takes creativity, experience, sound judgment, and input from many to work the plan. Sometimes mistakes happen but they can be corrected without minimal damage if spotted early. It is time to put the chisel to the hammer and create your own plan that works for you.
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