The Torch

Lately, it seems as if nearly everyone I talk to about social networking has the same 2 questions: (1) “How could this possibly help my business?”, and (2) “I’m on LinkedIn, I setup a profile, now what do I do?”.

We’ve written several posts on the successful use of social networking and viral marketing in the Obama campaign, which, combined with an extraordinarily high unemployment rate, has piqued the interest of thousands who may have been dabbling in social media and are now starting to pay more attention.

In response to this, we created an entry and intermediate-level checklist to maximize the success of your efforts on LinkedIn, which you can find here.  Whether you are on the search for a new job, prospecting for sales leads, looking to develop relationships more fully with clients and prospects, or simply trying to stay on top of news and trends in your industry, you will find this checklist very helpful as a first start.  Once you’re fully engaged through LinkedIn, it is crucial to develop a multi-level campaign in a variety of social networking areas.

If you’re like most professionals, especially those in a sales, marketing, or consulting position, you probably have a full LinkedIn profile to maintain communication with your contacts and prospects, a Facebook page to keep in touch with friends and family (and maybe peak into the lives of past friends and high school classmates), and maybe you’ve even taken it a step further by setting up a blog to open up business discussions, participate regularly in forums, or developed and maintained a Twitter profile.  These are fantastic ways to begin developing your online campaign.

If you’re in a B2C environment, you can take this a step further through use of Flickr, Youtube, MySpace, and the like to generate exposure among potential customers in the social arena.  The best way to ingrain your brand in a consumer’s mind is to “be where they are”.  Nike sponsors marathons, Gatorade advertises during football games, Purina hosts the National Dog Show – if there is one element you can take away from the campaigns of these major brands it is that they know how to directly reach a targeted audience.  Thanks to the segmentation options available on the web, a dog food company now has the option of easily interacting directly with a “35-year old married homeowner with 2 or more dogs” rather than “females in the 24-36 age demographic who may or may not have a pet”.  And beyond that, you will know how that person interacts with your brand, whether certain features or promotions appeal to them, and why.  All without the use of a single focus group or research study.

It’s a social world, and it’s here to stay.  Just ask our new President.

- Melissa