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Social networking works best for a business when a personality is associated with it. Just posting something about the company each week won’t fool active users and they won’t come back. Social marketing works because users find it in a casual way and react to it.
Smith recommends some tools to operators who want to use social networking sites without spending hours sitting at the computer. One tool is called Seesmic. It’s a management console, which integrates both Twitter and Facebook in an e-mail-like format. It allows updates to both sites at once.
Another management option Smith mentions is Twuffer, an application for Twitter where prewritten tweets can be entered and scheduled to release at various times in the future. This is a popular option for online contests such as scavenger hunts where users are given a trivia question or clue to solve for a prize.
For more information, visit:
Compass Group Flexitarian Facebook page:www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Be-a-Flexitarian/278239070537?ref=nf
Compass Twitter page:www.twitter.comp/compassgroupusa
Compass blog: http://compassgroup.typepad.com/
Courtesy Vending Healthy Vending blog:http://courtesyvending.com/blog/
Vend Northwest Dist. blog:www.vendnorthwest.blogspot.com/
Small businesses can use social media
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal reported how small businesses can effectively use social networking Websites. Inexpensive, these sites have the potential to produce far reaching viral marketing when there’s a high pass-along rate among users.
Business owners should start by monitoring their company’s name online. See what people are saying about the company and where. Respond back.
If planning to blog, tweet, or join Facebook, owners should be dedicated to posting comments often. The comments should be short, engaging, and important to their customer base. An example might be: how to choose a quality vending company or how vending machines are “going green.” Owners should focus on information they can speak confidently on and have been asked about by customers.
TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT
Most digital cameras have a video option. If the clip is interesting, it can generate a lot of “talk” online.
Remember, occasional forays into social media don’t work. Without a plan, and dedication to execute, marketing via social networking won’t give owners a noteworthy return on their time.
