Social Media With Denise Shiffman

One of the things that I feel is important to understanding social media marketing is allowing yourself to be open to new and different ways to use it to spread the word about your business.

Image: www.SXC.hu

I interviewed Denise Shiffman about social media marketing and below is what she shared with me. Below is her contact information:

Please introduce yourself and the key areas of your expertise? How long have you been involved in this area?

I’m a marketing and social media consultant. I’ve been a marketing executive in the computer industry for over 20 years in both Fortune 500 and start-up companies. I’ve been focused on social media for the past 5 years, and wrote an award-winning book, The Age of Engage, on the subject.

If on Facebook and LinkedIn you are not seeing great results, how can a business owner make social media a good use of their time?

Focus. Whether you’re an individual or a company, choose the platform you want to be successful on. Make sure you are being informative, interesting and valuable to your audience. Let people know where to find you. Join groups and get involved. Networking online is very similar to networking offline. Be very helpful to other people and they will reciprocate.

How can a business owner use LinkedIn beyond collecting names? What are some specific tips that can help a business owner be successful on LinkedIn?

Fill out your profile completely. LinkedIn isn’t your resume. It is why people would want to work with you or use your services. Get tons of recommendations. It’s social proof that you are worth working with. Post a photo!! People want to know you’re a real person and get a sense of you. Join groups that are meaningful to you and where you can add value and gain value. Go through your contacts and ask for help when you need it. You can ask for introductions. But do this on an individual basis otherwise it appears as spam.

What is the most valuable feature on LinkedIn (where a business owner will get the most return)?

It depends on the business and on the person. Some people find Answers to be the most valuable feature to get visibility for their knowledge in a specific area. Others like that they can post presentations. But LinkedIn’s greatest value is that you can collect people — not business cards — and hold onto them for life. And from them you can find connections that you need such as introductions to possible new clients.

Please share how can a business owner can encourage people to read their blog posts and comment on them?

First and foremost write good blog posts. People like shorter posts, packed with information, tips, and links. Make sure you’re not just talking about yourself or your company. Reach out to other bloggers and comment on their blogs — that will bring you more readers. Make sure you are marketing your blog on your business cards, website and all marketing materials. Market each blog post on twitter, facebook, friendfeed and other sites. Also, write posts that are one-side or from a point of view, so that other people feel compelled to comment or add to the information presented.

One last question. When it comes to blogging, how can it help a business owner grow their business? Are there specific things that need to be done to increase blog traffic and blog awareness?

Most people buy from you and leave. They don’t come back until they need to purchase again and there is always the opportunity to switch to your competition. A blog reminds customers of your brand, your value to them and gives them a reason to keep in touch over time. It makes a company more human, interactive, and often more transparent. Customers become a part of your tribe rather than just a purchaser which is a powerful loyalty mechanism. If you’re going to put the effort and time into a blog make sure it is a core part of your marketing strategy and that you give it tremendous visibility on all other marketing and sales vehicles that you use.