The Zen of Social Media Marketing. Shama Hyder

Online Marketing Basics

      “Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying the basic fundamentals.”

      Jim Rohn

      BEFORE WE LOOK AT ONLINE MARKETING, let’s look at traditional or offline marketing. This will help set the foundation for marketing on the internet. Before the advent of the internet, there were predominantly three main ways to market. These traditional marketing avenues were print, TV, and radio. Print included newspapers, magazines, Yellow Pages, posters, billboards, and even direct mail. Radio and TV included commercials and spots or segments. Traditional marketing worked very well for many years for three main reasons.

      REASON 1: Marketing was a one-way street. Companies talked at the consumers, and this was expected because there really was no viable way for customers to talk back. Sure, word of mouth existed. However, you would realistically only tell Joe, Sally, and maybe Mary (if she was in town) before moving on. Moreover, it took a long time for word to get around. So, basically, if the nice-looking lady on television said the laundry detergent was amazing, we believed it. Today, we can go on a company’s Facebook page, find them on Twitter, or even comment on their blog. Customers can—and are—talking back!

      REASON 2: We were all the same, more or less. Let’s face it! We wore the same clothes, had the same habits, and enjoyed the same activities. It was easier for marketers to target buyers because they knew exactly who and where they were. Targeting a woman in her thirties? She was most likely a married mother of two and a stay-at-home mom. She put her family first and most likely went to church on Sundays. Try targeting a woman in her thirties today. She may be a stay-at-home mom to two kids and go to church on Sundays. But she may just as likely be a single woman focused on her career who enjoys hiking on the weekends. Today, you need a multipronged approach. You can’t reach a demographic through one channel. You have to reach people through the channel of their choice.

      REASON 3: We were less tired—and a little less jaded. At first, we believed the man on television when he said that his product could eliminate any stain. We believed it when the woman who reminded us of Grandma said the cookies tasted freshly baked. We believed it all—for a while. We were so transfixed by the well-written copy in the magazine or the flashy ad on TV. Today, we are a lot savvier. We check reviews, leave comments, and demand trial versions.

      Does this mean traditional marketing is over? Not at all. It has, however, evolved. The internet has woven its way through every form of traditional marketing. When was the last time you got a piece of direct mail that didn’t have a website address for you to visit? Every morning I listen to NPR (National Public Radio), and every morning the broadcasters invite me to tweet them my questions or fan their Facebook page.

      What is online marketing? Online marketing is the art and science (dare I say the Zen?) of leveraging the internet to get your message across so that you can move people to take action. Whether that action is donating their time to your cause or buying your product or service, the goal of marketing has always been the same—to get people to take action. The tools just keep changing.

      If online marketing is the act of leveraging the internet in general to get your message across, social media marketing is the act of leveraging specifically social media platforms (places where people connect and communicate) to promote a product or a service to increase sales.

      The social media movement has provided the business owner powerful tools for reaching thousands of prospects and clients at the click of a mouse. However, without a strong business strategy and knowledge of online marketing, these tools are often used in vain. Success in this new media requires you to lead with a strong business mind-set.

      To that end, ask yourself:

       • What exactly am I trying to accomplish with social media and why?

       • What are my readers’ most pressing challenges, and how can I help them overcome these?

       • What are the most effective delivery tools for my messages?

       • How can I build enduring relationships and turn strangers into lifetime customers?

      Mitch Meyerson,

      author of Mastering Online Marketing and eight other books (www.MitchMeyerson.com)

      First I want to share with you a simple framework for marketing online. This framework is necessary because social media marketing is not a stand-alone process or an outcome. So, before we delve into the specifics, we have to take in the big picture.

      Successful online marketing can be broken down into three distinct components. I like to use the acronym ACT to describe the process.

       The ACT Methodology

      A is for Attract. To attract means to get attention or stand out. Practically, this means attracting traffic to your website—your main online marketing tool.

      C is for Convert. Conversion happens when you turn a stranger into a consumer or customer. And there is a difference between the two! A consumer may take in your information or even sample your product, but he or she may not always buy. That’s okay! Over time, that consumer may become a customer. The more expensive a purchase is, the longer it may take. This means that you constantly have to work to convert people into consumers and customers.

      T is for Transform. You transform when you turn past and present successes into magnetic forces of attraction.

      Let’s use Sue as an example. Sue sells quilts on the internet. So do hundreds of other people. How can Sue bring people to her website? If she has a Facebook page, she could create an album of her quilts. Jane, a Facebook friend of Sue’s, looks at the pictures and instantly thinks of getting one for her granddaughter. She sees that Sue has placed a link to her website right below the pictures, so she clicks over to her site. Sue has successfully ATTRACTED Jane to her website.

      With social media, you are the publisher! The sooner you realize you are a publisher, the more successful your business will be. Wouldn’t it be great if people relied on you and your business to help them in their careers and personal lives? It’s possible, but you have to start thinking differently about the way you market. Publishing valuable, relevant, and compelling information targeted to your customers and prospects is the answer. What’s your expertise? How does that expertise relate to your customers’ pain points? Then create the story and reach people where they are—through email, ebooks, blogs, social media, and more. Then watch the magic happen: you become the authority for that niche. You are the expert, and you may never have to actively sell again!

      Joe Pulizzi,

      coauthor of Get Content. Get Customers

      Once Jane visits Sue’s website, she takes a closer look at the quilts. She finds one that she thinks her granddaughter would just love as a holiday gift. She makes a note to herself that she will make sure to come back closer to Christmas. Now, what are the chances that Jane will actually be back? Very slim. Luckily, Sue has a newsletter sign-up box on her home page. She offers Jane some tips on quilt making in exchange for her email address. Jane gladly gives it; she is CONVERTED from a stranger to a consumer. Now, Sue can email Jane whenever she has something exciting to share—a new shipment, some more tips, or even news of a sale. Come Christmas, Jane receives an email from Sue reminding her to get her Christmas shopping done—and Jane buys. She is CONVERTED from a consumer into a customer.

      Jane loves the quilt she receives from Sue! It even has a nice note. Jane’s granddaughter loves the quilt just as much. In fact, she drags it around the house. It has become her favorite blankie. Jane just has to take a picture and send it to Sue. Sue takes this picture and shares it on her company blog. She TRANSFORMS the success with a customer into an attraction tool. She explains how each quilt leads to long-lasting memories