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The world is abuzz with the news of Facebook’s live announcement this afternoon.  The result? Marketing gurus and social media nerds were sent into a frenzy catapulting “Zuck” and “#facebooklive” to trend on Twitter.

The announcement was regarding the new video chat feature in partnership with Skype. A Facebook spokesperson described the new feature by saying, “Your least technical friend can use this feature.” In addition, the company launched group chat and a redesigned chat interface.

Critics wonder why Mark Zuckerberg would go as far as to describe the announcement as “something awesome” when the information about the new features were already announced on Facebook through its blog. And for that matter, why the hoopla over a live announcement, which was broadcast through livestream.com?

Here’s what really caught my attention. A representative from Mashable asked Zuckerberg about his reactions to Google+. He responded by saying that now that the technology for such applications exist, he predicts we will be seeing more of them pop up in the future. In other words, he didn’t put down Google+ but rather recognized it as an app that is simply one of many to come based on the interface that has already been invented (I presume he means invented by Facebook).

More over, going back to the trending topics, this seemingly unimpressive announcement suddenly made Facebook more talked about than Google+. So, I ask you: Was Zuckerberg’s decision to live broadcast his “awesome” announcement so silly after all? From a public relations standpoint, I’d say it was pretty damn smart.

Want to know what’s going on in the world of social media marketing but don’t have the time to research through hundreds of articles.  Here’s our list of the most important social media marketing articles that we’ve come across this month.

Pew Study: 99% of Blog Links Come From Newspapers and Broadcast Networks (Via Joe Ciarallo in PRNewser)

Notable excerpt: “The lead story on Twitter matched that of the mainstream press in just four weeks of the 29 weeks studied. On YouTube, the top stories overlapped with traditional media eight out of 49 weeks.”

Study Shows Time Pays With Social Media Marketing (Via Amy Porterfield in Social Media Examiner)

Notable excerpt: “According to the survey, the number-one benefit of social media marketing is greater exposure (85%).  Improving traffic and building new partnerships followed next.  More than half of marketers indicated a rise in search engine rankings was a benefit of social media marketing.  The report states, ‘As search engine rankings improve, so will business exposure, lead generation efforts and a reduction in overall marketing expenses.  More than half of marketers found social media generated qualified leads.’”

5 Surprising Social Media Business Success Stories (Via Rick Burnes in Mashable)

Notable excerpt: “In a business driven by relationships, Geoff says that Facebook allows him to build new ones. ‘People do business with people who they’re friends with. Period,’ he says. ‘And Facebook is a great way to get to know people. It allows people to see that I’m a person.’ As he builds these relationships using social media, Geoff is also expanding his company’s reach. He says it was his blog (), his Twitter feed, and his Facebook account that helped him win appearances on Horse Talk Radio and HorseGirl.tv. So what’s this done for his business? Geoff says that over the last year, Facebook alone has generated about 100 leads and 10-to-15 customers.”

Current Facebook Statistics

Notable excerpt:

It’s the final quarter of 2009 and for many professionals that means budget planning for 2010.  I bring this up because I have often heard business owners and professionals state that they are hesitant to employ a marketing campaign because they don’t have a budget.  Well, the time to make room for marketing is now.

As the economy begins to pick up, those with strong and strategic marketing will be the ones who benefit the most.  Consumers are more likely to purchase a service or a product from a company or professional who has already earned their trust.  Here are some cost effective ways you can improve your marketing in 2010 or better yet, now:

Professionals

Marketing and communication isn’t exclusive to heads of companies.  You can easily build your credibility as a professional and build a rapport with your clients through simple marketing tactics. Remember to check with management for permission before you publish anything that includes your company’s name.

• Blog
  • How: Sign up for a blog on sites like WordPress or TypePad and get cracking.  Schedule blogs into your weekly routine for consistency and create a topic list ahead of time to combat writer’s block.
  • Cost: Free to minimal.
• Volunteer
  • How: Find an organization that interests you and sign-up as a volunteer.  You may volunteer within your industry (e.g., I often volunteer on the marketing/PR committee for charity events).  Either way, you’ll meet more people and build relationships.
  • Cost: Free.
• Social Networks
  • How: Pick one that makes the most sense to you and commit to it. Create a profile or an account just for your business.  Post links to blogs, interesting articles or offer industry tips on a regular basis.  You can even advertise on Facebook for a minimal cost, which can result in significant exposure to your target demographic.  Whatever you post, make sure it benefits your readers.  Important: This is not the place for a sales pitch!
  • Cost: Free to minimal.
• Comment on blogs or answer industry-related questions
  • How: Find popular blogs or articles that are related to your expertise and comment on them. Or, use the question and answer feature on sites like LinkedIn to offer solutions to individuals’ questions.  It’s that easy. You’ll gain exposure as an expert with insightful feedback.
  • Cost: Free.
• E-newsletter
  • How: Use professional email distribution services like Constant Contact to touch base with your clients, friends and family.  You can send a newsletter of industry tips, announce a new service and its benefits, or even send out a survey.
  • Cost: Minimal to Moderate.

Business Owners

As a business owner you know that in order to build business, you have let people know you exist.  Whether it’s through networking, word-of-mouth referrals, marketing, advertising, or public relations, there are a myriad of ways to promote your products and services.  Here is a short list of marketing techniques that business owners can easily build into their 2010 plan and budget:

• Get published on the web
  • How: Set up a free blog using sites like WordPress or TypePad or write articles and submit them to topic-relevant web sites such as Kirtsy or Digg.  You’ll have to do some research to find out which sites are best suited for your articles.  If you’re opting for the blog route, be sure to schedule blogs into your weekly routine for consistency and create a topic list ahead of time to help jog article ideas.  Either way, write about topics that will benefit your readers and promote the articles (e.g., post on social networking sites).
  • Cost: Free.
• Donate an Auction Item
  • How: Charitable organizations are always holding events to raise funds.  Often times they will hold an auction or a raffle to help them achieve fundraising goals.  Look for local events and contact the organizer to see if they could use an auction or raffle item.  You’re pretty much guaranteed to get exposure at the event and a possible mention in promotional materials leading up to the event.
  • Cost: Varies per donated item.
• Sponsor Events
  • How:  Event sponsorships are a great way to promote your company and can be very cost effective.  Look around your local area for upcoming events.  You might find opportunities through charities, business organizations, interest groups, sports or even other businesses.  Find out the demographics related to the sponsorship opportunity and where and how your name and logo will be used.  Visibility to the right audience is the name of the game.
  • Cost: Varies per event and sponsorship level.
• Business Expos
  • How:  Business organizations and interest groups hold expos year round presenting a fantastic opportunity for business owners to meet lots of new people in a short amount of time.  Again, a little research is necessary.  Many networking and business organizations hold expos.  You can also ask around to find out what events are coming up and which are the most popular.  When you sign up for a table, make sure you plan to have a visually stimulating table (bright colors and interactive activities are great) and be sure to have plenty of staff on hand to meet-and-greet your guests.
  • Cost: Varies by expo and involvement level.
• E-mail marketing
  • How: Maintain contact with clients with e-mail marketing.  One great tactic is to use professional email distribution services like Constant Contact to send out newsletters, announcements or even conduct surveys. The benefit is that you will be able to track statistics such as subscribers, email forwards, percentage of opened emails, and link clicks.  Perhaps even better, you will continue to maintain a presence in your clients’ minds. Content should benefit the reader, whether you’re providing tips, announcing a special for your newsletter subscribers or sending an event reminder. etc.
  • Cost: Minimal to Moderate.
• Social Networking Marketing
  • How: From Facebook to Twitter to LinkedIn, businesses can get great exposure by creating a profile or an account just for their business.  Use these sites to build relationships. Post content that will encourage interaction and feedback.  Remember that content should always benefit your readers.
  • Cost: Free to minimal.

The way people use the Internet is changing immensely.  Just this week Nielson released a report stating that “social networking and blog sites capture more Internet time and advertising.”  The study states that:

Americans have nearly tripled the amount of time they spend at social networking and blog sites such as  Facebook and MySpace from a year ago, according to a new report from The Nielsen Company.   In August 2009, 17 percent of all time spent on the Internet was at social networking sites, up from 6 percent in August 2008.

Read the full study here: http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/social-networking-and-blog-sites-capture-more-internet-time-and-advertisinga/

Knowing this, it’s more imperative than ever to understand social media and how to use it for marketing purposes.  Some of the benefits of social media include:

•    Increased traffic to your web site
•    Increased ranking in search engines
•    Build consumer trust with direct access relationships
•    Become the go-to source in your industry (with the right content)
•    Your clients and customers can easily refer you by sharing links

Miss Ink offers a variety of services to help our clients take advantage of Internet marketing.  From social media education workshops to social media management to SEO-friendly copy writing to email newsletter campaigns, Miss Ink can help your company or organization grow through cost-effective Internet tools.

Contact us to set up your free phone consultation at (305) 537-6465 or info@miss-ink.com.

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