Social Media Broadcasting

Building your Tribe & Establishing your expertise.

Accurately describing a social network on paper is at best difficult. Many different sites, reports and tools work together with the online consumer ecosystem to create a flow of information from your business out into the social universe. Once the message is consistently present, listeners find it and "tune in."

The best example I can use is that of a radio station broadcast. Online content and social media tools create the information "broadcast." Those looking for information on your brand, product, or area of expertise find you in the social stream through search engines, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. If you demonstrate expertise through useful content, and are consistently present, your tribe "tunes in" to your social media channels.

If you are a business, stepping into this new medium can be confusing. Here are the five key steps required to successfully design and execute a social media marketing strategy.

• Publishing: Everything starts with content. Written and hosted on primarily on your website, blog, or YouTube channel, the content is the key element of your company websites. New content attracts search engines, website visitors, and those who want to know more about your brand, or area of expertise.
• Broadcasting: Broadcasting tools allow you to take content and spread it across the social media universe. The right broadcasting tools also allow you to link to content created by others, and add their content to your broadcast. Using our metaphor, a radio station doesn't products all their own programming. By hosting other experts, their own reputation grows, and so does yours. After we've created content, our next step is to gain followers.
• Listening: You must listen to your customers and to your own broadcast. How far does your reach extend? Are you getting feedback? Are others connecting with you? You can listen through specific web-based tools feedback tools, evaluate the effectiveness of your campaign, and adjust your strategy whenever necessary. You status as an expert is earned, and the information you've provide is the currency.
• Marketing: After you generate a listening audience, the friends and followers are converted into buyers, which happens the old-fashioned way. Prospects become customers when you give them a reason to purchase now, and make sure that the value they receive is greater than the money coming out of their wallet. After you establishing yourself as an expert, the next step is offering incentives and perks to purchase now.
• Connecting: Pushing information outbound is the first step in social marketing. This process creates what I referred to as Inbound Marketing. Now your prospects are contacting you. Facebook, Twitter, your blog, email, etc are the telephone of the 21st century business, and businesses don't stay in business long if they don't answer their telephones.

In the next five posts, I will discuss each step in more detail. If you're not using social media, your business is already at a disadvantage. You can find "How To" tutorials about specific tools across the web. This series will help you grasp "Why" social media is the key to connecting with your businesses next generation of customers, clients and stakeholders.

If your business is ready to take the plunge into the social media pool, contact timothy@startrankingnow.com, or visit our website at www.startrankingnow.com. Our global team of experts will improve your online visibility, and help you create your online social media broadcast.