Category Archives: Social Media

Are You Lost on #SocialMedia (even with the tools)?

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Just a couple of days ago I was traveling downtown for an event. I must admit that I wasn’t sure of the directions as I seldom go by there but I thought it will be okay – with my trusty Google Maps. After all, it has never failed me. I hooked it up, followed its directions confidently… and lo and behold, it led me directly into a one-way street (and I would go against traffic). “Well, it happens”, I thought. A quick recalculation pointed out a new direction… which eventually led me to the same road. To cut the long story short – eventually I was directed out of the vicinity after almost an hour of trial and error.

I was pretty much annoyed and upset over this TOOL I relied on the get me there and it got me thinking – are businesses and individuals today facing similar situations? Yes, you have the tools (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, YouTube, etc) and perhaps even have the guidebook (e.g. how to create compelling content, how to create an awesome Facebook page, etc) but yet unable to get your bearings right?

Are You Lost? 5 Steps to Be Found Again!

#1: Admit That You’re Lost

Sometimes it is difficult to admit that you’re lost. Excuses such as “it doesn’t work for my business” only makes you feel better but it is time to put that ego aside. One thing about social media is that you can never stop learning, especially when it continues to change everyday. Even the pros continue to learn – it is a continuous cycle.

#2: Ask for Directions

It’s time to put away that map or tool (e.g. guidebook) of yours and start talking to people – people that are able to give you advice. The cool thing about social media is that most pros are willing to share their knowledge and expertise. @markwschaefer is one good example with his community {grow}. In other words, it is time to get personal, to communicate, to engage, to get help.

#3: Don’t Take Shortcuts

There really is no shortcut on social media. One said social media is like running a marathon, not a sprint race. You’ll notice that most advice revolves around producing quality content, spending time listening to conversations on Twitter, commenting on blogs, guest posting and etc – all these takes time, it is a race of endurance for lasting results. Buying fans or followers won’t get you anywhere except for boosting your ego. Shortcuts are a no-no.

#4: Test the Directions

This is the simplest step of all but yet the most difficult. Simply because there are many, many out there that either procrastinate, ignorant or simply cannot be bothered with the new directions. Yes, sometimes it may be a detour but as long it gets you there, why not?

#5: Monitor its Results

You need to know how the new directions are working for you. It is only then you’ll be able to gauge its effectiveness (or not) to make adjustments if necessary. A simple tool such as Google Analytics can go a long way if you’re wanting to measure visits to your site.

Have you been lost on social media before? What did you do to get back on track? I’d love to hear your experience!

Beneath the Dollar Signs

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Have you attended seminars by internet marketers promising never-work-again concepts with huge “guaranteed(?)” profits? Or perhaps see them tweeting selling away on social networks such as Twitter?

They show you impressive screenshots of PayPal withdrawals and Adsense payouts, followed by a chart indicating the potential of their “proven(?)” system that make you back your investment within 90 days.

Sounds familiar?

Interestingly, I’ve been bombarded with similar encounters a little more than usual in the past week. I’ve been sitting down with a couple of people to hear of their awesome business plans that can make them thousands monthly and how they are going to start off.

Guess what?

They do not know how to

Sure, they have this product that could make them money and it may come with a guidebook or some sort but do they know how to go about marketing it? Don’t get me wrong – they KNOW what needs to be done. After all, it is in that guidebook provided for. “Advertise on pay-to-click (PTC) sites for traffic”, “Advertise on Google Adwords”, “Use Facebook Ads for targeted traffic”, “Use this web template and get your website started for traffic”. Awesome strategies… but HOW?

I believe all of us are somewhat related to the situation above. It may not  be exactly the same, but have you got caught in a situation where you’re stuck, not knowing how exactly to make it happen for you to replicate the success?

Here are 5 Painful Truths

Painful Truth #1:

Things are never as simple as it seems to be.

See how some bloggers grow at a rocket pace, receiving bucket loads of retweets, Adsense earnings, sky rocketing Google Analytics charts and etc? You’ve no idea how much effort was put for that to happen – many successful personalities only managed to get where they’re at through past mistakes and heaps of experience. Think about this way – if a specific system can get you rich in 90 days, why aren’t everyone rich yet?

Painful Truth #2:

What worked for others may not work for you.

Yes, and I’ll say that again. In fact, what worked for you may not work for me either. Every individual has its own ecosystem consisting of different networks, people, culture, even location. These factors can very well determine how far (or short) a distance you can go. Think about it – if you’re selling football boots among a group of football friends, you can definitely do a much better job than someone else whom has group of friends that plays tennis instead.

Painful Truth #3:

You’re blinded by the dollar signs.

We all want to be successful in one way or another and sometimes, success can be blinding. You saw the potential and you wanted it for yourself. Nothing wrong in that but if you become too fixated on that alone, you’ll lose out all the fun or experience that comes along the way and in some cases, lose out on the success itself. Take blogging for an example: If your only goal is to make money out of your blog – you may not reach it. Simply because you’re missing out on the essence of blogging itself and may have branched out too quickly onto paid advertorials, ad placements and etc – driving all your readers away!

Painful Truth #4:

You’re in for great challenge.

For some, it is a new learning curve – how to create an effective squeeze page, how to use Twitter to build a network, how to create a community on Facebook or in a worse case scenario – how to use that product in the first place. For another, it may be the competition. Understand this – if someone is already making millions out of that specific product, it can mean two things: either the product is awesome; or the market is already saturated. Plus, everyone else that has the same idea with you will be doing the same thing. How will you be different from them?

Painful Truth #5:

Short cuts?

Unfortunately, there are none. One can only advice and assist but there is no success formula. However if you do have one, I would love to hear you out ;)

 

How about you? Have you come across similar situations? Do share them with me by leaving a comment below :)

Introducing the BufferApp – Social Media Done Right

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Just about a week ago I talked about the various 3rd party applications I use to enhance my Twitter experience and if you remember, BufferApp is one of them. Despite it’s awesome functionalities (especially after the recent update which I’ll share with you a little further), what makes BufferApp awesome is beyond that. It actually lies in how the founders and creators of BufferApp actually ‘humanize’ the application, and here are 2 simple reasons why I say so:

#1: They LISTEN

Truth be told, I’m even more impressed with the people behind the product than the product itself. Both @LeoWid and @joelg87 are amazing people. They are on a consistent look out for ideas, listening to what each and every user has to say about BufferApp to improve its usability. Crowd sourcing – that is what they are doing. And they are doing it right!

This also reminds me that many projects / products fail because someone tried to pack too much into it at one go – resulting in an overly complicated product or an extended timeline to which sometimes lead to no ending. What they did is to launch a simple and lightweight product that works, THEN rollout updates that caters to the users.

What do they get out of it? They save time, and they can get the functions right.

What do we get out of it? A product that we love!

#2: They ENGAGE

The worst thing that can happen is to drop someone a DM or @mention and you get a reply days after (or never!). As for BufferApp, you can be assured that they will respond to you – whether it is a simple ‘hello’, a complain or a complement, you can expect a reply. Don’t believe me? Put them to the test and experience for yourself!

Simple as it sounds, the above is really the essence of being social and businesses should realize that social networks are not a place to rack up the fan / follower count and blast them with sales pitches.

Now, the BufferApp

You simply tell Buffer your schedule... once!

Okay, enough about the great people behind the product – now the product itself. I started using this nifty tool a few weeks back and what really caught my attention is the ability to automatically schedule tweets periodically but yet have so much control over the tweets. What I really meant is that you do not need to schedule every individual tweet manually anymore, unlike TweetDeck, HootSuite or etc.

What makes Buffer different is that it also comes with optional add-ons (or goodies): a Google Chrome, Safari or Firefox browser extension.

This means that you can even schedule your updates OUTSIDE of BufferApp.com by simply clicking on the Buffer extension on your browser window to reveal…

 

this!

You can opt to “Tweet Now” where you share the content immediately or “Add to Buffer” where the content will be added to your queue of updates on Buffer. Did I also not mention the “Shorten Links” feature? These 3 are perhaps the most sought after functions when it comes to sharing a Tweet (at least for me).

Buffer did not forget about the mobile users, too! Instead of developing an individual mobile application to suit all existing smart phones, they took a step forward (or backward) to come up with a very simplistic yet smart way of making Buffer happen for a larger population – through email. Yes, all you need to do is to share your content via email on your mobile and send it to: [email protected] where the subject is your tweet, and the body is your link – and it will automatically be added unto your Buffer queue.

 

Tweet Suggestions - plenty of them!

Now comes my all-time favorite function – “Suggest me a Tweet” where Buffer generates a random tweet for you! I spend quite a bit of time looking through all the tweets at times just to see what will I get. Quotes by the famous, articles by bloggers and even jokes – you can get them all in a click.

That’s not all!

I find it really fascinating to see how Leo and Joel is able to roll out updates almost every single week at such a rapid pace – something many projects (especially startups) aren’t able to do. Their dedication says it all and they are making it happen beyond a great social product – but being social themselves.

My Description of Buffer in 140 Characters

If you’re interested in looking up what are all the other functions of Buffer (analytics, bit.ly integration, button for blogs and more), click here to see a full list of them (and be prepared for more to come)!

Don’t believe what I have to say about Buffer? See what others have to say over here!

important note: this article is not by any chance a paid review, advertorial or request by anyone representing BufferApp and / or its founders and it is solely written on my experience with @LeoWid and @BufferApp itself.

10 Reasons Why Small Businesses Benefit BEST using Social Media

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Time and time again we’ve heard of how small business owners are wanting to get social media right for their business but somehow there is this perception of large corporations being able to outdo them, keeping them away from being successful. In actual fact, social media favors small businesses.

How true is that? Let’s take a look at 10 reasons on why small businesses can benefit best as compared to large corporations.

#1: Leverage

THIS is the tool to be on the same playing field with the big boys. How so? A successful social presence is something money cannot buy. You can buy hits, views, clicks, retweets, shares, followers but you cannot buy engagement and participation. Every business have to go through the same motion of building their own community – and this is a battle you can actually win against them.

#2: Flatter Management

Small businesses tend to have a flatter or shorter line-of-management. This also means that decision making becomes a lot easier thus effecting your response time to your followers. You no longer need to wait for the customer service department for that memo or the PR team for the direction and what to say. Quicker (and quality) response makes customers happy.

#3: Easier to cultivate

One thing about technology is that it never stays the same. One day it’s phones, another it is smart phones. One day it’s email, another is instant messaging. Small business are seen to be able to adapt to advancements or new cultures better as compared to large corporates – simply because they are more light and agile. It also takes lesser effort (or time) to cultivate new habits or values – such as the usage of social media.

#4: Plenty of room to explore

They say that the sky is the limit; or rather, the bandwidth is the limit! Most small businesses are open to new ideas and challenges. They are not tied down to the tried-and-true plans and strategies, and ‘experienced’ marketing personnel that is always about ‘been there, done that’.

#5: Plenty of room for mistakes

With plenty of exploration done, mistakes are bound to take place and in small businesses, some mistakes can easily be overlooked simply because they have nothing to lose. A viral campaign that didn’t take of? An online launch with low response? These failures only lead to a better future. For large corporations on the other hand, may receive a huge backlash immediately from internal and external stakeholders (and also customers. think: GAP).

#6: Plenty of room to expand (scalable)

With much to explore and little to lose, it is only natural for greater plans and rewards. Your social media campaigns become scalable and it is only a matter of time for it to grow when done properly. Plus, the point #10 also contributes greatly to the opportunity for expansion.

#7: Easier to get active participation

Small businesses typically have a smaller team of people – 2, 5, maybe 20? Having a small team allows more opportunities for everyone to get involved. The company’s social media presence belongs to everyone and not just the PR / support / sales / marketing department. Every employee now plays a part and in most cases, works far better than having only one department managing it.

#8: You’ve got nothing (or lesser) things to hide

This is one of the major advantages of small businesses – you can afford to be transparent and creative at the same time. Doing random interviews with different colleagues, webisodes and share tips without the need to worry about a competitor stealing your ideas. Once again, you’ve got nothing to lose!

#9: You are your brand

It is often a tough thing to do to get your CEO to equally contribute unto the company’s social media presence but it is another thing for the business owner of a small business – they’ll seize the opportunity to do so. After all, it is their business and they need all the exposure and the network they can get. And since they represent the brand, things become more flexible (and transparent) when engaging on social media.

#10: Lesser rules and regulations to follow

Policies? Guidelines? Most small businesses (especially newer ones) do not have such a thing. With lesser rules to follow, they do not need to worry about breaking a rule that gets them fired. Without these restrictions, employees are free in expressing their ideas on how to maximize their social media presence. Having said that, small businesses should also look into having a certain boundary to protect the interest of the company, just in case.

So do large corporations have an upper hand at social media?

Not exactly. Unlike traditional media (e.g. print ads, billboards, etc) where small businesses may lose out, social media levels the playing field and allows small businesses to stand out, too!

What are your thoughts on small businesses vs large corporations on social media? Do share your thoughts below :)

What Twitter Tools Do You Use?

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Twitter has grown to be a favorite for many as it allows many to listen, respond and search real time. Statistically, the usage of Twitter among social marketers continues to soar in 2011 and 73% of the companies are looking towards increasing their activities on Twitter in the future.

source: Social Media Examiner

What intrigues me the most  is that Twitter is perhaps one of the few social media tools where most users use AWAY from the site itself (Twitter.com), especially prior to the release of #NewTwitter in the recent months. In other words, people are using Twitter via 3rd party applications such as TweetDeck, Seismic, Echofon, CoTweet and more.

The same goes for me. I never did use Twitter.com but started out with a humble web application on Google Chrome called Chromed Bird. At that time, it served what I needed it to do – to view my timeline, see all the @mentions and DMs I have. It was all that I needed to do, plus the app icon (a bird) changes color (blue to green) when there is an update. I thought that was really cool.

See how the bird changes to green?

As the number of people I follow slowly increased in numbers, I realized that the icon becomes green almost instantly even after looking through the updates seconds ago. Feeds kept coming into my timeline and before I know it, Chromed Bird was always left open. I can’t possibly be looking at the timeline all day. I knew I needed something more powerful than the faithful Chromed Bird.

The exploration begun.

Realizing I can organize my followings into different lists, I found TweetDeck which allows me to view multiple panes at ease – my timeline, @mentions, DMs, lists and even #hashtags at one go! Oh, it also allowed me to schedule my tweet, which is great for me to publish the articles written on this blog periodically…

… until I found TweetDeck failing me very often with repeated errors thus I continued to explore other applications. I jumped back and forth from Seesmic, Hootsuite and Tweetdeck for a couple of weeks and found that I still preferred the desktop version of TweetDeck but I still required a tool that can assist me in schedule at ease.

I used Hootsuite to schedule, but TweetDeck to stay ‘connected’.

The day came when StumbleUpon released su.pr which I thought it was an awesome (and time saving) tool as it allows me to now schedule AND submit my content to StumbleUpon at the same time! The switch was easy – with a huge drawback – the time zone is fixed in # while I am in a GMT +8.00 zone. I stuck with su.pr regardless because it saved me time so I came up with a posting schedule on an Excel spreadsheet that converts all the timing into my time zone as a personal reference. It was a necessary pain (and I never got to schedule past 2 days because the time conversion becomes confusing).

Fast forward to the present – then came along a new gem – the BufferApp. I must say that the BufferApp is the best tool I’ve used thus far. Not only it automatically schedules my tweets to the time I want, it has a nifty Chrome app that allows me to schedule my external content sharing with just a click! This also means that I can now share contents at ease without worrying that I’m flooding the timeline of my followers. Cool, huh? What makes it better is that the co-founder of BufferApp, @LeoWid has been of utmost help throughout my experience with the app. It is no wonder this app is spreading like wildfire all over the Twitterverse in just 2 months!

What is Buffer? from Joel Gascoigne on Vimeo.

So, what do I use now?

Twitter.com – Just to manually look through my followers one by one

TweetDeck – To listen to my followers, lists and #hashtags

Su.pr – For link shortening and instant submission to StumbleUpon

BufferApp – For scheduling tweets and retweeting other quality content

ReSearch.ly – To identify the current conversations and trending topics

What are your Twitter experiences? What are the tools you use? Do share them below :)

p.s. the above only depicts my personal usage with Twitter and does not include the tools I use when managing client accounts on social networks :)

p.p.s. you may want to give BufferApp a try, too! It makes automation a whole lot more human.


 

Who Is More Influential? The Brand or Its Followers?

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brand influence on social mediaBrands all over the world are hopping onto the social media ‘brandwagon’. For some, it is called strategy; the others, it is simply because it is ‘the thing’ to do. How successful are these brands? Are they influential enough to command attention?

Or rather, Who is influential?

An interesting question? I would think so myself. The thought came to me very recently when I was looking at various social media marketing campaigns – I saw how successful brands got their fans together through various promotions, facilitate discussions, interacting with fans and etc.. basically all the good stuff. However, who empowers the brand? Is it the social media manager behind the fan page? The brand? Or is it the fans?

I suggest it’s the latter.

A brand can only be as influential its followers can get. Look at it this way – a ‘successful’ brand on social media usually has high engagement with their followers. What if the followers do not respond? Does this affect the brand’s influence?

This can only mean one thing – it all revolves around the followers. Your brand may have the best offer and content but if the message is delivered to thin air (not responsive followers), nothing is going to happen.

What to do?

#1: Understand their influence

Sure, you have 100,000 fans but the threat of substitution remains high especially on social media networks. Followers can unfollow at will OR follow multiple competitors at one go – in fact, some argue that brand loyalty is dead with social media.

#2: Respect their influence

Take genuine interest in them beyond just numbers. Take the effort to talk to them individually whenever possible and respond to their conversations and feedbacks – both good and bad.

#3: Reward their influence

Every brand will have extraordinary fans. Some call them brand champions – fans that have been there since Day 1, fans that have been following your updates, fans that have been commenting and interacting often with your brand and fans that have been sharing your content with their friends. These fans are a gem! Look for opportunities to reward them e.g. a special feature of the month, freebies, exclusive passes and etc – every bit counts!

#4: Repeat #1

What is your take on brand influence? I would love to hear your thoughts below :)

Quality Over Quantity, Really?

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is quality the only criteria on social media?With the number of new blogs and social media accounts being setup every single day, it is no wonder why quality is preferred over quantity. After all, visitors prefer quality content over frequency of updates, right? The question is – is that all it is to it?

This has always been a topic amongst bloggers and businesses alike. I know of bloggers that go all out, putting up at least 3 posts a day with the reason of generating more traffic. Nothing wrong with that as long it is working for him. There are also others – businesses, to be exact, that posts only on a weekly basis. Does that make them weaker candidates on social media?

How about status updates on Facebook and on Twitter? Are frequent updates more inclined to be followed or be seen as ‘active’ on the network? Or will an update a day do the trick?

Is Quality ‘IT’?

Sure, quality is very important especially today where everyone can create content. Imagine – with 600 million users on Facebook, 1 update per user produces 600 million updates. That’s some massive content but how many of them are quality content? Quality content allows you to rise above the social media clutter. The usage of words, language proficiency, degree of insight, research and more all contribute to quality content.

One thing from missing from the list of quality content is that you’ll also require to have a quality NETWORK or COMMUNITY. Producing quality content without the right audience renders your hard work useless. With the right network, your content has the potential to gain more eyeballs and spark off even more ideas through discussions.

What About Quantity?

Having that said, let’s come back to the question – is quantity insignificant then? I personally do not think so. Quantity matters, too! Here are 4 simple reasons why:

1. If you’re new to social media, it matters to make yourself visible. Post frequently and consistently to capture attention. Avoid using same sentences in your updates as you do not want to be spammy! Be creative.
2. If you’re a blogger, the total amount of your posts count. This does not mean that you should be posting relentlessly, but your post count should show that you’re consistent and you’re serious. Readers may not find you credible / serious if your last post is 6 months away.
3. If you update Facebook, Twitter or more, your interactions count. You should engage in conversations with your customers and networks – don’t just chat, share ideas and position yourself as both an avid learner AND an expert in your field.
4. If you use Twitter, the number of your followers speak. The number of lists you’re added to also speaks. Most people only follow others that have more followers than how many they are following (i am one of them) because it indirectly suggests that you’re ‘followable material’ and that there is just something about you.

What does this mean?

“Quantity matters in social media. The trick is knowing the right amount to spill.”

Sharing time! What is your take on quantity and quality? Do leave your comments below!

How to: Manage Your Time on Social Media?

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How to: Manage Your Time on Social Media?

Let’s face it – as many benefits we can draw from social media, social media can also be very distracting. Never mind the plenitude of Facebook games – just spending time on researching, content creation and engaging (i.e. replying) across social media networks can cost one the entire day!

“How much time should I spend on social media? Am I spending too much time on social media?”

Do you ask those questions?

Many do. Small and big companies, groups and individuals alike – you’re not alone. Truth be told, there is never enough time on social media as there are always time for something on it. The trick is to know how much or how little is enough for your business – yes, time management even for social media.

Understanding the Components of Social Media

Social media in general consists of 3 important aspects that both businesses and individuals cannot overlook:

1. Listening

Perhaps one of the most powerful attribute of social media networks as it enabled businesses to find out what the consumer is talking about, their complains and suggestions – something unachievable back then.

I personally prefer to do this at the start of the day. It can comprise of looking at what your competitors are doing, looking up what your fans and followers are talking about, catching up with the latest news in the industry on various sites and etc.

2. Communicating / Engaging

communication and engagement on social media

Ah, the essence of social media networks – being social. What good it is if you’re part of a huge community (e.g. Facebook fan page) that does not communicate? This is where you take genuine interest in your followers and fans by talking NOT pitching to them.

This should take the bulk of your time on social media networks. This includes commenting on blogs, replying to messages and also content sharing. Remember, its not just about sharing your content but to share other quality content that you may find – tweet and retweet them, stumble them, like and share them on Facebook! Not only it grants you exposure, it opens up opportunities for you to expand your network within your industry.

I usually do this on the move with my phone – while waiting for the escalator, waiting for food to be served, at a long queue, waiting for a parking bay (some times this alone takes up to 30 mins!) and etc.

3. Content Creation

Creating content has never been easier with the help of blogging tools such as WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr and more. What’s great about creating your own content is that you’re able to position yourself as an industry expert, granting your brand more credibility compared to your competitors.

If writing isn’t exactly up your sleeves, try creating video clips, screen casts, infographics, podcasts or even post pictures of your work (especially for photographers) on networks such as YouTube, Vimeo, Flickr, Deviant Art and etc. Every content you create can be powerful when positioned using the right medium, even greater when combined with the first 2 aspects above!

What Determines the Amount of Time Spent?

how much time do i need to spend on social mediaNow, now.. I wished there was some kind of a success formula to social media: X hours x Y medium = AwesomeResults but there really isn’t. Having that said, I believe what determines the time spent for your social media network truly depends on your GOALS.

Yes, your GOALS – what do you want to achieve out of social media.

From there, you should be able to identify how much time should you spend on Listening, Communicating and Creating Content. For me, I spend about 2-3 hours daily on my networks on a busy day and here’s how I do it on a daily basis:

50% for Communicating and Engaging
25% for Listening
25% for Creating new Content

What do I achieve out of it? I know that as long I stick to my plan, I’ve covered the important aspects of social media, allowing me to achieve my goals AND YET have plenty of time for me to work on my projects with my clients. You can do that too!

Where Can We Go From Here?

1. Find out how much time are you spending on social media
2. Ask yourself: are what you’re doing in line with your goals?
3. Which of the 3 aspects are most important to you?
4. Establish a plan that you can follow on a daily basis encompassing all 3 aspects
5. Evaluate whether the plan works for you from time to time

Do you have a social media plan? I would love to hear what worked (and what did not) for you!

How Long Should Your Company Spend on Social Media in a Day?

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This question has been popping up quite a lot in my recent conversations with clients and friends alike – how much is too much and how do one estimate accordingly? Some companies swear by 1-hour daily while some go with 24-hours constant monitoring – is that really necessary?

The duration spent on social media defers from one to another and is dependent on 2 simple factors:

#1: The social media tools your company is using

Some tools require more time to monitor (e.g. Facebook and Twitter) compared to others (e.g. blogs) as tools such as Facebook has a lot more interactivity going on as compared to blogs. Also depending on the size of your network, you may need to spend more time replying to posts, @mentions and comments left by your followers or readers.

The more tools you use will definitely take up more time so be selective! Use only those that matters most for your business and concentrate on them first!

#2: What social media is used for (i.e. its intended purpose)

This goes all the way back to your company’s objectives in utilizing social media in the first place. Is it used to disseminate information? Is it used to promote your products / services? It is used to listen to what’s hot and not? It is used to engage with your customers? Is it used to attract new customers? Is it used to obtain feedback? Your reasons will determine how long you would want to spend on social media. If you’re just wanting to disseminate information, chances are, you’ll only need to spend time on content creation while if you’re there to listen to complains, you may want to play a more active role.

Be clear of what you want to achieve with social media networks as you won’t be able to do everything at one go especially if you’re new to it.

Closing Thoughts

As simple as it seems, most companies intend to dive into the sea of social media tools without first understanding what is required and whether it is really necessary. Not every business requires a blog and not every business have to be on Twitter.

Know your goals and no longer you’ll feel that time is never enough on social media. Know why you’re doing it and no longer you’ll feel that the results does not justify your time.

Coming up next: How to manage your time on social media?

How to: Integrate Social Media in Business Using Blogs (Part 3)

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So you now have a blog up and running and you’re working on your posts consistently, great! The common question I face during meetups with clients is: “Is that enough?”.

Is it?

It depends. It depends on how far you want to take your company / brand. If you’re comfortable having that limited number of readers or if you have no problem with a slow and steady organic growth of readership, then yes, it is enough.

However in most cases, companies and businesses would want to see results fast. They want to build a huge readership base within the shortest amount of time possible. Some make it, some don’t. Why? It takes a little more than just commitment and consistency to make it happen.

Here are 3 tips on how businesses can build readership:

#1: Guest Posting

guest posting for extended exposureThis is pretty straight forward. Just like how your business is looking for opportunities to be featured on newspaper / magazine columns, you can write guest posts on other people’s blogs! All you need to do is to be on a lookout for opportunities to guest post – contact the site / blog owner to see if you can do so.

Remember to offer something in return such as an offer for them to write a guest post on your site, or to do a special feature about them or by linking them up. After all, it is a mutual benefit. Look for sites / blogs that relates to your industry so that your brand image is consistent. You may also want to wait till you have  a healthy amount of posts on your site before approaching others as they too, will want to know of your expertise :)

#2: Commenting

contribute through comments. do not spam!Just like guest posting, commenting on other writer’s posts can bring about great exposure to your business. How so? When you leave constructive comments and / or share ideas, you’re actually engaging with the author and fellow peers. This means that you will be recognized and when that happens, chances are, they too will drop by and visit your site as you leave your link.

Now be careful to not go on a commenting spree and leave links all over the blogosphere as that is equivalent to spam and that will work in reverse for you. Instead, look for sites that you can contribute ideas and learn from and get started on a healthy discussion – that will work much better as you position yourself in the industry on blogs.

#3: Submit / Syndicate Your Posts

building your network on social media

One good way of getting more readers is to leave as many trails of your post as possible on the web. It can be on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Stumble Upon, Reddit, Digg and the list never ends! Fortunately with the abundance of tools out there, you can get your posts in multiple places in one go such as Google’s Feedburner or if you’re using the Chrome browser, the Shareaholic extension makes things really simple, too!

Suggested read: I found this timely article here that suggests some of today’s growing tools you can submit your posts to to grow your readership network.

Is there more?

There sure is but the above 3 should be able to get things going pretty well for a start especially if you’re new to the blogging scene. Focus on growing your networks through engagement and do not worry about other techniques for now, you’ll definitely get there soon enough!

Do you have tips to share? I would love to hear what works / doesn’t work for you, too! :)