Basics of Social Media Marketing The Internet is quickly turning into a virtual environment where people from all over the world connect with each other and exchange opinions on every topic imaginable, from cars and lunar modules to health and swimming pool chemicals. During this communication process they are directly sharing their own experiences in what could be a huge source of marketing channels that has not yet been fully exploited. Consumers are basically turning for help to each other, trying to avoid ads, but the smart marketers know how to turn to this social media and use it as an opportunity to market without paying a single cent for ads. The Problem of Avoidance When it comes to advertisements, consumer avoidance is a huge problem. This is an issue that has been intentionally avoided by media firms and advertisers but the truth is it exists on a massive scale. How many times have you caught yourself switching the TV channel when the commercials start without even thinking twice about it? Or go grab a beer from the fridge or head to the bathroom - we all do that. And what about those ad-links on websites - you don't usually click on them, do you? That's the whole avoidance problem we are talking about and it surely isn't something new. It has existed for as long as commercials have. On websites it is sometimes refered to as 'banner blindness' or 'ad blindness'. Avoidance is in fact a normal part of human behavior that allows us to filter what we need from what we don't. Otherwise our heads would explode with information. The surprising thing is that most marketers fail to admit this problem and don't pursue new ways of making avoidance almost impossible. Nowadays, consumers have gotten so tired of all these advertisements and commercials they are being constantly bombarded with that they try to avoid and ignore them most of the time. A word of advice from another person, however, is taken as something much more valuable and trustworthy. This is in fact the key concept in Social Media Marketing. It relies on the fact that a neutral person is giving an advice or a tip with pure intentions of helping out. It is sometimes refrered to as the 'social proof' that if others we trust like something it must be good or worth the recommendation People don't like to be pitched or have someone trying to persuade them to buy something. However, they will willingly listen to anyone who is sharing a personal experience regarding a certain product or service. Social Media Marketing is essentially all about having a combination between a good product and your customers word of mouth. Add those two together and you have the formula to make millions online - as good reviews and good personal recommendations are invaluable to your business. So what does this mean to you as an Internet entrepreneur? It means you should take advantage of the thousands of forums and blogs on the Internet, along with social media websites like Facebook and Twitter. Posting valuable comments on pages with a similar target audience and somewhere among those lines adding a link to your site is a great step in the right direction of gaining 'social proof'. Social websites like Reddit, Digg and popular blogs can help you bring in thousands of visitors to your website. The best way to begin is to simply 'tap in'.
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Social Media is an underutilized business tool and can greatly enhance many small businesses. Understanding why people avoid traditional advertisements on online ads shows us that we need to pay attention and find time to focus on social media.
About the author... Gene Waxman founded Keenzo.com and Paramount Visibility consulting. He consults small to mid-sized businesses on building and improving their conversions and online ROI, as well as provide valuable insights into 'out of the box' marketing strategies that can quickly help businesses maximize their efforts.
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