By Matt Blum

We have all seen the explosion of corporations creating online communities, but let us take a look at how easy it can be to connect with your e-commerce customers and how important social media is to your customers.

First, we have to ask the question, How do you take the seemingly limitless conversations and turn them into actionable insights? Also, how can you understand what is being said and the context of those conversations?

Social media in any context offers incredibly good (and free) feedback on a variety of goods and services. Online Retailers need to use this information to their advantage. Using it to your advantage means using both the good and bad comments. Here are some practical tips we can take a look at. Most importantly, keep the conversation going and make sure your content is relevant and current. Do remember that the end goal is product sales and customer connections. Also, rekindle the passion for your brand consistently using these methods. For example, if you a leading e-commerce website and you are involved in a social forum, why not hold weekly or bi-weekly chat sessions about the experiences with ordering product? You will get invaluable responses from doing something like this.

It is also very important to constantly think about the audience you are trying to go after, consider your age demographics, race, and gender as well. Who are the most likely people to purchase your products and who do you want to expand to? These are key points to remember when considering your marketplace.

It is really no surprise that online e-commerce businesses were one of the first groups to use social media to make their brand more social. They enabled customers to find out what their peers were thinking and provided valuable insight that could be viewed in "real time".

Building a truly interactive community within an e-commerce platform is important as it creates a more efficient retail environment where customer opinions, relevant content and product information are freely distributed. It is only then that "social commerce" can happen.

To accomplish this, retailers must be able to integrate social media elements, such as social networking features and user generated platforms directly into their commerce environments.

As a result of this, online retailers can create and own a unique social experience that would encompass the entire customer lifecycle. Customers can than enjoy a more integrated shopping experience and retailers will see an increase in unique visitors to their online store that are "predisposed" to their marketing messages. This will streamline marketing efforts and lead to increased profits and decreased costs.

Social media allows to empower customers by enabling them to establish user profiles that pull in data and relationships to online stores. At this point customers can interact and provide you (the online retailer) invaluable customer feedback, and bring in potential new customers.

By building and maintaining vibrant communities that address the passion of the retailer's core audience, and then spreading that passion to the larger social web, retailers will attract loyal and engaged customers, and will achieve better business results.

Social media is absolutely crucial to an online retailers success today. Social media allows you to engage a customer, get new business, and most importantly elicit invaluable customer feedback that will turn into increased sales.

Matt Blum is an online marketing expert with over 12 years experience in higher education and business. Look for his expertise at http://marketmpb.blogspot.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matt_Blum
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Importance-of-Social-Media-in-E-Commerce&id=4918340

By Dionyos R. Sylvester

People are all over the internet looking for ways to earn money, connect with friends of the past, check their e-mails and look for all types of, well, information. You've all heard of the technology surge that has come to us in the form of the personal computer and since that inception, a little invention called the World Wide Web, or what most of us simply call "www" or the "web". Because most people that use the web to search for information, the #1 internet site in the world is Google. What's amazing is that when you go to Google, there is nothing more than the word Google and a box to input your inquiry. That is all. No ads, no pitches, simply a box to input your inquiry.

Why do you think it's the number one site on the web? Maybe it's because the site that most people trust to find reliable information. Information is the age that we're currently in. We had the industrial age where all the buildings and construction was developed and now we're in the information age. People sell and people buy information. Why? People pay for information because knowledge is power, but applied knowledge powerful. Sometimes we can't get answers from those we know personally, but through a network it may be easier to acquire the information we need.

This leads me to the #2 internet site in the world, Facebook. If you hadn't known, more than 350 million people log onto Facebook each month. As of Feb 2010, an interview with Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, we learned 175 million people log into Facebook each and every day, and those numbers will only increase. The majority of people on Facebook are only there to reconnect with old friends and stay connected to current one's that live in different regions throughout the world and it's a very practical tool. I personally have welcomed Facebook into my daily schedule and stay in contact with friends and associates. "Associates"? What could I possibly mean by "associates"?

I'm not sure if you're aware of this fact or not, but people actually pitch their businesses on Facebook. Now I know none of you that have Facebook have ever seen a feed on your page with someone talking about their business opportunity on your page right? It's only me right? Seriously though, some of these people that have added you or that you have added only want you to join their network marketing company as soon as the request is accepted. Now I know this isn't you. What you're doing is actually searching for a way to introduce your business to people without looking pushy or even like a salesman. How do you do this?

Allow me give you the secret to converting Facebook friends into prospects and business partners using Facebook marketing. The key to conversion comes in one word, "conversation". If you want to work with people within the industry and you want them to give you an ear they must know that you have an interest in them as a friend as well as a business partner. They may have no interest in the network marketing industry or maybe be new to the industry or a seasoned vet. Regardless of the company a person is affiliated with, it doesn't mean that their having success with that company. They may have a burning desire for the industry, but they're not having much success. They may be still calling their warm market, have been through their list already, or may have trouble building a list of contacts. You will never know these things unless you start a conversation with them. You've all heard the saying, "people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

Show interest in your Facebook contacts. Here is the second nugget for you when building your network on Facebook, start conversations with people in MLM groups on Facebook. Majority of the people within these groups have no clue about how to market on the internet. If you visited majority of their pages you will find a similar pattern, everyone will lead with their primary business website or tell you to get started with only $10 or $25 and make thousands of dollars a month without sponsoring or building a downline. How many of you have actually clicked on these links? Not many. Why? There is no value being transferred to the reader that will make them have an interest. So, what are those in the MLM industry looking for?

Most that are on Facebook are looking for the tools needed to become successful internet marketers and the strategies that it takes to become successful. Without these tools they are spinning their wheels and under the assumption that marketing on the internet doesn't work or that it's reserved only for an elite few. The fact of the matter is that with the right system, training and leadership in place, having success with Facebook marketing can be an exciting and fulfilling experience.

That was two nuggets that can help your business and there's much, much more! If it's more value you desire and you want to learn how to convert Facebook friends into prospects and business partners using Facebook marketing As well as finding out more about the fastest growing team that teaches these strategies online, watch this YouTube video and begin to make money like the Top Producers in the internet marketing industry!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dionyos_R._Sylvester
http://EzineArticles.com/?Can-Facebook-Friends-Be-Converted-to-Prospects-and-Leads?&id=4881050

By: James P Anderson

So let's get to it. You absolutely should be doing these 5 key items:

1) Use the Widget and Links on Your Profile Page to Maximize Exposure. Getting people to visit your profile is half the battle with LinkedIn, however once they are there are you inviting them to go where you want them to go? Using the website links as well as widgets such as "Wordpress" to add your blogs post to you profile are a great way to engage people. These people are already interested in you, they are reading you profile. Don't limit their engagement to what you can type on LinkedIn, take them to other places that can educate them further and/or promote your brand or your products.

2) Respond to Questions and Answers. This is often encouraged to gain expertise and "rank" within communities as an expert. This is very true, however there is also a very important aspect of engagement when you provide value to a conversation in this format. You automatically engage a targeted audience who all have a certain mindset. If you're savvy, you cannot just build expertise, but you can weave in relevant self-promotion that is usually highly effective.
3) Provide research to a community. This is basically providing a group with interesting data and topics as news or discussion. Similar to the reasons above, this type of engagement will not only provide you an audience and build your rank within a community, it will also make people more receptive and engaging when you lead them to self promotion. People don't mind being "pitched" or getting some level of promotion from folks as long as they first get value from them.

4) Figure out what you want, then build a group to accomplish it. Most people feel intimidate to start their own group on LinkedIn or feel like it's going to be a hassle to maintain. Before you dismiss it, give it a try. It's not that hard and you may be surprised by how many professionals out there are interested in same goals or topics you are. Owning a group has several advantages, perhaps the largest is you can communicate directly to them at any time.

5) Use LinkedIn. Ok, this one sounds a bit dumb. However a majority of people we train do not login and interact frequently. They use it more as a repository for their online resume, which they update once every few months, then happily go about "facebooking" several times a day. This is ok if you're 18 or if you have no current professional goals or needs. However, if you need a job or have a business objective that requires others, get on LinkedIn! It's overlooked often, but truly is one of the most effective and powerful networking tools today.

For more information, join one of our linkedInformarketing.com webinars and subscribe to our newsletter.

Dave Albertson

Small Business Growth Expert

About the Author

James P Anderson http://linkedinformarketing.com/5-things-you-should-be-doing-on-linkedin-but-likely-are-not/

(ArticlesBase SC #3031653)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ - 5 Things You Should Be Doing On LinkedIn But Likely Are NOT

By Tahire Khan

Creating a Facebook fan page only takes minutes to do and it is an incredibly cost effective way to build an audience of targeted and interested users, and what's more you can communicate with them regularly for free.

If you're serious about social media, here are my 5 top reasons to build a Facebook fan page for your business.

1. It's completely free.
There are no direct costs involved, other than your time which is negligible because creating your Facebook fan page is easy to do and only takes minutes.

2. There's no password protection.
Unlike the rest of Facebook which sits behind a password protected user login, your fan page is completely public with no password login, making it search engine friendly and easy to access and index by the bots. So optimize your page for your target keyword and generate some SEO traffic!

3. Build a fan club of hot prospects.
The great thing about a fan page is that it allows you to send updates to your fans which is a great way to of building a database of hot prospects. You can then send out relevant messages, updates, product news etc to your fans.

4. You're the boss.
You have full control of your Facebook page and can send messages, edit or delete sections and completely control the information you display. This is of vital importance with such a public / exposed channel.

5. You get the power of viral.
When a 'fan' joins your Facebook page, it is normally published in the fans own News feed so that their fans can follow what they are up to, who they are also fans of etc. That is of course assuming that your 'fan' has not turned this feature off. This is a great of way of getting your message to go viral.

So what are you waiting for, it's only going to take you a minute to set up and is incredibly easy to do. Simply go to the Facebook fan page site, add some information, add a URL, upload your company logo or an avatar whatever, and you're good to go.

Tahire is a freelance Online Marketer specializing in results led online marketing strategies and optimization for SEO, search engine optimization, PPC, social media and email marketing; and is the founder of online marketing blog, http://www.BlogOnlineMarketing.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tahire_Khan

By Sandra S. Sea

Unless you have been living under a rock, you will undoubtedly know that social marketing is an important aspect of your online marketing strategy. It is important that you connect with your customers where they live. Meaning, social sites.

Unless your business is geared to seniors, chances are they will look for you in other places besides the search engines. While it is important to be found in the search engines, referral traffic is quickly gaining ground for driving traffic to your site.

How do you make your site more social?

1. Display the details of your company Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. accounts on the front page of your website and on your blog. If you do not have those accounts yet; Boy do you have some catching up to do! Get on over there now and set up accounts.

2. Make sure your site has an RSS feed. The easiest way to do this is through a blog since RSS is built right in to many of the blogging applications. If you don't then have someone create the feed for your website. If you do not know what an RSS feed is, it is a means to syndicate your site content. This allows users to create feeds from sites that interest them so they can get updates in their email or in their feed reader sites. Now think of how many more conversions you would make if your discounts, sales and newest release products were sent out to your subscribers?

3. Be sure to have a business blog and keep it active with regular updates. This will allow you to interact with your visitors as well as make content creation a breeze. You do not need to pay a web designer every time you want to add an update to your website. It is quite easy to do yourself with a blog. Consistency here will pay off. Do not just blog on occasion. Think of it as a daily duty. You just may find you enjoy it.

4. Make your website mobile friendly. You do not have to develop iPhone apps, just be aware of the fact that you should keep your site load time down and limit the use of bandwidth hungry graphics and scripts. Keeping your design simple will allow more mobile users to surf your site.

By doing these 4 simple steps, you not only can connect more easily with your tech loving customers, you will show them that you are in tune with their needs and are up to snuff when it comes to following the marketing trends. Young adults today do not want to do business with companies that are stuck in the 90's. Keep up with the times and your customers will reward you by sharing your site with their friends and followers on the social sites.

The Millionaire-Minded Single Entrepreneur, How to Start, Market and Grow your business on a single income. http://www.entrepreneurmillionairesecret.com download your free copy of How To Resolve Conflict Without Ruining Your Reputation.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sandra_S._Sea
http://EzineArticles.com/?4-Ways-to-Socialize-Your-Website&id=4166700