Selling Through Social Networking
Social networking is the biggest ‘buzz’ in marketing right now.
As a copywriter I find it interesting to see how social networking is changing the way I write and market. Instead of simply focusing on writing on a particular subject, I now need to predetermine the correct keywords for the market I’m addressing – then write my article using these keywords in specific ratios.
Complicated? Yes, actually it is. Not only do you need to be able to express concepts clearly, but now, you also need to do so incorporating words you may not normally have considered using. Instead of writing as you’re inspired, now you write far more analytically, harnessing and directing your inspiration into predetermined channels. This more scientific approach can be quite a challenge for a creative personality.
And of course, besides your article or post being search engine optimized to ensure it catches the attention of the correct market, it still needs to make sense, be grammatical and above all, be useful and engaging.
The production process behind social networking can become quite complicated, especially when the venue you use has a character limitation. Twitter, for instance, only allows message of up to 140 characters. The good thing about this is that it really teaches you to be clear and succinct.
As a marketer, I’m fascinated by the complexity and simplicity simultaneously existent in the social networking arena.
Once you have the technical side of your strategy in hand, it’s time to look at the more social side of social networking. When it comes to selling through this medium, I find that ‘everything old has become new again’. Really, it boils down to relationships. The same way it always has. The difference is that you can form relationships using social networking very, very quickly. You can also enhance your credibility very quickly. Besides these advantages, there’s also the important fact that social networking allows you to get in front of a huge audience extremely quickly.
Somehow, traditional barriers are broken effortlessly and there’s a kind of pioneering camaraderie that’s hard to resist. A combination of business savvy and ‘humanness’ through tiny glimpses into personal lives, allows social networkers to hook up with others who share their views and their values whether they’re resident across the country or across the world. More importantly it allows social networkers to identify people they’d like to Work From Home with and allows them to get a sense of the other person’s true personality long before a business relationship is established.
Perhaps the greatest single advantage of social networking is that it’s open to everyone with internet access. Because most of the platforms are free, the freelancer has as much ‘clout’ as the multi-national. Sure, there are plenty of plug-ins and widgets available at a price that the smaller business may not be prepared to pay, but these helpful tools won’t make or break the business. You can do without them if you have to – for a while at least.
The level playing field of the internet allows people who wouldn’t have a hope of making good in a bricks and mortar business to make good online. There are no age, sex or race barriers, real or imagined. The entry cost is low, the risks are low and now, even the requirement to be tech-savvy is low. Setting up an online presence these days can be as simple as a paint-by-numbers project.
Selling through social networking has never been easier or more desirable than it is right now. For anyone who has been thinking of parlaying their writing, or other skills into a lucrative online business, now’s the time. And social networking is the way to find the clients you’re seeking.
But, if you’re a copy writer, don’t only think about writing for someone else who’ll pay you for a project – think about writing to sell things yourself and reaping the rewards on an ongoing basis. That’s where the real Income is and social networking is a key to unlocking that entrepreneurial door! You’ll find that if you post information that’s of interest to your prospect market, you’ll have their attention long before you even know who they are.
With the economy the way it is at present, this is a good thing. It’s the small, independent entrepreneur who’ll help kick-start the recovery. It’s just a matter of time.
