Microblog: The End of Innocence

The Twitter generation has embarked on mission to impart all the tedious details of one’s life to an unsuspecting group of followers. We hear from our friends about the painful bumper-to-bumper traffic on the freeway or they share adorable pictures of their kids or pets. Whatever the occasion, no idea that passes through some people’s head is to trivial not to post.

This begs the question: When is enough, enough? What are the boundaries we should set, socially and in our business environment, to divulge to our followers in the social media arena? The Examiner raised this same question. 

The “TMI” of Microblogging

Microblogging has become a driving force in the world of social media. Twitter counts 140 characters as your tweet and you can update regularly to your followers. So, tweets like, “Hot sale today. Our sweaters are 30% off while supplies last” become commonplace, which is not a bad thing when you are looking for a beautiful winter sweater, but the problem occurs when you are oversaturated with boring and irrelevant tweets that do not inform, or worse, annoy.

Do we really need to know the CFO of our local company is “At the dentist, that tooth popped right out?” I believe this falls under the over-sharing category. And, this is becoming a slippery-slope for some individuals and businesses.

Where do we draw the line with engaging our customer or follower without boring them, or worse, offending them? There is a fine line to walk when you microblog.

Knowing Where to Draw that Line

You must focus on relevant and informative information that interests your followers and develops a dialogue.  Keep these ideas in mind every time you microblog to constantly check yourself and develop microblogging to its full potential:

• Plan Ahead: Like any good business plan, you should have a solid microblog campaign setup that focuses on upcoming sales, updated product launch dates, new store hours, or the unveiling of a new charity campaign your company supports.
• Be Real: Impart information that is honest and informative. Social media works in real-time and with the power of the internet to research it is easier than ever to spot a fake.
• Edit Yourself: Before you hit send each time you must review and ask yourself these questions:

How does this develop my brand?

Promote my business?

Empower my follower?

Increase my market share?

Create dialogue?

Because this is what you want to happen with each microblogging session. Make this tool work for you and not against you. Use sites like Twitter and Tumblr to your advantage. Great microblogging can do wonders for your business and drive your revenues. Just remember what to say and how much to share when you do.

Your Perspective

Please share your perspective or examples of microblogging in terms of what to say and what not to say. Let us know if you have questions on what makes for good content and we’ll be happy to help you get your points across in a way that leverages the true power of microblogging.

Marketing Strategies for the New Millennium: The Social Media Revolution

Social media has forever altered the way businesses operate their marketing campaigns. In the days of old, businesses focused on print ads, television commercials, and radio spots to reach their target audience. They relied on the tried and true method of delivering a strong message to the consumer and the consumer responding favorably.

                                        

Those days are over, strictly speaking. We still have radio, television, and print ads to send out our message, but now, there is a new game in town. Social media has arrived with a vengeance. Businesses are now partnering with the consumer to create dialogue and impart to the consumer some of the power of their advertising campaign.

Consumer Power

Companies have given a slice of their power over to the consumer to review, promote, and develop brand loyalty through social media networks. Social media depends on two-way communication to survive. And, this is where companies are moving their marketing campaigns to focus on consumers to receive product praise, company compliments, and negative reviews in real-time so says a recent article. 

Marketing has evolved from simply delivering a message to the consumer and the consumer running out to buy the product based on a savvy advertising campaign. Today’s consumer is increasingly turning to social media to research brands and products before they buy, during the process, and even after, to give their review, both good and bad.

Principles to Benchmark

This is where companies stand today. Their goal is to capitalize on this and increase their bottom-line with social media. Influential internet marketing gurus, Stevens & Tate Marketing, recently discussed ways to execute and develop brand success with social media. 

They focused on a few key areas companies should address as they navigate the social media waters that can serve as an excellent benchmark for your business:   

• Guidelines: Develop a business plan for social media success in the same way you would develop any marketing strategy.
• Attitude: Remember with social media you are creating dialogue and you want this to be at a much more informal level. Engage your customer with pertinent and informative information that encourages conservation.
• A Company with a Heart: Team with organizations that support causes that are important to your customer to establish a uniform sense of appeal. 
• Real-Time Interaction: Utilize social media to engage your customers in promotions, contents, and giveaways to encourage them to visit your site and spread the word about your brand. 
• Quantify Your Results: Free social media monitoring is available to track your success and allows you to implement immediate changes when necessary to increase traffic and alter message.  

The steps you take to now to direct your marketing campaign for the new millennium will pay huge dividends by developing a savvy and profitable social media campaign that gets people talking. Find out how Flyline Search Marketing can devise an Internet Marketing strategy for your business that capitalizes on these foundational principles.