Four Ways to Boost Your Online Business Through Networking

It’s hard to succeed without networking, and especially hard to do so in a world where the internet is king. In fact, over 60% of all business deals are made through social media networks! To build a successful online business, you need customers and for that you need marketing. But first comes getting your name out there; this is where social media becomes your new best friend.

But don’t just jump on board one site or another before mastering the game – this can only be done by researching thoroughly and finding the right network for you. It is important to understand the different platforms and how they can help you grow your business.

As you may have guessed, there are four main social networks that are the best for increasing sales and market reach:

LinkedIn MySpace Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Blogs and Newsletters

Each of these is set up differently, but they all have similar goals in mind – giving you a space to promote what you do or sell. The main differences between them come from their demographics, which often lead to some very different strategies for increasing your business. Let’s take a closer look at each of them.

MySpace has always been seen as a social network for teens, with it being aimed mainly at that age group. However, the demographics are changing and more people than ever before are joining. In fact, it has been reported that 97% of MySpace users are over 18 years of age.

The key here is to separate yourself from the typical perception of MySpace and focus on what you can really do with it. It can be a powerful networking tool when used properly – but make sure your content is relevant and appealing to your target market; don’t just dump links to your shop or blog.

Twitter may seem a strange social network for this kind of post, but actually it’s a great space for increasing business. It’s easy to use, and the fact that the updates are limited to 140 characters means you have to be concise. This makes it a great place for sharing links and keeping someone interested. Slowly build up your Twitter following, as this is a network that will only be as powerful as you make it.

One of the biggest social networks in history, Facebook has changed how we interact with people online forever. But using it for business can be tricky; many people are only interested in connecting with others on a personal level, so check out their interests first before sending them a request or message.

Engagement is key with Facebook, so keep track of the time you spend on it and how successful your efforts are. It’s important to network effectively, so make sure your page is set up for maximum engagement and interaction. Take a look at the other pages on Facebook and see how they’re doing – this will help you understand what works for others and what doesn’t.

YouTube is dominating the world of social video – but which video? This can be a tough choice, but one that many business owners overlook completely. There are tens of thousands of videos on YouTube each day, with users uploading an average of 20 hours worth every week.

The key thing here is to find the best video for your business and highlight it correctly. This can be done by testing different videos to see what works, or even just taking a look at the most popular videos that are related to your industry. Viewers won’t mind if you know about their favourite topics, so show them why you’re the best choice for their needs by sharing great material.

Blogs and Newsletters are also valuable resources when marketing, with websites full of all kinds of content available on both platforms. Blogs offer more personal interaction with your readers, while newsletters can be sent out through email or social media to build an ongoing relationship with your audience.

Optimizing your posts and writing good quality content are essential when it comes to increasing search engine rankings. When writing a post, don’t directly advertise your products or site in the first few paragraphs – instead focus on driving your readers towards a call to action by sharing something valuable and then offering them more at the end. However, just remember that blogging is not an easy task and requires regular posts, especially if you want SEO value.

So there we have it – four great ways to boost your online business through networking! Remember that different sites work better for different types of businesses, so make sure you understand all of them before using them. Just remember that start small and work your way up so you don’t overwhelm yourself, and keep it fun!

Good luck!

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About the Author

BizHawk is a blog about the best ways to market yourself in today’s fast paced and ever changing world. BizHawk, Inc. is a leading Internet marketing agency that specializes in search engine optimization and social media marketing for business. Stay tuned for more articles!

Sources: http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/social-media/4-free-sites-to-grow-your-business/13364/ ; http://socialmediaexaminer.com/twitter-and-myspace; http://www.katerslappeinc.com; http://bestblogwritingservice.com; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LinkedIn; http://www.3qdigital.com; http://plime.com; http://inc.com; http://www.wikihow.com

Image Sources: http://socialmediaexaminer.com/twitter-and-myspace ; http://socialmediaexaminer.com/twitter-and-myspace ; http:http://www.wikihow.com ;http://bestblogwritingservice.

Conclusion

The idea of social media marketing is complex and very interesting, and so should be properly understood. Studying the basics is essential to understanding the whole concept and to make sure you are doing it right. The two main concepts of SMO – SNS and SM – need to be thoroughly studied if you want to understand it all.

This article has given you an insight into what SMO really is, what kind of benefits it can bring your online business, where to find SMO in practice, from which tools you can choose, how these tools work and which mistakes need to be avoided. Now your aim should not only be to take a look at some sites but also try yourself in social media marketing.