Is Social Networking Right For Your Business?

Someone asked me a really odd question the other day (we were discussing social networking) - “Do you worry that traditional marketing methods will become obsolete?”   This question took me by surprise because quite frankly I’m surprised someone actually asked it.   

My answer, of course, is absolutely not.  My friends concern when asking this question was that with all the talk of Twitter, blogs, My Space, etc. there wouldn’t be a need for traditional marketing.   

Personally, I prefer to stick with tried and tested methods that are STILL working extremely well when it comes to my business.  I see social networking sites as a little fun, but for me, personally, it’s not a proper business strategy.  I certainly wouldn’t put all my eggs in it. 

Direct marketing has been around for ages and with a few exceptions it still applies the same tried and tested principles.  And as far as online marketing is concerned great content, well structured pages and keyword optimization are still key to getting tons of traffic and building credibility.  

Something else to keep in mind is that social networking may get you some visitors and work okay for certain niche markets – but there are many, many people out there who have no clue when it comes to using these methods, especially if you’re targeting an “older” crowd.  

Many have not even heard of My Space and will give you a blank look if you mention Twitter – I know because I’ve done my market research.  In fact, a lot of people are STILL weary of even using the internet for online purchasing – yep it’s true.  

Everyone has their own ideas as to what is right or wrong for their business but remember there is no substitute for testing.  You really can’t argue with a formula of what works and what doesn’t right?  The point is until you test whether something is working or not you just don’t know… 

Every business is different and you have to take the whole picture into account to know whether something will or will not work.  To give you an example, I’m involved in a joint venture selling natural supplements – just about ALL of the marketing for this business (with the exception of one long running pay per click campaign) is done via direct marketing methods.  This business is thriving and going from strength to strength.  

The bottom line is, know your market and learn how to get the most for your effort.  If commenting on blogs or posting on Twitter is something you enjoy then great, but is it giving you enough of a return in exchange for your time?  Is it contributing to the bottom line of your business or is it purely something you enjoy doing? 

How To Get More Traffic, Build Credibility and Make More Money

Getting more website visitors is at the top of the list for all online business owners.  After all, more (targeted) visitors means more sales, ad revenues, clients, etc.  So what if I could show you a way to get more traffic and make more money in the process, would that interest you?  Of course it would!  It’s what we all want.  

So lets get into the nuts and bolts of online traffic.  

1. SEO IS extremely important.  Search engine optimization is still one of the best ways to steadily get repeat visitors to your website so please don’t neglect this important step.  

And if the word SEO scares you, don’t worry it’s not all that complicated.  If you’re just starting out you can find tons of free step-by-step information right here on Internet Based Moms SEO.   

And if you really want a super easy, fail-proof way of optimizing your site take a look at Site Build It!  It’s by far the easiest and pretty much success guaranteed way to get started – excellent for beginners and the more advanced too.  

2. Build Links.  Link building is an important part of building your traffic, but it’s important to know that you’re links are coming in from related and respectable sites.  An easy (and free) way to build links is to write and distribute articles. 

When you distribute articles to a few key directories not only do you get an incoming link from that specific directory but you also benefit from other website owners placing your articles (which includes your website’s link) on their websites.  

Another excellent way to build incoming links is to advertise on high ranking sites.  Many sites offer advertising for a small fee – not only will you get exposure when visitors click on your ad link and visit your site but you’ll also benefit from the incoming link. 

If you choose carefully you can advertise on some great sites for very little.  Internet Based Moms is a high ranking/high traffic site and we offer advertising for very little on our ads page – if you have a related family/mom site this may be helpful.  

3. Start a PPC campaign.  The word pay per click seems to scare many people but it’s really a lot easier than it sounds.  You will need to do a little homework to learn how to set up a profitable campaign but it’s well wroth it. 

One thing to keep in mind is that you’re NOT ready for a pay per click campaign unless you have a product or service to sell.  You’ll also want to send prospects to a highly targeted sales page rather than your general website home page.  

The key to a successful pay per click campaign is to bid on the right keywords, pay the right price and send your visitors to a highly targeted page designed to either make the sale or collect an email address so that you can follow up with them.

The one resource I can highly recommend on this topic is Perry Marshall's course... it's definitely been a life saver for me.  

4.  Get some media attention.  Internet Based Moms still gets several hundred visitors a month from media coverage from a few years ago!  Once you get your name website link on a high ranking and well respected website you’ll reap the benefits for a long time to come.  An easy way to get press attention is to write a press release.  You can find some free information on press releases here – Internet Based Moms Press.

5.  Provide great content.  Building a website that offers great content to your visitors is the best way to get more traffic as well as sales.  You really can’t beat good content for getting search engine traffic and building credibility within your niche.  

There are so many bad websites out there.  Many offer very little in the form of good content.  By providing your visitors with something of value you are putting yourself miles ahead of the competition.  It does take time to reap the benefits of a content-rich website but it’s worth it and you can feel good that you’re providing value AND making money in the process.  

For a complete formula on how to build a website designed to get traffic and sales take a look at my number one choice – SBI!  One of my new websites is already getting 1200 visitors a month and I’m simply slowly plugging away one page at a time.  So far each and every SBI! Site I have ever built has seen the same success.  Try it and see for yourself.

About Internet Based Moms

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We encourage you to visit our friendly forums for for information, work at home tips and support. http://www.InternetBasedMoms.com/bb

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