I guess this serves as my first "real" post. I promise to update this regularly (at least once a week for now..hopefully more often).
I've attended many events related to Social Media and one thing that really bugs me is how seminars are always so vague when it comes to Facebook and Twitter. A common theme is "you should have a Facebook Fan Page" and "you should be on Twitter", but rarely do events really stress how to use these social networking tools to your advantage. Granted I've been to some great events that are geared towards Facebook / Twitter (140conf is one that comes to my mind related to Twitter), but I've overall disappointed with what I've attended (even one that was hosted by Facebook staff).
It's hard to see the value of Facebook Fan Page or a Twitter account if you create it, ask you friends to follow / become a fan, and then leave it alone (which is what a LOT of people do). People aren't going to go out of their way to seek you out unless you are a well established brand / business. You need to work hard to build up your accounts (especially in the beginning) to see real results. Here is some advice that can help you improve your overall Facebook / Twitter success:
Twitter:
Content: It might sound obvious, but a lot of your Twitter success is directly related to the content that you are tweeting. A highly effective way of building up your Twitter account is by establishing yourself as a "thought leader". If you are tech company, for example, your account should appear as being an expert in the field of technology. Offer advice related to your industry, link up to insightful articles from credible sources, retweet other people's tweets that help you portray the "thought leader" image, and respond to individual tweets whenever they have a relevant question that you can respond to.
Tweet Structure: If you're tweeting about a great article don't just post "http://www.website.com". Very rarely will people click on it. Each tweet should include target keyword phrases so that they can appear within
http://search.twitter.com. Hashtags (#) make words within your tweet a link. People often utilize hashtags to find Twitter accounts of interest to them. Search for a hashtag that is widely used and is relevant to your business.
Retweet Often: People are egomaniacs by nature and nothing makes them happier on Twitter than receiving new followers or somebody retweeting their posts. When you retweet somebody else's tweet it will increase the chances that they will help you out by retweeting for you. Try and retweet updates that are relevant to your account.
Offer a Custom Incentive: If you sell a product or sevice why not offer a Twitter specific coupon code. Make these a "limited time offer" to entice people to come back repeatedly (i.e. "15% off for all Twitter followers betwee now and Saturday"). Amazon.com does a great job with Twitter incentive by having a
separate account dedicate to providing limited time "lightning offers".
Tweet Often: The more you tweet, the more people will follow you (as long as you keep offering interesting, relevant content). There is such a thing as going "too overboard" with this, but you should be able to easily find what works for you best.
Facebook Fan Page:
Integrate RSS Feeds: Have a blog or other RSS feed? Why not integrate onto your fan page with
Social RSS. Social RSS is easy to implement and it provides frequently updated content onto your Facebook page.
Update Regularly: Similar to Twitter, make sure to update your page regularly. People will often become a fan of a page and forget that it ever existed. Let them know you're still around by populating your fan page with regular status updates pertaining to your business and industry-related advice.
Advertise: If you have the budget for it, run a
Facebook PPC advertisement for you fan page. Facebook offers a highly targeted advertising platform and usually averages out to around $0.60 / click. You can target a variety of different demographics (based on profile data) including age, location, gender, interests / activities, education, workplace, etc. Facebook advertising platform allows you to see how many people "became a fan" of your page through your advertisement.
Send an Update to Fans: You can easily send an update to all of your fans by clicking on "send an update to fans" directly under your fan page profile picture. Similar to Twitter, you can provide your fans with a custom coupon code.
For both FACEBOOK AND TWITTER: Include a link to your Facebook and Twitter on your website and all of your marketing collateral. You can easily get a button for this here:
http://www.socialmediabuttons.com. Put them on your e-mail blasts, e-mail signature, direct mailers, newsletters, etc. Make sure if you are putting it on your offline marketing collateral that you specific your Facebook / Twitter handle so people can easily find you.
This is really just the tip of the iceberg (I can literally jot down 100 more, but nobody wants to read that much of my rambling :)).
If you have another suggestion don't hesitate to add a comment. If you have a question, add a comment here and I'll gladly respond.
